This month, we get to know the green-fingered beauty that is Lucy from floral styling business Green & Envy. Since starting her business two years ago, Lucy has done nothing but live and breathe florals!
Green & Envy specialise in wedding and event flowers and Lucy loves to create designs that are unique and playful! Here she is to tell us a little more about herself as she takes on our ‘get-to-know-you’ questions!
Please Introduce Yourself
Hiya! I’m Lucy and I’m flower-obsessed. I created my floral styling business Green & Envy two years ago and I’ve loved every day since! When I tell people what I do, the most common responses are ‘oh how lovely’ or ‘I’m so envious you don’t have to sit at a computer everyday’ or ‘it must be so nice to play with flowers all day’. The best thing is… I can confirm that all of those things are absolutely true!
Your business…
1. What made you want to set up your business?
Following a year of travelling with my husband Matt, we returned home to London and I couldn’t wait to get back to being creative and active. It wasn’t actually my ‘go-to’ plan to set up my own business right away, but things began falling into place as I worked as a freelance florist. In my spare time I learned how to make my own website (now that’s a real labour of love!) and I launched Green & Envy the very next morning! On that very morning I received my first wedding enquiry for a gorgeous couple called Claire and Alex – the rest is history!
2. What’s the best part of your job?
Variety! Every day and every event is different.
3. What’s the worst part of your job?
Splinters! The prick of a rose thorn doesn’t get any easier…
4. What’s the weirdest request you’ve ever had from a client?
Hmm I’m not really sure…. I have a brief for an Easter event coming up which involves making mini gardens inside egg shells – I guess that’s quite weird!
5. What’s been your favourite ever wedding you’ve worked on/at?
That would have to be my sister-in-laws wedding last year – it was something else! Both her and her husband are so stylish and totally eclectic in their vision. We planned the floral styling for their big day for months, and it was so incredible to see it all come to life on the day of the wedding.
6. You’re surrounded by beauty in your job. What do you find beautiful?
Floor tiles, ceilings, old wooden doors, little country chapels, table linen, cut glassware, silk ribbons, bridal shoes, stationary – I think the list is quite possibly endless. If there’s ever a job to find beauty at every turn, this is it! Also, the sky in the early hours of the morning as I leave for work is beautiful – such an amazing indigo colour.
7. Best piece of advice to offer to those getting married?
Use Laura (Devine Bride) as your coordinator! Really, the sense of calm confidence you will have knowing that this organisational expert has her eye over each element of your day is absolutely priceless and such a priority investment. Plus, she’s a total darl! (OMG THANKS LUCY!!)
8. Anyone you particularly admire in the industry?
From a flowery stance, there is a rapidly increasing movement towards ‘foam-fee’ floral creations which is brilliant. I really admire all the businesses championing this, and finding ways to work in an environmentally friendly way.
9. Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
My granny used to order pudding for her starter, because she would find it a travesty if she came to the end of her dinner and didn’t have room for pud! We’re a big pudding-loving family. It wasn’t advice as such, but I’ve always, always kept granny’s habit in mind!
10. What was your career plan B?
I think this is it! Living in a flowery wonderland.
You…
11. Where do you call home?
North London – where my folks are.
12. Favourite shop?
Anthropologie. Oh my goodness, I don’t think there’s a limit to the amount of time I can spend floating around that shop in a bubble of velvety, floral, colourful, textured bliss. Who doesn’t need 5 sizes of tiny hand painted spoons?!
13. Favourite restaurant?
Ceviche on Frith Street. It’s absolutely tiny, really flipping loud and does outrageously tasty Peruvian food.
14. Favourite Film?
“I’m ready to paaaarrrttaaaaay… with the best of them. And I’m gonna go down to the river…” Yep, I’m a big ‘Bridesmaids’ fan!
15. Cocktail of Choice?
Negroni. Always.
16. Your biggest extravagance?
Our year-long adventure. When we realised the savings we had weren’t going to even scratch the surface for our house deposit, we decided to do a complete u-turn and put it towards seeing the world instead. I think that was pretty extravagant! But it was also the BEST decision we’ve ever made.
17. Do you collect anything?
Suitcase stickers and art from all the places I travel to. The suitcase is looking pretty tatty these days but the ‘Travel Wall’ is something I enjoy looking at every single day.
18. If you could buy any building, which one would it be?
The Tobacco Store on the Dock Road in Liverpool – it’s a huge red brick warehouse. I’ve always admired it on the journey into town when I’m up there. I think part of it’s charm are the hundreds of tiny led windows, lots of which are broken or missing. I love it’s sheer size. I don’t know what I would do with it – maybe some kind of botanical garden inside it’s walls?!
19. What’s the most romantic thing someone’s ever done for you?
On our first date, as we sat on a little bench in Knaresborough, my husband opened up a very jazzily printed cool bag (bought especially for our date I’m now told!) and he produced a homemade picnic version of a Pizza Express salad that I had apparently raved about on the night we met!
20. Where do you go to let your hair down?
Bed!
And finally…
21. Tell us something about yourself
I live and work in a church! It’s in the steeple with lots of lovely tall windows, rusty red bricks and buckets of light. And flowers!
22. Invisibility or flight?
Flight.
23. Tell us your favourite Instagram accounts at the moment!
Ooh well I’m looking at lots of housey stuff at the moment, so loving following apartmentapothecary and almost_everything_off_ebay for inspiration. And I also love checking in with Tanya from Ohflora for all things flowery from ‘down under’.
24. Any regrets in life?
All the missed pudding opportunities…
25. If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?
Our attitude towards the planet. I guess a worldwide change to taking the Earth’s supplies for granted, and leaving the tidy-up job for the next person…
Thank you so much to Lucy from Green & Envy for taking part! What a wonderful insight into her flowery world that was…!!
Photography Credits: James Andrew Photography | Kate Nielen Photography | Matt Willis Photography | Phillipa James Photography | Rose Paper Scissors
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Please email any hellos or enquiries to laura@devinebride.co.uk
