In 1981 the year prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer announced their engagement to be married I was hired as part of a team of florist to decorate the marque that held the Berkeley square ball in central London.
We had to arrive very early that meant leaving home at two o clock in the morning . The theme for the flowers was to be love and romance and the colour scheme pink and white
Beautiful exotic flowers had been imported from all over the world , it was like opening Pandora’s box , large oriental Asiatic and cala lilies , cymbidium and dendrobium orchids roses and Gerber’s were used in the large pedestal arrangements whilst freesia were used in the table posies. Garden trellis were erected to create separate smaller areas to make the setting more romantic. Hours were spent pinning cut ivy and rusks to the trellis to give the appearance of creeping vines. Cut flowers were then attached to the foliage, we used carnations as hardy flowers that would not wilt out of water.
Whilst we worked we were entertained by the celebrities rehearsing their routines.It mad us feel very special listening to Elaine Page singing her hits from Evita and Bonny...