I tried a Petals and Prosecco workshop in Nottingham — here’s what I learned
Our Tying the Knott columnist tried her hand at floral arranging
Whether you’re getting married or looking for a fun activity with the girls, doing a flower workshop in Nottingham is a fun idea.
Our wedding columnist Misha Zala went down to Pitcher and Piano to try Petal Icon Floristry’s Petals and Prosecco (petal-icon-floristry.sumupstore.com), as well as asking for top tips on taking care of and curating blooms.
If you’re searching for wedding inspiration in Nottingham or just love finding new things to do, these workshops take place around the whole county, and have different themes month to month. For more reviews and guides, subscribe to The Notts Edit to receive our articles in your inbox for free.
Tying the Knott — Petals and Prosecco workshop at Pitcher and Piano, Nottingham review
By Misha Zala (mishasimagination.com)
Photos by The Notts Edit
Flowers have been entwined with weddings since Ancient Greece and Roman times. Traditionally, they bring good luck, ward off evil spirits and mark the bride and groom’s new beginnings. When it comes to modern wedding flowers, betrothed couples have a lot of options.
If floral design isn’t something you’ve given much thought to before, prepare to get in the weeds. Real, faux or a bit of both? Will you have a flower arch, centrepieces on the tables, arrangements on plinths, or bespoke installations? And of course, there’s the bridal and bridesmaids’ bouquets to consider.
Personally, I’d like a professional florist to create the bouquets – but for the venue, I’m drawn to a DIY, mix-and-match approach, with bud vases on long tables and foliage runners down the centre. I’m also aiming to create a few faux flower clouds for the marquee ceiling. Besides the cost-saving element, I think it’s a great way to get creative.
With that in mind, I was keen to get to grips with some floristry basics. When I heard about Petals and Prosecco, run by Dani Waddington of Petal Icon Floristry, I was excited to have fun and learn some tips about wedding flowers. The two-hour workshop took place at Pitcher and Piano, which, as a converted church, is an iconic Nottingham venue. Upstairs, beams of evening sunlight streamed through the beautiful stained glass windows.
Dani gave a warm welcome to the group with glasses of the eponymous prosecco and fruit juices we could add to create an extra-special touch. As an autumn bride-to-be who is quite enamoured with the blousy petals of summer flowers, I was excited by the summer nights theme of the event (it was certainly hot!).
Fiery sunset shades are in my chosen wedding colour palette. Peeking around the corner, I could see vibrant pink and orange flowers in large vases on a long table, where the group of around 25 attendees would sit. Florist tools and materials were laid out ready to use.
Dani told us all about the flowers we were working with, including statement snapdragons, summery germinis and chrysanthemums, voluminous burgundy dahlias, and classic coral roses. I found Dani’s experiential approach and sunny personality very encouraging, as she emphasised going with the flow and creating for joy.
She also gave us a quick health and safety demonstration, including how to use and store spring-loaded secateurs, and how to remove thorns and foliage below the waterline. We set to work dividing the flowers, using the foliage strippers (Dani did warn us there are a lot of euphemisms in the floristry world!) and cutting our stems at a 45-degree angle for longevity. We also learnt how to gently pull petals back to create a fuller-looking flower.
The best tip I learnt from the Petals and Prosecco workshop was the spiral technique. This involved holding the bouquet in your hand like a puppet, spinning it a quarter-turn, adding a flower, and repeating until you get your desired look. I felt this absolutely improved the style of my bouquet compared to my previous supermarket flower attempts, and I’ll definitely be adopting this technique for my wedding.
Dani gave me some tips on autumnal flowers with a summery feel: dahlias are a great choice for autumn, and roses are available all year round. For my wedding, I’ve contacted a few florists, and some requested to be the exclusive flower supplier at the event. I found this quite surprising, though I hear it’s so they don’t get associated with photos of terrible-looking floral displays. So, it’s key for DIY brides to work with a florist who has a more experiential approach.
‘DIY can absolutely save money, particularly if creating flowers is something you’ll genuinely enjoy – it can be a wonderfully wholesome experience,’ Dani explains. ‘If it feels like another item on an already full to-do list, having a florist take care of it can give you back time, headspace and one less thing to worry about.’
I thoroughly enjoyed the expressive freedom, although I had been expecting more direction throughout the workshop. After preparing our flowers, it took quite a while to get to the arranging step, and I was unsure at times about when to move on and cut the stems or where to cut the paper to wrap the bouquet.
The event’s long table layout made it tricky to see and hear the directions at times, as Dani had to move down the table to give instructions. I would have found a step-by-step approach easier to follow – instructing the group to all trim the stems and then come back together.
The workshop felt like a very social event, though most had attended with a friend. I definitely recommend the Petals and Prosecco workshop as a hen activity as a way to get creative with your bridesmaids. Now that the roses in my bouquet are starting to dry out, I’m going to use the petals in my confetti as a reminder of this special workshop.
Read on for Dani’s tips and tricks for flower lovers and brides-to-be who are hoping to DIY their wedding flowers.
How to look after your flowers (wedding or otherwise)
Remove any leaves below the waterline
Leaves left in water rot quickly and encourage bacteria, shortening the life of your flowers. This applies to both during storage of flowers, as well as in vase arrangements.
Don’t overfill vases with water
Around one-third to halfway up the stems is usually plenty.
Refresh the water every couple of days
Refreshing the water will remove any potential bacteria building up in the water occurring from the stems or otherwise. It will also keep glass vases looking clear and reduce water lines appearing.
Keep flowers away from ripening fruit
Fruit gives off ethylene gas, which can cause blooms to age more quickly. This is particularly important when creating DIY wedding blooms.
Tips for creating your own wedding blooms
Align with your aesthetic
Think about how you want your day to feel, and replicate that in your flowers. Align your theme and aspirations for a cohesive day. For example, if you’re after a rustic theme, classic or traditional floristry genres such as wildflowers will fit better.
Be aware of what flowers will be available at the time of year you’re getting married
Everyone loves a peony, but they have a relatively short availability window. If you’re keen on a specific flower, bear that in mind when booking your wedding day, or look at suitable alternatives.
Practice creating a bouquet at least once beforehand
Trying it out well in advance will let you see how the flowers look, feel and work together and also allows you the opportunity to try again before the big day. Practising a bouquet will also give you an insight into whether you’ll have the capacity to create larger features like flower meadows. These can be repurposed throughout the wedding, as altar decorations or welcome signs, cake tables and so on.
Consider the full end-to-end of your DIY florals
Your bouquet / arrangements is only one small part of wedding floristry. Someone also needs to transport everything safely, place every arrangement, pin buttonholes, distribute bouquets, move ceremony flowers if needed, and deal with any last-minute surprises. There is also the clearing down element to consider the next day!
Dani from Petal Icon Floristry is also developing a brand-new bridal experience called The Wedding Petals Edit, designed especially for newly-engaged brides and couples.
petal-icon-floristry.sumupstore.com
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