Est - 2011, Creative director and owner, Petra Cremmings and Asha Blakeney form the foundations of the amazing team at Pomp and Splendour.
Founded in 2011 in a shed in the backyard of Brunswick East, they are now leading the way with their amazing floral creations in Byron Bay and Melbourne.
Congratulations on your amazing success, we love your work!
How did you become a florist and how long have you been a florist for?
I started out as a junior florist in Sydney in 2000. So I have been a florist now for 20 years (!!!) I had just returned from an extended overseas trip to India and Nepal and did not want to go back to working in Theatre Production, which is what I had studied straight out of high school. I started going to work with a friend of a friend who was a florist. I would just annoy her and help her for free in exchange for her teaching me the basics. I did this for a number of months until I felt confident to ask around if any of my favourite Sydney florists were hiring. I was lucky enough to land a job at a busy little shop in Circular Quay where I fell completely and hopelessly in love with working with flowers.
What are your favourite flowers?
This has got to be the hardest question for a florist to answer. I absolutely LOVE Lilac, and I may just have to say that it is my favourite flower. (Don't tell the other flowers!)
How did you transition from Melbourne to Bryon. Who is the creative floral stylist
based in your Melbourne studio?
I lived 5 years in Byron and worked for a few wedding florists in the area before moving to Melbourne in 2008. I had never expected that I would ever leave Melbourne after setting down roots and creating such a lovely business so it took me by surprise when I started thinking about ways I could bring Pomp and Splendour up the coast. I wanted to find a way I could make both Melbourne and Byron Bay a base for Pomp. Asha Blakeney is our amazing manager in Melbourne and has worked at Pomp for 5 and a half years now, she was ready to take on a manager’s position and together we navigated the transition. There is nothing that woman cannot do, she is an absolute dream florist and delightful to be around. Because of that, I keep moving back and forth between Byron and Melbourne throughout the year. I don't take on too many jobs/ weddings in Byron so that I can still be available to help the busy team down in Melbourne.
How do you prefer to quote on jobs? Pinterest boards etc?
Everything is customised. We give our clients all of our attention and listen to all the dreams they have ever had with flowers and we try to bring that to life for them, within a budget that suits them and with flowers that we know we can get and are in season. Pinterest is a great resource if we need to pull together a mood board for our clients, there are so many images and colour swatches etc! We generally only really pull together a mood board if our clients are having trouble visualising. We spend a good amount of time understanding what the client wants in the initial meeting, discussing how we can 'pomp' their flower dreams and letting them be blown away on the day!
How does your process work from start to finish?
- Answer email enquiry and send general price list.
- We then schedule a meeting to discuss everything in detail.
- Within a week we send off a customised quote, once confirmed we take a deposit.
- Florists spend more time on the design and flower selection and keep in our notes
- 6 weeks out from the wedding we schedule a final meeting and do a thoroughly detailed run through with all of our design ideas and firm up all the final details for the day
- Final balance is due sometime between final meeting and wedding day
- We make all their flower fantasies a reality and everyone’s happy!
Is it easy to fit within couples budgets?
I think sending out the initial price list gives clients more of an idea of how much things cost. They often adjust their flower needs(and wants) or their budget after seeing this so it makes the quoting process more achievable for everyone. We are always happy to suggest savvy ways couples can save $ too, perhaps that they haven't thought of.
What is your floristry style?
FUN and a little bit wild!
Who is your favourite styling company to work with, both in Melbourne and Byron?
What a question Charis? You of all people know what an amazing industry we have. We are SO spoiled for talent and personability. I absolutely couldn't decide. Everyone we have worked with so far brings something a little different to the table and that's how we like it. I have found it to be much the same in Byron as it is in Melbourne.
How many weddings have you done over the years?
Oh my gosh. I have no idea! SO many. HUNDREDS! I'd have to go back 20 years.....
What was your most memorable wedding to work on?
We do love a destination wedding. Last year I flowered up a dear friend’s wedding in the Costa Del Sol in Spain. Ordering flowers from European wholesalers was a little scary and daunting, but it all came together beautifully.
How far in advance do you book out?
We generally have weddings booked about 12-18 months in advance at all times. This year has been a mess though due to Covid and everyone having to reschedule, I have never seen our future calendar so full!! I can only imagine how our poor brides and grooms have felt having to reschedule and hope that all of their chosen vendors are available for a new date!
What can couples do with the flowers after the wedding, if they are not taking them?
We want to tell you that you must take them! Surely someone wants all those beautiful flowers. We can't use them again and usually the venues have lots of left over flowers to deal with during wedding season.
Pomp and Splendour can be found on The Best Wedding App in Vic and NSW under Flowers.
