Love for floristry
One of the most sought-after florists in Moscow, winner of awards for the best wedding decor, was born in 1983 in Moscow. Her parents, who had nothing to do with design and art, send their daughter to a drawing club, where teachers notice the enormous potential of the talented girl. Yulia is engaged in painting, but in her heart she understands that oil paints are not her format.
At the age of 17, she entered the only floristry school in Moscow called Nicole. Decorator Yulia Shakirova, who received a prestigious and interesting profession, gets a job in a company that organizes holidays. She recalls that it was a wonderful experience: the young girl took art lessons from Ellie Lyn and Valli Klett, the world's leading florists.
Decor for star weddings: says Yulia Shakirova
Decorator Yulia Shakirova told Wedding what decor stars choose for their wedding, how difficult it is to work with celebrities, and what the wedding of the future will look like.
Tell us which stars have you designed weddings for? What unusual wishes have celebrities voiced?
– Shakirova Studio creates event decor for many celebrities, including their weddings. We designed the weddings of Mota and Maria Melnikova, Ida Galich and Alan Basiev, Yulia Parshuta and her chosen one Alexander, Yana and Alexander Sapeta and many others. The last star wedding that we decorated was, for example, the wedding of Regina Todorenko and Vlad Topalov. Every person, regardless of their star status, wants to create an atmosphere of sincerity, comfort, and hold their celebration in a comfortable environment surrounded by loved ones. Famous people have a very formed image, which helps in finding direction for the decor concept. The stage image often influences the style that we ultimately choose. Stars usually do not put forward strict demands, trusting our vision. Projects like this are very important to me because they help shape the taste preferences of a large number of people who trust the stellar choice.
Our readers are very interested in the details and behind the scenes of the wedding of Regina Todorenko and Vlad Topalov. What was the main challenge with the decor? How did you react when you learned about the garden that surrounded the villa where the wedding took place?
– Italy has magnificent picturesque nature, so the main wish of the heroes was to use as little additional floristry as possible. For me and our team it was not a difficulty, but rather an interesting challenge. Regina and Vlad are very creative people, so we chose a non-standard solution. Instead of a classic floral arch, we created a composition of ears of corn, and hung light lanterns above the long guest table. White and beige shades very beautifully complemented the lush greenery of the villa.
Since we are talking about stars, is it more difficult or easier to work with them than with “ordinary” customers?
– The only factor that complicates working with stars is their busy schedule, due to which we have to develop the concept of the celebration in a short time. But experience shows that we can easily cope with such tasks. Celebrities are creative and creative people, so most often they come with ready-made original ideas, which we then bring to life. In this sense, it can be easier to work with them, because I immediately understand their mood and attitude to certain details.
If you take domestic and foreign stars, are there any differences in the decor of their weddings?
– Of course, each country has its own characteristics. In America, for example, decor is created in a technical space, that is, an empty site is taken and a location is completely built on it. Wedding decor in Europe is all about the little things - these are some decorative details that are added to the already existing beauty on the site and around. This is their big advantage, because the atmosphere already exists; it does not need to be created from scratch.
There are beautiful estates in Russia, but most often they are either in poor condition or there is no access to them. Therefore, suburban professional venues are more popular: restaurants, recreation centers, where you can organize an event of any scale and build a whole world in a single concept. However, the trend to hold weddings within the city is now gaining popularity, and in such non-standard places as, for example, the Glavkino film and television complex. Here the decorator thinks differently, not trying to fit into some existing walls, as when work takes place in a restaurant or concert venue. If the character of the characters coincides with the atmosphere of such creative locations, then the decor turns out completely different: elements of luxury fade into the background.
What trends are dominating this season?
– Bold decisions are in trend now. Professionals in general are moving away from standard ideas, changing their approach to choosing locations, forming the structure of events, but without departing from the classics. In general, the emphasis now is not so much on decor, but on the “skeleton” of the space itself, which includes technical support. If you were able to completely immerse the wedding heroes and their guests in the concept of the celebration, then you have a successful project.
