Your Devon and Cornwall Wedding - Page number 59 - September/October 2021 (Issue 33)

 FABULOUS FLORALS Sustainable tips and tricks from green-fingered experts Marina Law is the creative talent behind Artem Florum, a Devon-based florist. She creates beautiful floral designs for weddings and events throughout Devon and Cornwall. LET’S CONNECT: 07763 554 998, www.artemflorum.com www.facebook.com/artemflorum www.instagram.com/artemflorum Marina tells us , “There’s something quite magical about being a florist because it connects with nature and all its beauty. It’s now more important than ever to take extra care and time to run a business that’s sustainable and protects our natural world as much as possible. Something to consider should always be the distance our flowers travel to arrive in the hands of our couples getting married. At Artem Florum and From the Wild Floristry & Botanical Design (owned and run by Alice Wright who Marina regularly collaborates with on weddings and shoots and who recently won the Muddy Stilettos Award for the Best Florist) we try to buy flowers as locally as possible using wholesalers such as Highcroft Nurseries in Cornwall and other smaller local growers such as Greenacre Flowers near Exeter. Buying locally means we’re keeping the flower footprint lower.” Marina continues, “Another important factor is using seasonal flowers in our designs that can be challenging at times due to our unpredictable weather patterns in the UK but we try to take advantage of seasonal varieties where we can. Peonies are abundant in May and June so these featured heavily in Chloe and Matthew’s micro wedding at the stunning Brickhouse Vineyard wedding venue in Mamhead, Exeter (pictured).” Marina explains the use of floral foam. She says, “The modernisation of floristry has introduced single- use plastics which includes floral foam that’s made of carcinogenic materials which further break down into microplastics that contaminate our water. We need to look at using alternatives like Sideau which is a 100% natural floral foam made from basalt that’s completely biodegradable and can be reused as a potting soil which is great for growing all types of plants due to its nutritional composition. It’s a more costly alternative to the traditional floral foam but is a small price to pay for a greener environment.” Marina describes how weddings have come full circle with the mechanics of floral installations. She says, “We’re reverting to older techniques to create large-scale designs. Instead of using traditional floral foam, we’re opting for the greener moss and chicken wire mechanics to hold designs together and add a base to attach flowers and foliage to. This takes more time to construct but it’s worth it. There are many other things that we can do such as using twine to tie bouquets, opting for eco flower wrap, replacing ribbons with natural raffia and string and choosing to use paper stem wrap. It’s a case of being more mindful about our techniques and the materials we choose to create our designs. By making small adjustments every day, we can contribute to help protect our planet and establish a greener, sustainable future.” Photography courtesy of www.emma-barrow.com; venue www.brickhousevineyard.co.uk; flowers by www.artemflorum.com and www.fromthewildflorist.com FLOWERS 59