“Flowers Take Center Stage”

Floral designer Jan de Ridder believes it is important to listen carefully to what the customer wants when interacting with them, while still adding his own personal touch.

“In every bouquet, the flowers come first. The frame is really just a secondary element, meant only to make the flowers stand out more.”

Jan loves bold colors, such as gold, burgundy, blue, or ochre. “A strong accent like that makes a bouquet striking and leaves a lasting impression on people. Color combinations are also important: if a bride chooses lilac, I stick to that color. If you pair it with pink, for example, it actually tones down the lilac.”

Jan doesn’t have a preference for specific flowers, but he prefers to work with seasonal flowers. “I like it when you can tell what season it is just by looking at the bouquet. So in winter I choose hellebores, in summer dahlias, and in May lily of the valley. Although that always depends on availability.”

Flowers for a personal touch

The most beautiful day of your life calls for floral arrangements that go beyond mere decoration: it calls for a piece that tells a story and enhances the wearer’s personality. In this in-depth special from DPK Floral Magazine
we DPK Floral Magazine how the boundaries of the
traditional bridal bouquet are blurring, giving way to floral art.

Play of semicircles

The base of this Christmas table arrangement consists of Oasis Styropor Cake
Dummy's. A third of the largest shape has been cut off.
The slightly smaller size is divided into two equal halves. With Oasis
Anchor Tape, layers of Oasis Bio floral foam are attached
to the top of the polystyrene shapes – these are pre-wrapped in
plastic foil. The smaller shapes are covered with strips
of cork, the large shape with dried and gold-colored sprayed Cobra
leaf. Then the shapes are glued together with hot glue.
The floral foam tops are decorated with Rosa 'Red
Naomi', rose hips, Abies nobilis, Pinus, Malus waxed apples,
gold-colored sprayed Asparagus plumosus and fruits of the
plane tree (Platanus).

Lush Christmas wreath

A floral foam wreath is fully covered with Abies
nobilis sprigs. Waxed Malus apples provide
color, while gold-sprayed Schinus
molle berries add a festive touch. The wreath
is finished with typical Christmas materials such as
small Christmas baubles, Chamaecyparis fruits and
wooden stars that are glued to the green
branches with cold glue.

Christmas stars

For these atmospheric Christmas stars, the
shapes of Oasis Bioline stars are wrapped
with plastic foil and then with red felt,
dried Moneta leaf, or gold-colored Cobra
leaf. These bases are then
richly covered with green and red Christmas
materials: Vanda, Malus waxed apples,
Rosa rosehips, Abies nobilis, Chamaecyparis,
Schinus molle, and Rosa 'Red Naomi'.

Christmas moon

The base consists of a round polystyrene shape wrapped with reed pith, secured with staples. A roll is made from a strip of cardboard with corn husk glued on it. This is attached to one side of the reed pith circle. The remaining crescent shape is filled with Christmas greenery (Pinus, Abies nobilis), gold-colored sprayed Asparagus plumosus, rose hips, red Christmas balls, and coconut Christmas stars. The whole arrangement is mounted on a base. Finally, some rose hips are glued onto the corn husk roll.