Manchester Florist Chosen for GMTV's "Battle of the Brides"

When GMTV needed a florist for their Battle of the Brides competition they knew exactly where to look:
Manchester’s Neil Whittaker, a multi-award winning floral designer and one of the UK’s leading florists.

 Neil, who is based in Manchester, will be presenting a range of bridal bouquets for the competition winner to choose from live on GMTV on Wednesday 20 August.  He will then produce all the flowers that will help make the lucky bride’s dream wedding a reality at the end of the month.  Details of the Battle of the Brides is here on the GMTV website.

 “I was delighted to be approached by GMTV for the ‘Battle of the Brides’ competition,” said Neil, who has run a floristry business in Irlam for over 27 years. “Weddings are great for florists because you get to play such an important role in the best day of the couple’s lives.”

Neil is one of Europe’s top florists. Currently the British Florist Association Retail Florist of the Year and Interflora Florist of the Year, Neil has won many national and international accolades, including two RHS Chelsea Gold Medals. In 2007 he represented the UK in the prestigious Europa Cup in Slovenia, where he finished fourth, the highest placing ever achieved by a British florist.

As well as his competitions, Neil is co-owner of a shop and flower school, The Design Element, in Irlam. His partner in the business, Anthony Williams, is also excited about the GMTV competition.

Anthony said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate how floristry is moving on and to showcase some of the new ideas and techniques that are developing in the industry.” He added: “Experienced florists can offer clients a truly personalised package of flowers, not only for their wedding day but for every important occasion in their lives in a way that supermarkets and internet-based retailers cannot.”

It’s a busy time for Neil and Anthony and their team at The Design Element as some of Neil’s award-winning designs have recently gone on display at The Lowry gallery in Salford, where visitors have already been amazed by the range of talent and creativity on display. The items on loan to The Lowry include some of the cutting edge designs he produced for Slovenia, Chelsea and British Florist Association competitions.

Neil is looking forward to meeting the lucky winner of GMTV’s ‘Battle of the Brides’ later this month.  “It’s such a high profile competition and I feel like I’m flying the flag for the North West as well as the floristry industry! I can’t wait to meet the competition winner and help make her dream day a reality.”

For further information contact:

Neil Whittaker and Anthony Williams

The Design Element (UK) Ltd

Tel: 0161 775 7039 / 07739 214489

sales@thedesignelement.com

See examples of Neil's creations and his Wedding Flower Guide here:  
www.designelementweddingflowers.com