Wedding of Alexander and Yana Sapeta
What percentage of your wedding budget should be allocated to decor?
– It all depends on the decor concept you have in mind. There are no “standards” here, because each couple has a different vision of the ideal wedding. Some people dream of a laconic and elegant design for their celebration, and a beautiful flower arch will be enough for them; others plan to create a real work of art out of their wedding. One way or another, the budget is formed based on the scale of the couple’s ideas.
Many argue and actively discuss how weddings will take place in 5, 10 years. What do you think the wedding decor of the future will look like?
– I assume that it will be very technologically advanced. The decor will completely cease to exist as part of the space, it will completely shape it and immerse a person in the atmosphere of the wedding. Most likely, the trend for eco-friendly decor will strengthen even more, but this will be absolutely conscious.
What kind of sites do you like to work on?
– I can name the venues where I arrange weddings most often and have come to love them – these are Villa Rotonda Deauville, Barvikha Luxury Village. Of course, it is very interesting to work abroad - on the coasts of Italy, France, in Dubai. I am interested in working on sites that inspire unusual decisions and suit the character and worldview of the characters. It is especially pleasant to decorate events in open areas in warm sunny weather; in such conditions the decorations turn out magical. In addition, I design events at Shakirova Space, where there is every opportunity to realize any idea - it’s very convenient.
Wedding of Yulia Parshuta
What advice do you have for our readers who are planning a wedding?
– I advise all future newlyweds to discuss with each other in advance their desires and expectations from the wedding design, so you can quickly come to the next step - the implementation of the concept. I also always advise collecting a collection of ideas, a mood board, which includes everything - flowers, views, places, tastes, smells, in a word, really everything that you like. From trips or from memories, just from a walk around the city or from ordinary life. It is on this that you can ultimately build an atmosphere for your wedding day that will be remembered for a lifetime.
Photo: Marina Fadeeva, Andrey Baida.
Decor studio that has become popular in Russia and abroad
In 2004, Julia founded the company Shakirova Julia, which won the respect of clients. She made everything she could out of flowers, and she wanted to expand her scope of activities into decor. The editor of a famous celebrity magazine, who liked the unusual projects, recommended Yulia to popular artists. The florist laughs, saying that word of mouth works better than any advertising. So the stars of Russian show business began to contact her, wanting to organize a memorable holiday.
All of Shakirova’s fantastic ideas come to life, bringing a lot of joy to customers. The decorator, who knows how to organize people and direct them in the right direction, has completed more than 1,500 events, and no one is going to stop there.
Now her clients are famous people not only in our country, but also abroad. Shakirova has about 50 people subordinate to her, but sometimes she invites hired workers. The girl, who often visits Europe and takes master classes from famous professionals in her field, coordinates all processes herself, and also develops a new direction - rental of furniture and various accessories for party decoration.
Original projects
Working in the field of event decor, Yulia Shakirova, whose biography is full of successful projects, captures the desires of customers, offering the most unusual materials for their execution and working with space. Julia uses everything possible: fruits, vegetables, plant roots, herbs, rolls of paper, rusty pipes, sweets. Original details evoke real admiration among guests of bright and colorful events, since no one has seen anything like this in real life.
Wedding master
Fulfilling any whim, Yulia Shakirova (decorator) loves to work on wedding projects. She necessarily takes into account the image of the bride, the possibilities of the room where the celebration will take place, and other points. The owner of the studio of the same name carefully thinks through every detail in the design: from the design of invitations to events to large-scale art objects. Before starting work, she talks with the client to understand his mood and interests.
Then Julia introduces the customer to her vision of the wedding, making a presentation with sketches. These are real mood pictures that give an idea of the atmosphere of the future event, its color scheme and style. Shakirova knows that a wedding held under the brand of her company will certainly become prestigious. Any celebration from a decor studio is considered a high-class event.
Of course, Yulia’s work is very expensive, since the colorful decorations erected over several hours change the space beyond recognition, and each project involves both florists, electricians, installers and technicians. Many parts are manufactured overseas, which also increases the cost of the estimate for the client.
