We sat down with Cissy, Founder and Creative Director of Wildstems, one of our recommended local florists to chat about her seasonal-led floral design with an untamed edge.

How would you describe what you do?

“Wildstems is a season-led, floral design studio celebrating the beauty found at the untamed edges of the natural landscape.

Our designs are contemporary, considered and a little bit wild. Working exclusively with locally grown flowers, we create floral designs that respond to the moment - from full-scale transformations of the Main Barn to refined, thoughtful arrangements for the Flint Barn and Courtyard.

Each design is shaped by what is growing in the landscape at that time, ensuring your wedding at Granary Estates feels artfully, sustainably and deeply connected to the time and place it takes place.“

.What is your signature style?

“I am a season-led florist, which means I only ever work with the flowers that are growing locally at the time of an event. My signature style is rooted in seasonality, place, and an instinctive response to the landscape. I’m drawn to the often overlooked, more untamed edges of nature - hedgerows, meadows, field margins - and that influence runs through all of my work.

Rather than imposing a fixed aesthetic, I design in conversation with what’s growing. The flowers lead. Their form, movement, and natural rhythm shape each arrangement, resulting in designs that feel contemporary and considered. I want it to feel like I just walked through the meadow and gathered them up (which belies the amount of skill involved!). In everything I create, there is a relaxed sense of vitality to my work, and I aim to strike a balance between refinement and wildness.

Working exclusively with locally grown, seasonal flowers means every wedding looks and feels different. Spring arrangements carry a very different energy to late summer or autumn, and that variation is intentional. I see seasonality not as a limitation, but as a creative framework that pushes my designs further and encourages a deeper connection to time and place.

People sometimes question investing in flowers for a wedding or event. They’re often seen as fleeting - enjoyed in the moment and gone as soon as the day is over. I see it differently. When you work seasonally, flowers become the ultimate souvenir. They quite literally return year after year, flowering again at the time of your anniversary, quietly reminding you of the landscape, the season, and the day you were married.

Sustainability is integral to everything I do, not layered on afterwards. From flower sourcing to mechanics and composting, every decision is made with integrity and creating zero-waste weddings in mind. The aim is to create florals that feel elevated and meaningful, while remaining honest to their origins.

Ultimately, my work is about creating floral designs that quietly anchor a wedding to its setting - designs that feel of the moment, reflective of the landscape, and deeply personal to the people they’re for.“

What do you love most about working at The Granary Estates?

"What I love most about working at The Granary Estates is the sense of space and possibility. The barns and landscape offer such a beautiful backdrop - an elegant blank canvas that allows our season-led floral designs to sing. It's such a joy to design for.

Just as importantly, the team at Granary Estates are a pleasure to work alongside. There’s a care and attention that goes into every wedding, which makes the process collaborative, calm, and creatively rewarding."

Do you have a favourite wedding moment of highlight at The Granary Estates?

“One of my favourite weddings at The Granary Estates was a beautiful spring celebration for Shardha and Will. Their ceremony took place at Shardha’s childhood church, before everyone returned to the Main Barn at the Granary Estates for a Sri Lankan ceremony, a long banquet-style meal, and an evening of dancing.

The brief was to honour Shardha’s Sri Lankan heritage while still rooting the day firmly in the season and setting. Spring gave us the perfect framework for that. We created a statement arch using large boughs of white cherry blossom, alongside ranunculus, narcissi and tulips - generous, soft, and full of movement (particularly as it was quite literally blowing a gale (and showers of blossom confetti) on the day of their wedding). The same flowers ran through the table designs, paired with delicate forget-me-nots chosen both for their symbolism and as a subtle “something blue”.

Marigolds are an important ceremonial flower in Sri Lanka, but as they naturally flower in autumn, we dried them over winter. They hold their colour beautifully, and weaving them into the arch offered a quiet, meaningful nod to Shardha’s family and traditions.

What made the day particularly special was how seamlessly everything came together - different cultural elements, a strong sense of seasonality, and the generosity of the Granary Estates as a backdrop. It was a wedding that felt deeply personal, joyful, and grounded in both heritage and place - exactly the kind of celebration I love creating florals for.“

What are your top tips for couples planning their wedding?

"Start with feeling, not flowers.
Rather than focusing on specific blooms or trends, think about how you want your wedding to feel - relaxed, abundant, intimate, dramatic, joyful. Your personality and the atmosphere you want guests to remember should guide the palette, textures, and overall style. When the intention is clear, the flowers fall into place more naturally.

Be thoughtful about where you invest.
Every wedding has moments that matter more than others. For some couples, that’s the ceremony - the emotional heart of the day and the first impression. For others, it’s the reception and the 'big reveal' as guests enter the space. Deciding where flowers will have the greatest impact helps shape a design that feels intentional rather than spread too thin.

Choose flowers that work hard for you.
We always design florals with both beauty and practicality in mind. With thoughtful planning, arrangements can be moved and reused throughout the day - from ceremony to reception, or from welcome areas to dining spaces - maximising impact and making the most of your budget.

Trust the season.
Working with what’s naturally available at the time of year your wedding takes place leads to flowers that look and feel at their best. Seasonal flowers are often more expressive, more characterful, and more reflective of the moment you’re celebrating - creating a stronger sense of time and place.

Most importantly, trust your florist.
Choose a florist whose work you love, whose approach you connect with, and who you feel confident trusting. A good florist brings experience, deep knowledge of the venue, an understanding of seasonality, and the ability to adapt when needed. Trust allows us to design the best possible flowers for your day - responding to the space, the conditions, and what’s growing most beautifully at that moment - so the result feels considered, effortless, and truly right for you."

Any trends you're loving right now?

"I tend not to follow trends... My work is design and values-led rather than trend-led, and I’m always aiming for florals that feel timeless, considered, and quietly chic rather than of a particular moment.

That said, I love it when floristry expands beyond flowers alone and I am fully here for the incorporation of fruit and other edibles into floral designs (when it’s done seasonally and with intention and restraint, obviously!). Last summer I created a strawberry and butterfly ranunculus tablescape for The Granary Estates’ showcase, and I'm still waiting for a June bride to give me the green light to create something similar for them. Floral design can be both playful and refined, and completely in tune with the season. For me, that’s where things get exciting - not chasing trends, but finding new ways to express seasonality and meaning through design."

How can couples get in touch?

Instagram: @_wildstems_

Email: cissy@wild-stems.com

Website: www.wild-stems.com

Meet the Supplier: Wildstems