Weddings: presenting the bouquets

Each wedding I make flowers for, there is a certain moment where time slows down, where everything seems to hang momentarily and my heart leaps to my throat as I walk into a room and present the bouquets to the bride.  It's a precious moment, yet one I desperately want to get past. Will she like it? will I see her eyes gleam and her mouth smile as I turn the corner? Will there be tears of joy?

I have always felt this moment of worry, despite having presented countless brides with their special flowers.  Recently I had started to worry that it was me, the classic imposter syndrome that so many creatives feel.

But over the past couple of weeks I've heard several of my floral heroes mention the same trepidation, seasoned designers who fly across the globe at special request to create flowers for brides that end up on the pages of magazines or pinned repeatedly onto pinterest boards. That moment of greeting the bride and handing her the bridal bouquet still makes them feel anxious.

It would seem that it is part and parcel of being a floral designer, to create this most personal of pieces that a bride carries with her through the day as she marries her life's love and to worry that somehow you've misjudged her heart's desire.  And so I am going to try to embrace this moment in time. As I stand in the elevator racing to the highest floor of a hotel, or wait at the door and press the bell I will take a deep breath and fully feel the emotion of the day. I will not try to race past it, but rather will take it in as a sign that I am doing my job well.