Star florist Sheryl Popplewell of Fulford Flowers to expand

Sheryl Popplewell set up Fulford Flowers 13 years ago, operating out of a small shop on Main Street, Fulford, York.

But Sheryl was no ordinary florist. Over the years, she grew her business to be one of the go-to florists in the showbusiness world, creating and delivering flowers for TV shows, rock stars dressing rooms, and red-carpet events.

Clients have included some of the biggest names in showbiz, including Sir Elton John.

This year, Sheryl went on tour around the UK with Coldplay and Beyonce.

Her success means she has outgrown her shop in Fulford and has moved to a bigger studio just outside York - and opened an office in London.

Sheryl, who works alongside her husband Wayne, said: "Our main business is doing large weddings and brand events so we needed a larger studio and a base in London."

A recent wedding made it to the cover of Hello magazine - the nuptials of country singer Darby Ward, the daughter of former The Real Housewives of Cheshire star Dawn Ward, which was attended by TV stars including Gemma Collins, and took place in the south of France.

Sheryl has another celebrity wedding booked in for later this year - one of a Manchester City footballer.

And she will be off to Paris later in 2023 too to provide flowers for the MTV awards, which is an annual gig for her.

Sheryl's first big break came in York when she began delivering flowers to entertainers at York Barbican, the first being Paloma Faith.

Now she regularly provides flowers for TV sets, often in Yorkshire.

One of Sheryl's floral displays for Coldplay this year

This summer she worked with BST at Hyde Park organisers, which brought Bruce Springsteen and Elton John to the centre of the capital, providing flowers for the VIP after party held at Bulgari jewellers in Knightsbridge.

This was on top of fitting in the UK tours of Coldplay and Beyonce, providing flowers for their dressing room and VIP areas.

Sheryl said sustainability was a buzz word in the industry - especially with modern artists.

"Coldplay wanted fantastic displays of luxury orchids but we reused them and repurposed them afterwards," says Sheryl.

Beyonce's go-to plant was the palm."She loves palms - big, big palms. We would repurpose those too with fresh flowers to decorate the private areas,"said Sheryl.

One of Fulford Flowers' trademark looks are giant walls of flowers, which offer a stunning backdrop for a wedding or red-carpet event.

But Sheryl now offers these for hire - using silk flowers instead of fresh ones. "The floristry business is getting better with its biodegradable products. We are also aware of the cost of living crisis and want to help people with that."

And Sheryl wants to point out that despite all her success, she still has her feet firmly on the floor, and rooted in her home town of York.

"Even with our expansion we keep our name: Fulford Flowers - our business is Fulford Flowers and you have got to keep your roots."

While grand, star-studded events are exciting and challenging, Sheryl says she still loves the intimacy of a small wedding, and offering that personal service.

"I love my little weddings too; they are more bijou and very personal. I still offer that personal service and still go to where ever they are - it's me they get on the day."

Find out more at: www.fulfordflowers.com