Rules for event design from the event guru. Yulia Shakirova
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Every event organizer knows: a good and reliable contractor is half the success of an event. When it comes to decorating, a contractor must be not just good, but the best.
Introducing Yulia Shakirova , one of the best event designers in Russia. The talented decorator studied with Ellie Lin, Valli Klett and collaborated with the world's best florist Daniel Ost. All of Julia’s works are not just work projects, but real works of art, a completely different reality with a carefully created atmosphere. Julia and her team have about 1,500 projects behind them, including the design of the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg, French castles, Swiss chalets, and the famous Epernay wine cellars.
Yulia managed to find a minute in her busy schedule to tell our readers about the rules of event design and the intricacies of working with event specialists.
— Julia, how is a fairy tale created? How do you understand WHAT the customer needs? How to get into the right mood?
Before offering anything, I always meet with the customer and talk. When working with a private client, it is very important for me to understand his mood, to understand what he lives by - profession, hobbies, interests, passions. For one client who provides support for Russian Railways, we came up with a concept with carriages. Within the site, our team built a real depot with railway tracks and thematic details in an interesting color scheme.
Sometimes the customer's views provide the necessary information for creating a concept. If a person likes stylish and modern shapes, we often suggest a black and white concept. It can be played with colors and textures (lacquered tables, black dishes, striped plates), or you can come up with a whole story. For two twin clients we created a black and white party in the style of Tom Ford. Imagine, the main art objects were a large bow tie and huge glasses, we put men's white shirts on the chairs, and we decorated the vases with miniature ties and shirts. The reaction of the customer and guests simply cannot be conveyed! Everyone was delighted!
Advice to the event manager: Look at your customer from a different angle and try to express his character in the design of the event. Come up with an idea and share it with the decorator, who will work out the concept taking into account the specifics of the design work.
— What types do decorators divide sites into?
Can a given concept be played out on any site?
Ideally, the decorator selects a room for the chosen concept, but most often he has to work with the site that the client has already chosen and adapt to it.
We divide all sites into three types:
1. Empty space (box) in which you can “build” a house
The box is an ideal option for the decorator. You completely rearrange the space: create false walls, floors, ceilings, and place interesting decorative details on technical hangers. In general, you create a house within a house.
2. Tent
The marquee is a summer story that works well for weddings. Basically, tents have elegant drapery with fabric.
3. A platform with a themed design
On a thematic site, you already adapt to the space and furniture, only complementing reality with beautiful things and art objects.
Advice to the event manager: Try to choose a venue based on the features of the concept. A private event is an atmosphere created by the smallest design details, not to mention the standard zones - welcome, hall, candy bar and press wall. Stylistic inaccuracies will instantly “pull” guests out of the created atmosphere, and this should under no circumstances be allowed!
— What are the most budget-friendly and most expensive materials for decoration? How can you decorate an event besides flowers?
I love my job for the opportunity to constantly experiment with material. You can use absolutely all objects that exist in the world in decoration. Moreover, the simpler the thing, the more often people see it in everyday life, the more admiration for its design it causes.
Regarding the budget, I can tell you this trick - even if you take a lot of inexpensive material and fill the space as much as possible with its texture, playing with the object in different designs, the decor will look very impressive. For example, fruits, vegetables, herbs or sweets. The cost of the material is low, and the resulting effect will exceed all possible expectations!
One day we received an order from a man who had already seen everything in the world and at the first meeting challenged us - “Try to surprise me!” We set to work with enthusiasm and chose the most common cucumber as the texture. We filled huge vases with cucumber halves and alstroemerias, the arrangements on the tables were made of leeks, and there was an indescribable smell of freshness and novelty in the area. I think we coped with the task with a bang!
I am also very inspired by sweets - multi-colored marmalade, snow-white marshmallows, cakes in delicate colors, chocolates. Sweets can be so beautiful that you can admire them endlessly!
