fleurapy

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything here.  I had a huge one-sided fight with Flowers but we are kind of on the mend now. Each time I did an arrangement, I would think to the flowers you’re not beautiful enough, you are not special enough, you’re nothing new.. maybe in the next arrangement, you’ll be good enough for Instagram. Now that I handpick and prep flowers for every arrangement, I have a newfound appreciation for how therapeutic it is. Having the time to carefully condition each flower personally is truly a luxury. The big installations feel like a long time ago for me, and those were also the days when flower prep felt like a chore. But I am reminded of the quote by Mother Teresa.. “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love”. I will make the best of what this season of life has to offer ❤️ Flowers that were chosen to last in our climate - Chrysanthemum, rice flowers, asters, allium.

Is lotus root actually Mother Nature's kenzan?

Some bouquets from recent times. Purple everything for my good friend Diane, tulips on tulips - my sister Angela's gift for someone. And a bright vivid one for a long-time client 💜

We made the decision to ditch flower foam for the Papal Mass. Why no flower foam you ask? Flower foam is plastic, it’s not biodegradable and it’s filled with chemicals that leach into water. A simple google search will tell you more. For the benefit of those who are not in the flower industry, not using flower foam for events is like choosing not to use diapers on your babies. It is possible but so inconvenient. Instead of flower foam, we used chicken wire in glass vases that were then filled with water. Those vases were heavy—seriously, I might need a new gym membership just to haul them around. It was as if God knew how badly I needed to exercise because we couldn’t find trolleys when we got to Stadium! More hand-carrying was required! We had to get the help of various random people around. There were a few spills and splashes here and there, which made us paranoid about the water level in the vases. The work didn’t just end there. The commute had messed up the arrangements, so there was a fair bit of re-arranging that had to be done on the spot while rehearsals were underway. Don’t get me started on the post-event packing. If you’ve ever tried to wrestle with tangly wire mesh from glass vases filled to the brim with water while recovering from exhaustion, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Over the course of the last few years, I’ve done projects without foam. But some of our best work have also been built on a foundation of foam. There is always fear in fully quitting foam: Do I really want to do things the hard way? Floral designers are custodians of beauty and nature. We are called to live that out through our process as well as the end product! In an industry where time = money, it is really tough. Working foam-free requires more time, effort and resources. So totally no judgment on any florist, I see you! Hopefully in the future, planners and venues can participate in this movement together with designers. What if our clients and planners asked: how can we help? Negotiate for more set up and tear down time? Lend a hand during tear down? Perhaps that would give us the confidence we need to not worry about the inconvenience.

As a Catholic and a floral designer, I was given The opportunity of a lifetime - to design the flowers for the Papal Mass. I’ve always believed that the presence of God can be felt through the work of our hands when we put our heart and soul and also our mind to it. Living in the society that we live in, there have definitely been times when I'd felt lesser than others when I say that I'm a florist. To some, flowers are "just" flowers. Beautiful but with little impact to one's life. On 12 Sept as I stood in the stadium as an attendee amongst thousands others at the Papal Mass, I felt goosebumps as I saw our work there on the big screen adorning the Altar, with our Pope presiding over the Mass. I felt in awe just being there. I was one and the same in the sea of thousands others, each one connected to another by our love for God and our love for the Church which mirrors us.. imperfect but still striving. I felt an immense gratitude for having something of worth that I could give. For context: The opportunity to help with the flowers had come at one of the lowest points in my career having done so few projects in the last 2 years. I had also just given birth a month prior to the Papal Mass. I was plagued with this unease that I was just not going to be enough - not enough talent, not enough know-how, not enough flexibility of time etc "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" Being part of the floral team has allowed me to profoundly understand this bible verse. At the last moment of setup as we were agonising over every bloom and petal, my wise friend Diane said this “Guys, it doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be beautiful.” How true! Later as I participated in the Mass, I witnessed the beauty of the scene. The flowers added to the atmosphere, their beauty echoed the mysteries of our faith. At the conclusion of Mass, it mirrored the tenderness and love Pope Francis had for Mother Mary. So let this be my reminder never to belittle the work that i am called to do! I pray that this reminder too will echo true in the hearts of my two little ones as they grow and discover their worth.

“𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦.”  - Pope Francis    What a privilege and humbling experience it has been to have had the chance to be a part of the flower team for the Papal Mass and to have worked alongside these lovely ladies. It’s so surreal to see our works up there on stage and whilst it was physically exhausting, it’s definitely been one that was filled with much graces, joy and wonder!    In the words of Pope Francis, “beyond the astonishment we feel in front of human works, they remind us that there is an even greater wonder to be embraced with even greater admiration and respect: namely, the brothers and sisters we meet, without discrimination, every day on our path…”    Thank you Pau @fleurapy for inviting me to be a part of this momentous and once in a lifetime occasion! Immensely grateful for the opportunity and experience 🤍    📷credits: @catholic.sg & Christopher Tan . . . #singapope #popefrancissingapore #popefrancissingapore2024 #pfs2024 #blessed #catholicsg

In the midst of my hiatus, Becky had reached out to Fleurapy and sent a beautiful brief with notes on the significance of the venue and its significance for them. It included some ideas and suggestions on how the flowers could be made even more meaningful for their guests. So even though I had decided not to do weddings anymore, this really tugged at my heartstrings. The wedding was set in Corner House in Botanic Gardens, and so the flowers were to be an extension of the location. Most of the guests came in from overseas, and each was to receive their own boutonniere that reflects their uniqueness, while also representing a piece of Singapore's flora. Weddings are the bread and butter of many floral studios. A good wedding set-up is beautiful, breath-taking and transformative. That being said, it is freaking hard work. doesn’t matter how exhilarating setting up is, the tearing down is always depressing. No one talks about the sadness when restaurant staff have chucked your flowers in a corner for guests to pick apart or for the florist to come dispose of them. Or how depressing it is to return to a dark studio in the middle of the night and still having to scrub buckets. I’ve come to realise that it’s not really about how cool the couple is (though that helps a little for sure), or how proposal went, or how much creative freedom they’re giving you. What makes wedding work a JOY is when the couple is in a good, loving and respectful relationship! Because the trust and respect they have towards you, a “vendor”, naturally flows from there. These are the kind of couples that I would ultimately bust my budget and break my back for! Even though this is a post about a wedding, I am semi-retired from the wedding scene 🫣. This year, I am doing weddings for personal friends whose journeys I’ve been somewhat privy to! Or for really small and intimate weddings with a beautiful story and hopefully no depressing tear-downs involved.

👋 im back online! Many things have happened in the last 1-2 years and this is the exec summary: 1. Nothing could have prepared me for this feeling of an irreversible shift in priorities after becoming a Mum. I waited for the hunger for ambition to set in. It just never did. Pulling myself away from my baby was difficult but admittedly very freeing once I was untethered. The needs of a baby seem so simple - eat, sleep, diapers, repeat. I felt silly and wondered if I was being an escapist for refusing to delegate most of these to someone else. But I have made my peace; if this is the kind of mothering I am called to, I trust it will prepare me for the tougher parts of mothering that are to come. 2. My husband and I were knee-deep in a new home renovation for almost 9 months. We went with our trusted contractor who then handed our project over to another contractor. we really kena a reno from hell. We had to fight hard on every single matter, be onsite every other day just to make sure things were moving and done properly. 3. While I was partially on hiatus, there were still a number of commissioned work that I was doing. Those few weddings and regular bouquet orders kept me grounded and going. It was so therapeutic. 4. Gave up the Fleurapy studio space 😭. On 29 Dec 2023, we said our final goodbyes to the space. i came to the realisation that I couldn’t go back to the way I’d worked before anymore. Keeping the space and all of its overheads made no sense. There are more fun ways to NOT make money. Gave away most of my structures and vases and moved the bare minimum back home. 5. The Fleurapy studio is now in my home. Every piece of work that goes out is created by me. Sometimes my toddler helps 🤪It feels like a full complete circle.. when Fleurapy started in 2014, it was my parents’ living room where my Mum would help sometimes. Cont in comments ➡️

It's been a while! Fleurapy's been on a little break (it has sadly been tough juggling a home reno with baby and work)! But I really can't say no when my favourite regulars get in touch, or when it's for a request for someone special like @___xav0 our studio mate 💕💕

Some people tell us the Little Tree reminds them of ski slopes, some have said it reminds them of a Christmas fruitcake 🥰. One thing's for sure the smell of this will make you think of Christmas! Shop our Little Tree via the link on our profile!

🌲 WREATH WORKSHOP 17 Dec 🌲 Have you always wanted to make your own wreath? Join us for a time of fun, mess, and festivity at our wreath-working workshop (with limited slots)! We'll share with you how we build a wreath from scratch without the use of any floral foam. You get to create your unique wreath with our special selection of seasonal foliage, seeds, berries and fruits.  Sign up link in bio! Timeslots: 10-12pm or 2-4pm Location: Fleurapy Factory @ 217 Henderson Rd 03-04

Our Christmas wreaths are now up and ready for purchase! This year we have two types of wreaths - EVERGREEN and FIESTA. The evergreen wreath is a classic one that'll look beautiful in a home all throughout the year 🍃 while Fiesta's, well.. festive look.. would be the perfect decor piece to stretch right up to CNY 🍊🍊 Both built to last - your pick!