Mary Elizabeth Flowers

About

Mary Elizabeth Flowers creates expertly and professionally made floral accessories to be worn, and to decorate your home, all individually florist-made by hand using dried flowers.

Founder Mary is a trained florist who discovered an affinity for dried flowers.

“Early on in my floristry career I was on the usual track of working with fresh flowers, doing shop work and wedding and event floristry. All of that, along with my formal training, gave me such a fantastic grounding in traditional floristry techniques.”

“Then, when I first used dried flowers to make a hand-tied bouquet, I fell a bit in love.”

“I was swept off my feet by their natural shabbiness and their gorgeously muted colours – They have that dishevelled-cool personality that some lucky people can pull off.”

“After that I got side-tracked into experimenting with what else I could use dried flowers for and techniques for drying my own flowers. I started seeking out second-hand books written by dried flower experts of the past, soaking in their ideas and expertise and thinking of ways I could bring them to life for myself.”

Inspiration

“I find so much pleasure in dried flowers. It feels like they give a lasting connection to a moment in nature.”

“I have come to realise how deeply I am influenced by the the British countryside in all its fluctuating moods and changing seasons, both personally and in my work.”

“Dried flowers capture those fleeting moments, while nature continues on through its cycles, adding something unique of their own in the drying process.”

“They seem to possess a calm, serenity, as if aware of their own longevity and that they have no need to rush or try too hard to impress.”

“It is this that gives them a bohemian feel, perfect for a comfortable interior decoration style or for setting a relaxed tone for a wedding.”

The Collection

Mary Elizabeth Flowers’ product range includes individually hand crafted accessories for styling weddings, decorating interiors and finishing outfits.

The collection includes pieces that reflect all the seasons and different facets of the British countryside, as well as traditional celebrations and festivals.

The range began with dried flower wreaths and flower crowns which Mary began selling at farmers markets in the Cotswolds.

Since then, the range of wedding styling accessories has come to include pieces such as dried flower buttonholes and sets of matching accessories to style bride and groom and the whole wedding party with a cohesive look.

The range of interior decoration has expanded to include letterbox flower bouquets for arranging yourself and ‘make your own’ floristry craft kits for creating dried flower wreaths and garlands at home, and an array of floral Christmas decorations in varied festive colourways.

“Dried flowers are incredibly versatile – they can be used to set different moods and to finish off a great variety of looks. From rustic, muted seed heads to vibrantly dyed grasses to preserved, evergreen foliage to ethereal, bleached florals – there’s no excuse not to make everything a bit botanical!”

“The one thing they all have in common is their longevity, making every piece something to be cherished for years; A dried flower wreath can become a lasting part of the fabric of your home; Dried floral Christmas decorations can form part of your household’s annual festive traditions; A dried flower crown or buttonhole can be saved as a keepsake from your wedding day and, just as mothers pass down their rings, dresses and veils, can be handed on as an heirloom to be worn by future generations.”

“As a florist, I have always valued the honour of creating pieces that play a part in someone’s life – from wedding bouquets to funeral tributes.”

“With dried flowers, I take even more joy in the possibility that what I create can become a lifelong keepsake or a family heirloom.”

Sustainable Approach

“One of the aims for my business is to leave as positive an effect on the environment as possible.”

There are lots of ways that dried flowers in themselves are effortlessly environmentally-friendly. Above all is their longevity – they last for years and are reusable so they aren’t ‘single-use’ like fresh flowers.

When it comes to developing new products and making business decisions like packaging materials, the environmental impact of materials and processes is always a consideration.

As far as possible, Mary Elizabeth Flowers products are made without plastic. Where plastic is used, the nature of the products means that it is not single-use plastic. Postal packaging materials are also selected specifically for being recyclable or compostable as well as their fitness for purpose.