Natural bunches, and the couple that creates them

Turkan and Matt Hemphill met at a flower market 12 years ago while Matt was selling wholesale flowers and working as a baker, and Turkan was running a floristry business in Melbourne.

It was a match made in a floral, baked goods, wedding industry heaven.

Just a year after the couple met, they opened a flower and cake shop together in the Melbourne suburb of Seddon called Cakes and Vases, specialising in weddings and events.

“It was our two loves, together. And we can work together, which surprises everyone, and we’ve been doing that for a long time,” Turkan said, laughing.

The two have been married for seven years now and working together for 11.

Three years ago, the couple moved to Geelong, while still running their Seddon flower shop from afar, and opened A Natural Bunch, specialising in Weddings, events, and flowers for daily needs.

Now, they are opening a second Geelong store and adding cakes back into the business.

Since they first met, Turkan has trained as a chef, and Matt has picked up floristry.

“I was already a florist, and then I went and studied cookery,” Turkan said.

“My dad was a baker and pastry chef, my mum was a florist and a hairdresser, so I’ve kind of been around weddings a lot.

“I guess I was always around, mum always did stuff and I used to help her as a kid, and I used to work in my dad’s bakery as well.

“Matt studied baking and learnt floristry through the industry and through helping me.”

The couple said they moved to Geelong because they saw the opportunity in the inclusive, vibrant local wedding industry, something they have experienced first-hand since opening their floristry business on James Street, which has since moved to their present location on McLarty Place.

“We moved to the Geelong area because we saw a lot of potential in weddings, having all the wedding venues down the Bellarine and in the Geelong industry, and we know a lot of people in the industry.

“We have a friend who sells bridal gowns and she said ‘You need to open a store here’.

“She knew our background and kept saying you need to do it. We’ve been here three years.

“We do weddings, corporate events and then your everyday sort of stuff – beautiful birthday bunches, anniversaries, if you want to gift something we do beautiful hampers, flowers and then with the other businesses we do cakes as well, so birthday cakes and things as well.”

Turkan said since moving to Geelong, the couple had found the floristry and wedding industry community welcoming and supportive.

“We help each other, I’ll do flowers for them and when I need something they’ll do something for me.”

Turkan said they love the community and scenery in Geelong, particularly the way the city meets the sea.

“We love talking to people, the locals are really nice. All the shop owners are supportive.

“And we love the beach… the city and the sea.”

Turkan said the couple’s love of floristry comes from both in the creative outlet, and the joy is brings people.

“Putting a smile on someone’s face, and surprising them with the result.

“We have our shop set up with vases, and they can just pick and then we make something up on the spot, so them picking a few things and saying, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing but I hope this works out,’ and it always works out, and they are really surprised by the result and what they.”

Their in-store and personal style, Turkan said, was vintage rustic, but they worked on floral designs with all sorts of unique styles.

“We’re pretty rustic, all our stores are styled rustic with a bit of charm. We can do any style but we love rustic things and the stores are vintage rustic.

“We love collecting old things. Matt’s nanna lives up in Horsham and we raided the farm originally to decorate the stores… all the bits and pieces from the farm, old doors and barrels… and we hire it out for weddings sometimes.”

Nowadays at their Geelong store, the couple specialise in designing and executing weddings and events, as well as running workshops in Geelong and offering same-day deliveries of flowers in Geelong and Melbourne.

Last year the couple also began hosting workshops from their Geelong shop, particularly around Christmas teaching people the basics of wreath making and floristry.

“We did [workshops] the year before through the Geelong council, on Little Malop. The aim is to teach people things and watch them enjoy the day to make a day.”

In their business, they are looking forward to being able to add cakes to their Geelong business and provide more all-inclusive wedding packages.

“We’re about to open our next store, on 3 James Street, where we used to be, and that’s going to be selling flowers and Cakes, like our Seddon store,” Turkan said.

“We’ll concentrate more on the classes, combining the hens and things, engagements and weddings, offering all the services.”

The Hemphill’s new Geelong store is set to open in the next few weeks on 3 James Street, Geelong.

Visit A Natural Bunch in person at 1 McLarty Place, Geelong or phone

0342 188 917 on Tuesday to Wednesday to make a phone order for local delivery.