Advice to the event manager: Expand the boundaries of your knowledge and tell your clients about new decor items. Be inspired by the works of foreign designers, collect interesting photos in collections and share with your contractor. Consider any material as a basis for decoration - from spaghetti to a USB hub.
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— How do you zone the space? Are there items in the design that you can do without?
A professional event manager must understand what parts the design work is divided into in order to correctly set the terms of reference and accept the work from his contractor. Conventionally, we divide the site into the following zones:
1. Welcome zone
This is an area that allows you to immerse guests in the necessary atmosphere from the first steps. The welcome zone may contain large-scale art objects, sofas, and original installations.
2.Press wall
Press wall is a place for taking photographs based on the theme of the event.
3. Art objects
Art objects convey the idea of the project and are an excellent background for photography.
4. Buffet lines
Buffet lines, despite their main function - to feed guests, can and should be in the theme of the event. Unfortunately, there are few chefs in Moscow who bother with the aesthetic part of the table, so we help them - we provide beautiful dishes and various decorative items.
5. Hall area
The decoration of the hall involves decorating the stage (podium), tables, chairs, banquet textiles and even chandeliers. We spend a lot of time on tables. Existing tables often do not suit us and we independently produce exclusive models for events - 3-meter, varnished, oval, irregularly shaped, and so on. The market for banquet tableware for rent is also not encouraging yet, so we purchase beautiful collections of tableware specifically for the event.
6. Candy bar
A table with beautifully decorated dishes in the style of the event. Usually - sweets. It is a key position in the design of the event.
Advice to the event manager: Prepare an offer for the customer, providing a description of the decorative items and their quantity - 40 flower arrangements (h-150 cm) in the welcome area, 1000 paper pom-poms under the ceiling, 3 art objects in the form of a butterfly in the hall, and so on. The customer must understand what he is “buying” in order to avoid misunderstandings. Do not forget to explain to the client the importance of the number of decorative items stated by the decorator. Decorative elements in insufficient quantities can get “lost” in a large room or, on the contrary, look tacky.
— They say that you are the first decorator in Moscow who began to create large-scale themed candy bars. Where did you get the idea and how did you manage to sell the candy bar to conservative Russians?
I've always loved sweet elements and wanted to work with them. One day I saw on the Internet the work of American confectioner Amy Atlas, who creates very appetizing, elegant products. Amy uses luxurious glassware and embellishments in her creations. I was so delighted by the aesthetics of her confectionery products that I decided to make something similar on my own.
At first I made a candy bar with a small number of elements - literally three vases with compositions. Each time I improved my sweet table - I added a backdrop, increased the number of vases, sewed elegant textiles, and so on. I realized that the more decorative items are used to decorate a sweet table, the brighter and more symbolic it becomes. Having seen the candy bar, the guest should be surprised by its scale, therefore there cannot be enough decorative elements in the design of the sweet table.
For me, a candy bar is the main part of the design; it fully conveys the mood, atmosphere of the event and tells about the character of the customer - who it is (a child or an adult, a girl or a guy), what he loves, what he lives and what he is interested in. Candy bar is a picture with a storyline that you can look at for hours and find more and more new details in it. In addition to the fact that the candy bar is the central object of decoration, it serves as a backdrop for photographing guests. Everyone wants to touch the beautiful, believe me!
Advice to the event manager: If the customer cannot afford to design the event from A to Z, “help” him choose the key object - a candy bar with a lot of details. Three arguments will help convince the client: aesthetics, functionality, and space for photos.
— How to present the concept to the customer?
The concept can be presented in two ways: using mood pictures and hand-drawn sketches. Mood pictures with the required color scheme, style and mood give the customer an understanding of what the atmosphere of the event will be like. The disadvantages of a mood picture are the lack of specifics and the inability to accurately display what you want (imagine that in the picture, instead of three vases with flowers, there are ten vases, instead of white roses, there are white orchids). Black and white sketches reflect full-fledged specifics, because often what was invented by the customer or designer will be created for the first time.
Tip for event manager: To avoid surprises, ask your contractor for sketches of the desired design or as accurate pictures as possible (with the selected color scheme, colors and details).
