My Life with Shane Connolly: I was the florist for a royal wedding
One of the most valuable lessons I have learned during the course of my career is that you cannot really judge the book until you have read it yourself.Dealing with the royal family, who are among the nicest people I have ever worked for, was no different. If anyone had told me when I was a child that I would grow up to do what I am doing today, I wouldn’t have believed them. At that time, I never realised you could even make a career out of flowers.Flowers, to me, were in a flower shop. I didn’t really know about people who did them for events and parties until after university, where I studied psychology.It was around this time that I moved to England and was introduced to someone with a beautiful garden who did flowers for big events. I offered to help them with events and did so a few times. You might say my path into this career was purely accidental.Despite having worked for the now king for a number of years, it was never inevitable that I would come on board as artistic director for flowers at the wedding of the prince and princess of Wales (then duke and duchess of Cambridge) in 2011. I can remember feeling so flattered because I assumed they might have wanted somebody younger. I had worked so hard over the years and had previously done the king and queen’s wedding back in 2005, so they knew I was dependable.Shane Connolly (pictured) who is a renowned Northern Irish florist and was artistic director of flowers for a number of royal events.People ask me what it was like to be involved in such a historical event like the royal wedding. When you are in the midst of something like this, it doesn’t feel historical. You are dealing with real people, just like you would be at any other event. The only time it really felt out of the ordinary was when people asked about it. Press interviews were often overwhelming and completely out of my comfort zone. This is because I was brought up to be discreet and not to talk about myself. Apart from that, it felt incredibly ordinary. The event itself was one of the happiest I have ever been involved in. There was so much positivity surrounding that couple, who were incredibly popular.The couple and their families were so happy, making for a very energising atmosphere.I come from Belfast and consider myself Irish. However one might view the institution, they were among the most thoughtful and most grateful people I have worked for.
My favourite part of what I do is using flowers to tell a story. That’s probably what I find most extraordinary.
Looking back at past events I have done, particularly the coronation, is surreal. It was such a wholesome experience. We gathered flowers from all over the UK from an association called Flowers from the Farm, which promotes a financially and environmentally sustainable local cut flower industry. All the flowers were seasonal and were placed in the abbey like a gift to the king and queen. It made it special because flowers are something that go beyond price. I got a sense from the king and queen that they favoured flowers over jewels.The thing about someone who appreciates flowers is they are not trying to impress people. It is something that is beyond impressing. The princess of Wales didn’t set out to make her wedding impressive. It was doing that on its own. Flowers should be about the bride and groom and what is personal to them.What made this job so enjoyable for me was the fact that I was trusted. If someone tries to micromanage, you get tense because you’re afraid that you’ll get it wrong. On the other hand, if someone trusts you to do your best, then you don’t really reach that stressed stage. It’s very interesting to see that clients who trust always get results. That goes for everything, whether it’s someone who is tailoring a suit or baking a birthday cake.Luckily, the majority of my clients are like this but there is always the exception to the rule. I can remember one wedding, in particular, where the atmosphere was quite tense. Where flowers are concerned, white doesn’t exist in its pure form. One of the flowers we used had an ever so slightly blush centre. When the bride noticed this, she had to be taken outside as she was hyperventilating. This was two days before the wedding. Sadly, it’s these types of people who are never going to get pleasure out of the process. When you think about the best parties, the hosts are always relaxed. If they are enjoying the party, the guests are more likely to enjoy the party too.I don’t believe money and enjoyment are mutually exclusive. A lot of it comes down to having a loving upbringing. The princess of Wales wasn’t trying to impress anyone. She was just being herself — and that is what’s really important.
Shane Connolly, a sustainable florist and royal warrant holder, will participate in a panel discussion with gardener Sarah Raven at the 2026 Festival of Gardens and Nature at Ballintubbert House, Co Laois, on Saturday, May 2, and Sunday, May 3. Titled ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’, it will give an insight into how to be creative with flowers.
