Meet our Supplier of the Month: Corky and Prince

Each month we like to get to know a Whitewed member even better and bring you snippets of all sorts of things that you wouldn't know about them from their page. This month our 'Supplier of the Month' is Corky and Prince. 

Fi and Al who make up Corky and Prince are exceptional, and they are the perfect team to bring you and your wedding guests a glorious floral feast for your eyes.  

Let's hear what Fi had to say when we quizzed her; find out how she loves to enhance the natural beauty of your wedding surroundings both through inspirational mood boards and the glorious flowers on your big day itself, re-purpose where possible, and create the wow factor that you will always remember... and how a real sense of fun and family at your wedding makes her tick.

Photographer credit: Katherine Yiannaki

Who’s the owner behind Corky and Prince, and tell us about you and your service

Corky and Prince are me, Fi Passey, and my husband Al (aka The Prince). I’ve always been passionate about art, flowers and nature since childhood. During my 20’s I used to compete frequently at flower arranging competitions, loving the process of creativity and design inspired by a subject. Over the years, we would create wedding displays for family and friends so when I decided on a change of direction after a career in banking, moving into floristry seemed the perfect fit. So Corky and Prince was born in 2018 and we now offer a full floral and styling service for weddings across the South West, working at a range of venues from stately homes to marquees and barns. 

How would you define your floristry style? Who does it typically appeal to?

My instinct is to enhance the natural beauty of the flowers and discover combinations that are pleasing to the eye and effortless to carry or display. And I’m always looking to find something new, growing unusual varieties from seed in my Cotswold cutting garden or sourcing from small flower farmers. My style is versatile - and I enjoy creating classic, contemporary and garden-gathered style designs that really showcase the flowers.

In terms of appeal, I always work with clients to create their vision and reflect something of their personality but I guess ultimately, couples who choose me do so because of the passion and creativity I bring to everything I do - there are no standard bouquets or packages here. Everyone wants something a little different and I try to tap into that and then run with it - plus a little dash of “Corky and Prince” floral magic!.

Photographer credit: Katherine Yiannaki

Why book a florist and not just go DIY?

So many reasons! Florists have skills and experience developed over many years to create designs that will work in a variety of settings and seasons. We have unparalleled access to a huge variety of quality flowers from the international markets and from specialist flower farms. Selecting, preparing and designing with flowers and foliage requires specialist knowledge as some flowers are very demanding and need to be coaxed a little to show their best side. Whilst doing your own flowers may seem like a great idea, it’s physically demanding and not really the best way to spend the day before your wedding, not to mention the stains on your hands and nails!

What’s the best bit about your job?

I just love the planning process, working with the couple to understand what’s important to them and what their vision is for their day. Some clients have a very clear idea, whilst others just have a feeling that can be summed up with a single word or image. I can respond to either approach to create mood boards and fully costed proposals. I also relish a challenge - many clients ask me to source additional items or create something unique.

Photographer credit: Mary Parker

When was the last time you laughed out loud with one of your couples? What happened?

I’m happy to say that I’m frequently laughing with my clients as we work through ideas at consultations, particularly with grooms who are now very engaged in the process and full of left-field ideas and suggestions. Planning a naturally happy event is joyous. However, one hot summer’s day I was delivering bouquets to bridesmaids and accidentally locked the bridal bouquet in my car with the keys inside. I stared in helpless horror. What to do? But everyone pulls together on wedding days and with some help from my “back-up” team a new set of keys were delivered quickly and the bouquet was delivered unharmed. I confessed later and the bride roared with laughter. Phew.

What is your greatest fear when you are working at a wedding or event?

I try to remove as many unknowns as possible by carrying out a site visit with camera and tape-measure so that I know what to expect at the venue. Having said that, there are frequently last minute adjustments such as changing to different rooms or moving an indoor ceremony outdoors. On occasions like this my greatest fear is flowers wilting outside in the heat of a summer sun. It is not something that is easy to control but I travel everywhere with a water mister bottle to keep flowers cool.

Photographer credit: Red Maple

What is the hardest thing a couple has ever asked you to do for their day?

