A very Happy New Year to you all, and a well deserved congratulations for surviving the dreaded first week of January. I'm sure I'm not the only one consuming leftover Christmas chocolates by the box full to perk up these long, grey winter afternoons. I always find January rather good for reflecting on what has been achieved throughout the year; a natural lull in floral needs after Christmas enables me to down tools & revisit some favourite moments of the year.
Last January saw the introduction of the brand new Verity & Thyme website, a place I have loved sharing my latest floral escapades & musings. The spring months found me schlepping across the Cheshire countryside with a van full of scented seasonal blooms ready to adorn churches, barns and warehouses with arches, wreaths and floral installations. The summer, as always, was a flurry of fluffy peonies, towering delphinium and bucket after bucket of British grown garden roses, travelling far and wide including my favourite annual trip down to the very edge of Cornwall to shoot with my wonderful friend Katy Lawrence. The lingering sun and unseasonal warmth of September made this autumn an absolute pleasure, creating bespoke bouquets with as many British grown flowers as I could get my hands on and sending them to beautiful locations such as the Lake District for unseasonably impromptu outdoor celebrations. As the nights drew in and the temperatures dropped in late October/early November I worked on three big and beautiful weddings in as many weeks for lovely brides in Shropshire and Liverpool, and this winter continued to keep my hands busy with romantic winter weddings and beautiful Christmas commissions.
I am lucky to say that 2016 has been another truly wonderful one for Verity & Thyme across the north west, however there is change afoot for the coming year. It is without further ado that I announce that as of this month, Verity & Thyme has moved to make Buckinghamshire its permanent home. This is an incredibly exciting step for this floral business; I have always admired the countryside I grew up in and the gardens I spent hours playing in as a child, and it is such a joy to bring the business home to roost in the exact place that has inspired it along its journey. Whilst flowers will still be sourced from local flower markets, growers and the hedgerows that surround me here in Buckinghamshire, plans are in motion to dedicate the family allotment and garden to home grown blooms for future weddings and celebrations too. Verity & Thyme flowers will be more bespoke, unique and individual than ever and I cannot wait to get started. I am also keen to cast the net further than just Buckinghamshire, to the beautiful counties of Oxfordshire and Berkshire and surrounding counties that border it, and of course to those city dwellers desiring a touch of the country for their London weddings & celebrations.
I cannot possibly begin this next chapter however without thanking all the wonderful couples, suppliers (many of whom I now call dear friends) and beautiful venues in Cheshire & Liverpool who have stood by my side as Verity & Thyme took its first steps. It has been such a joy and pleasure to work alongside you all as this little floral business has grown, and your support, kindness and friendship has meant so much to me. To all of my lovely couples who have trusted me with your wedding day, invited me into your homes to be part of precious wedding morning memories, and whom I have laughed and cried with along the way - I will be forever thankful for your kindness and the joy you have brought me.
So, to all you wonderful newly engaged bride and grooms-to-be looking to marry in Buckinghamshire and beyond, my diary is officially open! Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you are looking for florals for your special day, occasion or event - I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
To new beginnings...
Charlotte x
* Photography by the lovely Katy Lawrence