I am very excited to introduce Charlotte Argyrou, a botanical illustrator to you. I met Charlotte a few years ago at a wedding supplier meeting and was intrigued to find out more about her niche – this was the first time I heard about wedding bouquet illustration – as well as her personal journey from her fashion PR career. Charlotte worked with some of the world’s most prestigious fashion houses and designers on their celebrity dressing, store launches, editorial shoots before launching her award winning personal business. She created something beautifully unique and meaningful.

Charlotte Argyrou
Botanical Illustrator and founder of the Wedding Bouquet Illustration Service

I am a botanical illustrator and niche in the wedding industry with my signature offering, the Wedding Bouquet Illustration Service. It is a heart-centred gifting service for newlyweds or for those celebrating a special anniversary. Each illustration is utterly bespoke, hand-drawn on heavyweight acid-free paper and presented signed and mounted along with a signed Certificate of Authenticity. I was recently honoured to receive national recognition for the Service, winning the Special Touch category at The Wedding Industry Awards 2021.

I have always been drawn to floral art – from the old Dutch Masters to contemporary interpretations. It made sense to turn my passion into my niche, as then every moment drawing commissions is a complete pleasure. My customers are like me – interior decor nuts who want their homes to be a personal, meaningful representation of themselves and their life story. “Personalised” art doesn’t really do it for them, so they crave bespoke. My couples often put months of work into designing the florals for their wedding and adored working alongside their florists, so they want to commemorate that process in a contemporary way. They like partnering with me because I am just as enthusiastic about their florals, colours and design choices as they are, so together we relive all those moments. The feeling of celebration and romance pours into the illustration.

The idea to specialise in wedding bouquets came to me when a group of school girlfriends and I pooled our funds to buy a best friend a wedding gift. Nothing we found felt special enough. “Bespoke” options online were really just customised, tacky or too sentimental for our tastes. I knew there must be a market of people just like me, trying to find a really unique wedding or anniversary gift that wasn’t too weddingy. Most of us want gifts to last the distance and despise throwaway culture. An illustration can accompany you on your life’s journey, as it packs away easily if you move house and can be reframed if your décor tastes evolve.

MY TOP TIP TO COUPLES, FROM WORKING IN THE WEDDING INDUSTRY

Build a team of awesome suppliers who feel like sunshine to work with… then trust them to do their jobs brilliantly. The most epic, beautiful, fun and successful weddings I’ve been part of always featured a relaxed couple, who know their suppliers are going to deliver exceptional customer service and experiences.

You can find out more about Charlotte’s Wedding Bouquet Illustration Service at: www.charlotteargyrou.com and @charlotte.argyrou

Image credits:
Location: @pyneshouse | Photographer: @nicolehweddings | Planner: @victoriasykesevents | Floristry: @oulabelflorals | Hair: @natalienicholsbridal | Make Up: Kimberley Dewar @changingfaces_makeupartists