One couple asked for a simple but elegant backdrop for their hotel wedding to mask a fire escape sign. They didn’t want lots of flowers so we made a curtain of greenery. It was important that it looked natural so that required some clever construction and problem solving by my husband, Al, and it worked a treat. We have also made a giant cloud of baby’s breath for a bride who just loved these fluffy white flowers. It was suspended from a beam in a barn and I wove hidden microlights into the design so it glowed at night. #floristgoals. This year’s more unusual design requests include a floating floral backdrop for a Hindu wedding and a foliage silhouette of a well known cartoon character.

What is your favourite style of wedding?

The ones I enjoy most are where there is a real sense of fun and family about the day with lots of personalised touches and where the flowers elevate the venue. The atmosphere has a buzz about it that is quite infectious, irrespective of whether it’s a cosy barn wedding or an elegant country house hotel.

Photographer credit: Siobhan Beales

What question do you wish every couple would ask you when you are meeting with them for the first time?

Couples can approach the flowers with a lot of trepidation because they probably don’t know much about them. They don’t know the names of things such as buttonholes or corsages or variety of flower names. This is never an issue as it's my job is to put them at ease and guide them through the options available in plain English.

What is your greatest extravagance that helps you get through the day?

After a long day in the workshop, Al runs me a really deep hot bath with lots of luxury bubble bath and candles. Bliss for aching shoulders. Even better with a glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc!

Photographer credit: Katherine Yiannaki

What is the one thing you can’t live without in your job?

The quality of the flowers is the most important raw ingredient to my work and I’m very selective. I can overcome bad weather, tricky design requests and interesting venue conditions but nothing can make a poor quality flower look better! That’s why I go to the flower wholesaler very early in the morning and check every bloom before they are packed into my van.

What is your favourite part of a wedding day?

Without doubt delivering the bridal bouquet. The bridal prep room is a really special place, full of calm make-up and hair artists, overexcited flower-girls, giggly bridesmaids, a nervous Mother-of-the-Bride, and usually in the midst of this activity, a radiant bride. I just love to give the bride a little tour of her bouquet and a tutorial on how to hold it to get the best pictures during the day. It's the most emotional part of my day, and I usually have to wipe away a tear or two after this moment is over.

Photographer credit: Rich Howman

Where do you draw inspiration from for your work?

I read widely and study the work of great floral designers from the past and those working today. I also look at trends in worlds of interiors and fashion to understand what is happening with colour trends and texture and design trends… and I can’t watch a film or TV show without noticing the flowers in the background! 

What bit of advice would you love to share with couples?

Flowers could take up a large slice of the budget so it’s important that they work hard for you. Work with your florist to choose designs that can be repurposed from the ceremony into the venue decorations. There are lots of designs that will move really well so that’s one way of getting the most from your flowers. The other thing to add is that if you do have a limited budget then go for a few large floral pieces rather than lots of little things. This approach delivers the “Wow” factor as well as creating fabulous backdrops for the wedding pics.

Photographer credit: Red Maple

What moment are you most proud of in your profession?

I’m still not completely sure how it happened, but I have been selected along with my flowery gang the Fairford Flower Collective to create a floral window design for this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May. We are beyond excited and it will be the experience of a lifetime, made all the sweeter because I will be sharing it with some of my dearest friends.

Al and I are also really proud and humbled to be associated with an Indian charity called Chaithanya. In 2020, we funded a new Custard Apple tree plantation in southern India, with two trees planted for each of our 2019 and 2020 couples. We plan to visit the plantation on our next trip to India.

When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I’m a Cornish girl - a long way from Westminster but when I was 10, I fancied the top job - Prime Minister. Or a Lawyer working on Death Row. I think I was driven by a need to make a contribution to society. Having said that, I also loved to dance and becoming a prima ballerina was a fleeting ambition before I realised I was quite rubbish at it! Luckily, I found my true path in life when I became a wedding florist and I am undoubtedly living my dream now.

Photographer credit: Red Maple

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Wow, what a read, Fi!  We have loved hearing about your wonderful floristry, and your passion just sings through ...and trust us ladies and gents, this lady is a super talent, and we highly recommend you get in touch with her to chat through your wedding plans, as her ideas are exceptional, she brings a calm to your day and you'll just know that with Fi on board, you simply don't have to worry about a flowery thing!

Hopefully you’ve found out lots of useful information from us on Corky and Prince, now it’s your turn to introduce yourself to them and find out how they could help with your wedding floristry requirements…seriously, you won't regret it, the photos just don't do their skills justice!

Happy planning!

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