Photo from the archive of Yulia Shakirova
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Space zoning
The florist-decorator necessarily divides the space into several zones, immersing guests in the atmosphere of the upcoming event, allowing them to take thematic photographs and conveying the main idea of the celebration. Yulia especially highlights the hall, where elements are purchased directly for each event, and the candy bar, which is an excellent place for photo shoots. This is a key object, which is a table with dishes (fruits and sweets) decorated in the style of the event. It fully conveys the character of the customers and the general mood of private parties.
Although lately candy bars have faded into the background, and clients are asking to set up buffet tables or wine tasting tables.
Cold heart
@shakirova_studio: The cartoon “Frozen” is incredibly popular among both children and adults! We made a fashionable, stylish holiday decoration for the little birthday girl. Guests enthusiastically selected outfits in accordance with the dress code and plunged into the atmosphere of a snowy winter.
Decorators' opinions:
- Redundancy is, in principle, the right word for the design as a whole. Guests on opposite sides of the table are categorically cut off from each other by excessive decor and will not be able to communicate normally.
- If this is a real celebration, then excuse me, the decorator needs to think about the safety of the customer. Lots of glass, unnecessary crockery, sharp seats and iron table corners. I don’t know what’s on the floor, but it also looks slippery and dangerous
The secret of her success
Popular decorator Yulia Shakirova, known for her unique style, often uses inexpensive material, playing with it in different designs. She harmoniously combines complex things with simple ones, selects interesting art objects that look very impressive at a low cost, and clients admit that reality has exceeded all their expectations. There are times when expensive accessories disappoint because they turn out to be impractical and not worth the money they ask for.
Difficulties arise from a technical point of view, since it is very important that at prestigious events nothing falls and that the decorations do not disturb the guests. It is important that it is not only beautiful, but also comfortable. Before the start of any celebration, mandatory rehearsals take place, during which the client sees all the details and understands why the work of a decor studio is so expensive.
Red Passion
@shakirova_studio: Real, pure, bright, endless love❤ This incredible feeling is so strong for Polina and Zhenya that we couldn’t help but use red - the color of love and passion! Fresh greenery represents youth, a mirror represents purity. Thank you for the emotions, inspiration and a bit of madness
Decorators' opinions:
- Beautiful! True, the presidium seems unfinished or empty, or somehow stands out from the general design idea, I don’t understand.
- It seems to me that the barrel is too high. Lower the trunk and branches a little lower, and, in my opinion, it would be better)))
- Nothing can be seen except red. It's too vigorous.
Dream wedding
When Julia is asked what project she remembers most, she confidently answers that the wedding was decorated in the Dolce&Gabbana style. The customer, who saw a dress strewn with powdery flowers at a private show, wanted the same for herself and asked the company to make her dream come true. Based on the story about the luxurious outfit, Julia developed a whole concept for decorating the gala event.
A beautiful boudoir was created, decorated with fresh flowers in wine shades. The spacious hall, which turned into an overgrown garden, amazed the guests, and the unusual chandelier on the table became a real highlight of the bright event. Huge portraits of the newlyweds hung on the specially aged red brick walls, and the buffet table, which was a gift to the happy newlyweds from the decor studio, was a surprise for everyone. On the black tablecloth there were gilded candelabra, as well as floral arrangements by Yulia Shakirova, made of fruits and flowers.
It is curious that S. Gabbana himself noted in his account the individual style of the wedding celebration and emphasized the feminine image of the bride.
“Live” decor in a live example of Shakirova Studio: Mobile elements in event design
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Glavkino is a cult film venue with huge potential for decoration.
The filming pavilions of the film and television complex on Novorizhskoye Shosse occupy 21,000 m². Leading Russian television companies shoot films, television projects and advertising in Glavkino: Red Square, Channel One, NTV, Weit Media, Park Production company, Bazelevs studio, Comedy Club Production.
The shooting of such sensational films as “Draft” by Sergei Mokritsky, the historical saga “Viking” by Andrei Kravchuk and the sports drama “Moving Up” by Anton Megerdichev took place here.
