Meet Emily Dwyer an enthusiatic Bloom student with a focus on a bright future….

What did you do before studying floristry?

Before studying floristry, I completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology and Sociology at the University of Melbourne. I had the privilege of travelling to Mexico City to study immigration and human rights.

Tell us a bit about you, where did you grow up, where do you live now, what are your favourite things?

I am from the small seaside town of Inverloch in South Gippsland where I enjoy going home to spend time with family and friends and swim at the beach in summer. I moved to Melbourne when I was 19 years old to study at university and now live in Hawthorn with my partner. My favourite things are travelling to new places, being creative, getting lost in a good book, cocktails with friends, having a good laugh and of course, big bunches of beautiful blooms!

What inspired you to make the change to floristry?

I was feeling unhappy and unfulfilled creatively in what I was doing at university so when I reached my final year of university I knew it was time to look for something that was going to give me the freedom to be creative everyday. Since I was a child I have always enjoyed doing crafty projects with my mum, who is creative herself, and I always enjoyed art at school and actually completed my year ten work experience with a local florist. Apart from just loving the beauty of flowers I have always enjoyed putting arrangements together for a friend’s birthday or for family occasions. I always loved the enjoyment of putting a smile on someone’s face when I gave them a bunch of flowers that I had the joy of creating myself, so floristry just seemed like the perfect way to express my creative side.

Why did you choose Bloom College?

I found Bloom College in a Google search when I was desperately searching for something that would satisfy my inner creativity! Bloom provides you with a hands-on, interactive learning experience and a supportive community of like-minded people that I know will be life-long flower friends! The course is also structured in a way that allows you to learn the most up to date techniques and trends in the industry right now. I loved the excursion to the flower growers because supporting your local growers is such an important part of being a florist and having an understanding of where your flowers come from gives you a great appreciation for the love that goes into growing every bloom.

What do you want working with flowers to give you that your previous career/s did not?

Floristry gives me the freedom to be creative everyday! Not only does it make me happy it’s also my way of bringing happiness to another person’s day. When I was unhappy in what I was doing my mum used to send me bunches of blooms from my favourite florist and it always cheered me up! I like to think that I can do the same for other people. My interest really lies in floral design and styling for weddings and events so I look forward to meeting wonderful new people and being able to bring their visions to life. My future in floristry truly excites me!

Do you want to have your own floristry business? If so what will you specialize in?

Having my own floristry and event styling company is my long term goal, specialising in weddings and events. Right now, I still believe I have a lot to learn and skills to gain from working with other florists in the industry.

What is your vision for the future of your business and or the industry?

I would really like to see sustainability become a priority within the floristry industry with a strong emphasis on supporting local growers and maintaining environmentally friendly practices such as choosing sundry materials that have minimal impact on the environment.

Who inspires you?

There are many florists and companies that inspire me. I continually look at the beautiful work they do and it truely inspires me to reach my long term goals! They make me realise just how much opportunity there is in this industry if you work hard, are motivated and have a real passion for what you do. My family and friends are a huge inspiration for me. They continually encourage and support me. They could see I wasn’t happy in what I was doing and so always encouraged me to find something I really loved. My mum is really creative and so has always encouraged and supported me to find my creative passion. She helps me condition every flower and is always there to talk through my ideas. My partner puts up with me turning our house into a florist studio, is often my personal photographer and comes along with me to transport or set up flowers. I’m so grateful to have their amazing support!

What is your preferred design style?
I love creating big bunches of luxe, whimsical, wild blooms and I love playing with different colour and texture combinations.

Instagram: @thistleandtwig_

Email: thistleandtwig@outlook.com