'Boho has the playful, seventies hippie flair with a certain chic'

Belgian Floral Designer Chantal Post enjoyed the master's degree in floral design in Vught. As president of the Belgian florists' union Be-Florist, she has been committed to promoting the beautiful profession of floristry and supporting florists since 2021.

'The contemporary bohemian style you see a lot at weddings is a melting pot of different cultural influences. Bohemian (or boho) fashion, is a timeless and stylish look perfect for anyone who wants to look chic with a nonchalant touch. Accessories, often made from natural materials such as wood, stone and shells, also play a prominent role. The free-spirited style combines different textures and vibrant colors into an eclectic yet cohesive whole.'

'A signature boho bridal bouquet has a natural look - combining the playful, casual seventies hippie flair with a certain chic. The waterfall shape is also typical of a boho bridal bouquet - especially if it is realized with special natural materials or different textures.'

'In bridal work I can put my passion'

For floral designer Max van de Sluis, one of the most important characteristics of bridal floral work is that it is, above all, personal. 'In my experience, the bouquet should perfectly match the bride and the person she is or at least the personality she wants to express. That also makes design for wedding flower arrangements always a fun challenge. Our profession is very versatile, and within all these dimensions, bridal work is not only an important part but also a facet that I really enjoy working on. This is where I can very sincerely put my passion and enthusiasm.

Working with materials of the season always gives me something extra. Fun to do and a fine result also gives building up a flower or using only one kind of (flower) material - as I was able to show several times in this session.'

'Also, play primarily on smell'

Spring is bursting forth and the splash of color is appearing in the form of budding branches, bulbs sprouting from the ground and blossoms shooting into bloom. Green stylist Sjacco Gerritsen can get excited about it every year. 'Spring is the period from which we get a lot of energy at Fleur Inn green styling. New year, new opportunities and every time you notice that the customers are looking forward to making their homes and gardens cosy again with spring flowers.

'We use a lot of flared branches and a lot of natural materials. It is also very exciting and surprising to play on smell. That sometimes gets a little into the background.'

'The smell of spring: daffodils, mimosa, hyacinths, lilies: you can tell from the customer in the store that they love it. Real spring is in color, fragrance and design - we as florists can do a lot with that. And above all also seduce the customer.'

'Spring to me means color and wonder'

In addition to running her business Hilde in house, flower decorator Hilde Pit teaches four days at a VMBO green school where she introduces students to the floral profession during flower & design classes. 'Students inspire me by their wonder about certain materials, all the more fun to inspire them again with new materials.'

'I grew up with National Park Weerribben-Wieden as my backyard. This is where my love for being outdoors and beautiful materials from nature was born. Spring for me means fine materials, color and wonder. Seeing the buds coming back on the trees and the first fresh sprigs in the garden: fantastic.'

'In this season I use bright colors in combination with pastels, all mixed together. I like stubborn materials: fragile ranunculus, but also tulips that decide for themselves which way to grow. Today's customer appreciates flowers much more the way they are now: few leaves, purity. That's something we've seen in recent years, but I'm sure customers will appreciate it even more in the future.

Spring symphony

Spring is arriving. And it can be felt as early as February, although of course it can still be quite a winter well into March and even April. But for now, the outside temperature has been very mild for weeks this year, reason why the bulbs in the garden are sprouting out of the ground, the branches are budding and the birds, judging by their whistling, already have spring clearly in the air.