Leanne Lee - Floral Assembly

Sick of the 9-5 daily grind, Leanne Lee longed for a more creative outlet for her full time job. With that in mind she was inspired to try her luck in a PSF floral short course and with that it led Leanne to her new passion in floristry. Since graduating from Certificate III in early 2018, Leanne has grown her own floristry business ‘Floral Assembly’ from scratch which caters to weddings, gifting, and events and has been featured in Wedded Wonderland twice. Here is her story…

Company: Floral Assembly

Florist: Leanne Lee

 

What initially attracted you to floristry?

I had been working in the corporate world full time for about 5 years and was not content with the 9-5 cycle that I was in and decided to make a change. I came across the 5 week short course Pearson’s offered and from there I fell in love with all things floral-related and dived into completing a qualification mid-2016.

Like a lot of girls, we love receiving bouquets for special occasions and I found it even more meaningful to be on the other end of that - to be the one creating something that became a part of other people’s special moments.

What did you love about studying the ‘SFL30115 Certificate III in Floristry’ with Pearsons School?

I loved the opportunities the School provided from visiting their favourite growers at their farms to allowing us students to assist big name florists in the industry.

Also, for each cluster you would usually have a different trainer each time allowing us to experience a mix of techniques, tips and advice.

Something I also could have gotten used to was having all the flowers magically ready for you on the day vs reality, which outside of the course involves waking up at 4am to go to the flower markets!

How did your business ‘Floral Assembly’ all begin?

I never enrolled in the course thinking I would start a business of my own at the end of it. It started off very slowly and with a lot of support from family and friends. Half-way through completing the course, I did wedding flowers for my close friend and it all kicked off from there. I loved everything that went into the flower creation process, prepping of the vases/buckets and flowers to the bumping in of the arrangements. Without the help of friends and family getting the word out there, I would not have been where I am today.

How would you describe your floristry style? Was this something that took time to find?

I love using different shades of colours as well as different textures within any arrangement. I would describe my style to be unstructured (natural vs perfectly symmetrical), lush and soft. You will find your eye will naturally be drawn to specific colours, flowers types/shapes and arrangement styles, this came quite quickly for me.

What would be some of your go to florals to use?

Runuculus, quicksand rose, lisianthus, dahlias, scabiosa and carnations – despite the negative rep it gets!

To our budding florists and floral enthusiasts, do you have any care tips you’ve picked up along the way to share?

Ensure you prep and condition your flowers when you get back from market. Regularly clean your buckets and vases to make sure your flowers are getting clean water. The key to having your roses open at their fullest for your event is timing. Ensure you pick them up early enough to allow them to naturally open in time for their day to shine. Hydrangeas and orchids love to be ‘bathed’ before use.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get in to floristry?

Try and experience as much as you can in the flower world – go to workshops, short courses, do work experience for other florists. Gauge whether it is the right fit for you. Make as many flower friends as possible, community means the world especially in the floristry industry.

What does the future hold for you and Floral Assembly?

When the time is right, I hope to be creating florals in a studio space large enough to cater for events and workshops.

Ready to start your creative career?

Find out how a Certificate III in Floristry can open up many career opportunities.

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Instagram: @floralassembly

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/floralassembly

Website: https://www.floralassembly.com.au/

 

Photo credits:

• Luke Genesis
• Amelia Soegijono Photography
• George John Photography