A RHUDDLAN florist is the only business in Wales to be nominated for a prestigious award - despite being open for business for less than a year.

Within the space of 10 days the owners of Blooming Gorgeous Floristry Pete Fletcher and Ed Furber discovered they are not only 'Best Wedding Florist' finalists at the National Wedding Awards, but are finalists at the Welsh Independent Retail Awards.

The High Street florist first opened its doors last July and is the first time either Ed or Pete has owned their own business.

Ed said: "We were still getting over the shock of the first nomination when the second one came in. We are both still in awe of the nominations as we did not expect to receive them, we are just a florist in Rhuddlan in our eyes - to be representing Wales at the National Wedding Awards is still sinking in.

"When the email came through we thought it was a wind-up, but then seeing our business name on the public voting page it really hit home that not only are we flying the flag for Denbighshire, but we are flying the Welsh Flag for the country of Wales."

Holding the fort while his partner Mr Fletcher finished 21 years of service in the armed forces last October.

Initially, Ed - who is a trained retail florist - held down the fort while his partner Pete completed 21 years in the armed forces last October.

Pete said: "I am adjusting to civvy street well, transitioning from bullets and bombs to blossoms and blooms has been somewhat interesting. Some days can be challenging but as the business continues to grow the more detached from the military I am becoming.

Since retiring, Pete has a full-time role alongside and the business has expanded beyond floristry to include Blooming Gorgeous Occasions, a venue and event styling business that covers North Wales and the North West.

The two latest nominations are the third the pair have received, they were `Finalists` at the North Wales Young Business Awards in September 2018, and they are now considering expanding into a larger premises in the town.

Ed added: "We often say to each other that we need a bigger shop, although this is increasingly often the case we would always stay in Rhuddlan, the local community have welcomed us in and we feel it is our duty to them to provide them with an affordable, friendly and reliable florist."

The winners of the Welsh Independent Retail Award will be decided first at an awards ceremony on April 15 at The Exchange Hotel in Cardiff, follow by the National Wedding Awards in Leicester on June 26.