Independent Wakefield florist wins studio of the year in prestigious worldwide competition
She won the public’s hearts
A Wakefield florist has been named Studio Florist of the Year 2026 after winning almost 20 per cent of the public vote in an international awards competition.
Danielle Walker, 37, who runs Wreaths & Flowers by Danielle from her studio in Wrenthorpe, received 19.8 per cent of the vote in the annual Florist of the Year Awards, run by Kay’s Flower School.
The award is the latest achievement for Danielle, whose floristry business grew from a lifelong love of flowers – and a desire to honour the memory of her grandparents.
Danielle first started a gardening business in 2020 alongside running wreath-making workshops, before deciding to take her passion further after creating the flowers for her own wedding in 2023.
She began professional floristry training with Kay’s Flower School in January 2024, completed her qualifications and officially launched her studio florist later that year.
Since then, she has built a multi-award-winning independent business creating flowers for weddings, funerals, celebrations and other important moments.
But Danielle says her love of flowers goes back much further, to her childhood and the time she spent with her grandparents.
She remembers taking flowers from the garden to her Nanna, particularly in her later years when Alzheimer's and dementia meant she could no longer get outside herself.
“I’ll never forget the look on my Nanna’s face when I’d bring her flowers from the garden,” Danielle said.
“When she could no longer get outside, I’d bring the outside in for her.
“Seeing her face light up brought me so much joy, and it taught me that flowers aren’t ‘just flowers’ – they carry love, memories and meaning.”
Danielle sadly lost her grandparents in 2018.
When she later received a £1,000 inheritance from them, she decided to use it to fund her first floristry training course.
“It felt like the perfect way to honour them and do something meaningful with the inheritance they had left me – I know they’d be so proud,” she said.
Their memory remains at the heart of her business, with forget-me-nots incorporated into Danielle’s logo and displayed on the side of her van as a tribute to them.
Her work includes bespoke wedding flowers, bouquets, seasonal arrangements, flower subscriptions and workshops, as well as funeral and sympathy flowers.
One of her specialist areas is creating personalised football tributes, including flowers for Leeds United fans.
As a lifelong Yorkshire woman, Danielle creates funeral arrangements designed around the personality, interests and passions of the person being remembered.
“Funeral flowers are something I genuinely love to do,” she said.
“It’s such an honour to be trusted with something so personal at such a difficult time.
“I’m very particular and have high standards, because I want every tribute to be right for the person and their family.”
That personal approach is at the heart of Danielle’s business, with every arrangement created from scratch rather than simply chosen from a catalogue.
“I don’t believe flowers should just be something you pick from a catalogue,” she said.
“I want to understand the person, the occasion and what the flowers mean to you, and then create something that feels completely personal.”
Danielle said winning the latest award was particularly special because of the support she has received from her family, customers and the local community.
“Winning a worldwide award and getting recognition for the work, effort and hours I put into it means so much,” she said.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to my husband and mum who both help out loads in the business.
“I’d also like to thank all my other supporters too – the fact that my local community and customers have taken time to vote for me makes it even more special.”
Danielle also prides herself on offering a one-to-one service, sourcing from independent suppliers and using British flowers where possible.
“I’m incredibly proud to be a local, independent florist,” she said.
“When someone orders from a small business, it’s a person and a family behind that order.
“You’re not just a transaction to me. I genuinely appreciate every single order and every review.”
Looking ahead, Danielle hopes to continue growing the business while remaining rooted in the Wakefield community where it began.
“I feel incredibly lucky that I can wake up and genuinely love what I do,” she said.
“The job itself is far from easy and there’s so much work behind the scenes before I even start arranging the flowers, but it’s completely worth it for the job satisfaction I get.”
Wreaths & Flowers by Danielle is currently taking wedding bookings through to 2030.