Getting married in a natural setting as beautiful as Kurland Estate, you’d think it impossible for the wedding florals to upstage Mother Nature herself, but Daniel (DP) Ferreira of Eco Zest didn’t get his reputation as a floral designer extraordinaire for nothing.
As one of Kurland’s most sought-after suppliers, we know that our wedding couples are always left in awe with anything DP creates. His background in Fine Art and love of nature have resulted in a unique floral design style that is sought after for weddings and events throughout the Garden Route, and beyond.
Like the owners of Kurland Estate themselves, DP has a close connection with nature. He grew up on a farm in the Free State with a mom who loved gardening and flower arranging, and grandparents who boasted beautiful gardens that captured his imagination as a child.
After studying, DP happened to find his way into flower shops as he started working. He later moved to London for four years where he put his artistic flair to work in the floral industry, learning the ropes and mingling with industry experts and well-known designers.
When he returned to South Africa, he opened a boutique floral shop in Thessen Island, Knysna, that attracted a lot of attention and intrigue. He later put down roots in Rheenendal and started creating the now highly renowned Highacre Garden from scratch.
Fifteen years later, DP is happily settled in Rheenendal with his landscape architect partner (and their 7 dogs and 3 cats), and in high demand for wedding and events. His respect for the client’s vision and the venue’s unique qualities result in floral artworks that are truly unique and personal. Not one to be swayed by trends alone, he says that his favourite briefs are the ones that come to him from clients who love what he does, and give him a blank page to create something unique and special, rather than simply recreating something from Instagram.
This year promises to be a busy one for DP. Besides the beautiful wedding requests he gets from venues like our very own Kurland Estate, he’s currently creating an incredible floral arrangement for the Klein Karoo National Art KKNA festival’s marketing launch, integrating objects into flower arrangements to represent different cultures and approaches. He’s also building a greenhouse at Highacre Garden to house beautiful plants, and there are plans to host more on-site events like last year’s Awakening Lunch with famed chef Alix Verrips, as well as various other creative workshops.
At Kurland Estate, we don’t only pride ourselves in offering truly unique luxury country spaces to host events that are memorable, beautiful and unique, we also work with artists and visionaries that share our passion for creating events that celebrate good food, with good people, in all of nature’s beauty and splendour.
Chat to us about how we can help you celebrate an upcoming special occasion.
Images by Hanru Marais, DP Ferreria and Michelle Photography