Botanica Cup: 4x gold for Gerrit
On August 16, Gerrit van Aalst, together with expert Linda Eising and teacher Rita van Ramshorst, left for Hungary to represent the Netherlands at the Botanica Cup International Florist Championship during the Flower Carnival in Debrecen. Gerrit participated with the aim of practicing and building up competition experience for the upcoming WorldSkills Lyon 2024. The fact that he then wins all assignments – and is therefore the overall winner – is really a pleasant result and a boost for WorldSkills Lyon.
Tilting perspectives
The motto for the zeitgeist is Tilting Perspectives. The call for change creates even greater contradictions in society: which way are we going? And what are we willing to give up? We are looking for new perspectives: a hopeful view of the future.
‘Boho has the playful, seventies hippie flair with a certain chic’
Belgian Floral Designer Chantal Post enjoyed the master's program in Floristry in Vught. As chairman of the Belgian florists' union Be-Florist, she has been committed to promoting the beautiful profession of florist and supporting florists since 2021.
‘The contemporary bohemian style that you often see at weddings is a melting pot of different cultural influences. Bohemian (or boho) fashion is a timeless and stylish look that is perfect for anyone who wants to look chic with a nonchalant touch. Accessories, often made of 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 characteristic boho bridal bouquet has a natural look – and is a combination of the playful, nonchalant 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.’
‘I can put my passion into bridal work’
For floral designer Max van de Sluis, one of the most important characteristics of bridal floral work is that it is primarily personal. 'In my experience, the bouquet must perfectly match the bride and the person she is, or at least the personality she wants to express. That always makes designing for bridal floral work a fun challenge. Our profession is very versatile, and within all those dimensions, bridal work is not only an important part but also a facet that I really enjoy working on. I can very sincerely put my passion and enthusiasm into this.'
‘Working with seasonal materials always gives me something extra. Expanding a flower or using only one type of (flower) material is also fun to do and gives a great result – as I have been able to show a few times in this session.’
'Bridal work remains my favorite!'
'It's not a question,' says floral designer Hanneke Frankema, 'bridal work remains my favorite! With bridal work you go just that step further and you can really dive into the techniques and go for refinement, perfection and details. The bridal flower arrangement is almost in every photo so there is no room for mistakes.'
'I myself am very fond of a strong, pronounced shape; to show it off well, I glue many of the flowers. This is, by the way, a technique with many possibilities, and much stronger than you might think. Many types of flowers hold up fine for a while after gluing. I glue the sensitive, most vulnerable flower types on the day itself, but strong flowers and greenery often a day in advance.'
'Many florists find that very exciting, but test the gluing with some old leftover flowers. This way you build more and more confidence and you know better what you can ask of certain types of flowers. I always use Smithers Oasis cold glue for gluing.'
Floral Boho Bridal Party
Mention a bridal party, wedding, or marriage, and a beautiful, festive, and dreamy image appears: a stylish, rural event location, a lush green environment, and excellent decoration with the most beautiful flowers and greenery. The bridal bouquet is elegant, carefully made in a
distinctive shape with special materials and flowers. There are so many possibilities; it is not without reason that creating bridal floral work is and remains a favorite for many floral designers.