One question florists get asked A LOT is how to preserve a bridal bouquet. Traditional methods are hit and miss depending on the floral species, plus there’s the question of what you are eventually going to do with a dusty old relic. Enter Charlotte Argyrou, whose Wedding Bouquet Illustration Service offers a contemporary solution that is portable when you move house and highly versatile within the modern home. I speak to Charlotte about how it works and why her happy clients regard their illustrations as modern heirlooms.
WHAT IS THE WEDDING BOUQUET ILLUSTRATION SERVICE?
The Wedding Bouquet Illustration Service is a luxury gifting service for newlyweds or for those celebrating a special anniversary. Each illustration is utterly bespoke, hand-drawn on heavyweight acid-free paper and presented signed and mounted along with a signed Certificate of Authenticity. I find my customers usually want to choose a frame themselves once they can see the illustration in context, but I’m happy to offer advice about framing.
I offer two variations – the Full Bouquet (£290) – which includes all the species, and a smaller Mini Bouquet (£145), which includes 3-5 blooms plus foliage in a creative interpretation inspired by the full bouquet.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Each bespoke illustration is created from photography the married couple or gift-giver provide. Usually, a couple buying for themselves or a groom buying for a special present for his missus will wait a few weeks and send me their professional photography. A handful of images is ideal, so I can clearly see all the different floral species and work out the best composition. But if there’s only one decent image of the bouquet, that’s absolutely fine.
I will often ask for the florist’s details, so that I can quickly check the list of species featured. It’s a small detail, but one that means both you and I know your illustration is a true representation of all your wonderful wedding day memories.
I will offer the happy couple an email/phone/FaceTime consultation about the illustration. Most just chose to chat with me over email, as it means I can attach pencil sketches for approval, perhaps a colour palette if we are changing some details from the original bouquet. We will agree the dimensions of the illustration – either a 30cm x 30cm square or 40cm x 30cm (landscape/portrait) – according to the composition of the bouquet. Don’t worry if you are unsure, as I will make my recommendation for what I believe will work best. Mini Bouquets are 18cm x 18cm.
From that point, some people are happy to say “do your thing” (literally, I’ve been told this…) and let me make all the decisions. It really is up to you. I believe a commissioned piece of art is truly intimate and personal, so I’m happy to send updates throughout the process, or just surprise my clients at the end as they prefer.
WHO ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS?
My customers are like me – interior decor nuts who want their homes to be a personal, meaningful representation of themselves and their life story. “Personalised” art doesn’t really do it for them, so they crave bespoke. My brides often put an awful lot of love into designing the florals for their wedding and adored working alongside their florists, so they want to commemorate that process in a contemporary way. They like collaborating with me because I’m just as excited by their florals, colours and design choices as they are, so together we relive all those moments. The feeling of celebration and romance pours into the illustration.
CAN THE SERVICE BE GIVEN AS GIFT FOR NEWLYWEDS OR ANNIVERSARIES?
Absolutely. Many of my customers are husbands searching for the perfect one year “paper” anniversary gift. It is best to contact me about six weeks before the anniversary date, to ensure we have enough time and avoid a lastminute panic.
I also offer a beautiful gift voucher card for an additional £5, which you receive with an extra envelope, ribbon and sticker so that the gift-givers can sign it themselves before presenting it on or after the wedding day.
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So that’s the Wedding Bouquet Illustration Service in a nutshell. You get married, send me your photos, we have a chat and I send you a unique piece of artwork that will hopefully become a treasured heirloom for a lifetime and beyond. I’ll happily answer any questions, and you can find me in the following ways:
Tapping away on email at charlotte@charlotteargyrou.com
Over-sharing on Instagram @craftist_in_residence
Creating polls on Facebook @craftistinresidence
Model: Charlotte Argyrou Illustration
Location: Pynes House
Photographer: Nicole Howe Photography
Planner: Victoria Sykes Events
Floristry: Loulabel Floral Design
Hair: Natalie Nichols Bridal @ Changing Faces
Make Up: Kimberley Dewar @ Changing Faces