Since filming is constantly taking place in the pavilions, the site has good technical equipment. Shakirova Studio was the first event decorator in Russia to master the Glavkino space and use film production equipment in the design.
Yulia Shakirova told how the scenery was created for the anniversary of the founder and general director of the Simple company, Maxim Kashirin , and how to implement a technically complex installation in 96 hours.
Yulia Shakirova
, event designer
The organizers of the event, TOBELOVE Agency, came up with the concept of an immersive theater that reflected the stages of Maxim Kashirin’s life. We needed to build several separate spaces inside the huge pavilion, where the fairy tale of the evening gradually unfolded.
Each room reflected a certain stage in the life of the birthday person.
Yulia Shakirova
, event designer
The space of the Tactile Room symbolized the moment of birth, and we tried to recreate this atmosphere through the texture of materials and play with chiaroscuro.
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Shakirova Studio decorators reproduced Maxim’s childhood in the Animation Room by installing a children’s playground for adults.
Yulia Shakirova
, event designer
The youth and adult life of Maxim Kashirin is reflected in the Filming and Playing Rooms, where we took as a basis the theme of the Soviet Union, when our hero lived there.
The most technically complex elements are located in the main hall and in the Kaledoiskop - the transition between the two pavilions. The tunnel was decorated with mirrors of different sizes, and at the end there was a spinning crystal 4 meters high and 5 meters wide. This is a complex double-sided design with a rotation mechanism, developed by the studio's engineers. On one side, a composite structure made using the polygonal technique was mounted. On the other side there was a structure holding the floral arrangement in a horizontal position. It was heavy because, in addition to fresh flowers, it included real boxwood trees.
At the Glavkino site for the filming process, trusses are provided for attaching electric winches and suspended scenery. The decorators realized the idea of the main hall with the help of winches - huge domes on a special suspended structure covered the tables in the banquet hall and rose, revealing the original table setting, when guests arrived.
Yulia Shakirova
, event designer
In terms of its technical capabilities, the Glavkino site has no analogues in Moscow. It is assembled like a Rubik's cube and adapts to any client's needs. High-quality technical equipment of the site allows you to create not only decor, but an entire performance, and in the case of this case, a full-length film. The trend for mechanization of structures in decoration is still relevant, so use the technical capabilities of the site to the maximum.
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Decoration with flowers
Shakirova always has flowers at all her events, both real and artificial. She notes that it is a wonderful decoration, creating scale and adding lightness. Moreover, artificial flowers have many more advantages: they do not fade, they look impressive, they can be placed anywhere, even under bright spotlights. In addition, the financial aspect is also very important, because a customer who pays for compositions made from real sakura or wisteria greatly increases their budget.
However, Yulia Shakirova’s studio fulfills any wishes of clients. If customers want their celebration to be decorated with wildflowers or garden flowers, then so be it. Lush dahlias, cute hydrangeas, delicate delphiniums are gaining popularity as they fit into any decor. If we talk about unusual solutions, the master often decorates weddings in the Provence style with flowers in pots, creating a cozy atmosphere of a real garden.
As Yulia says, floristry also has its own fashion, which changes from season to season. Nowadays, decorating with flowers that look like they are growing in their natural environment is popular, and roses should be bushy and tangled, reminiscent of wild ones.
Currently, a successful businesswoman teaches the theory and practice of design, understanding that young professionals need the support of an authoritative person who has achieved success and does not hide all the intricacies of the chosen work.
Birthday: St. Petersburg, books, Brodsky
@shakirova_studio: Birthday. Closed theater show for the birthday girl and her guests. Performance "Procession". Joseph Brodsky. Our team faced a difficult task: to match the atmosphere of intelligence and nobility, to match the rhyme and rhythm of Brodsky’s poems. In the decor we used not only exquisite details, but intellectual codes: landscapes of St. Petersburg and Venice so beloved by Brodsky, and, of course, books.
Decorators' opinions:
- The atmosphere was a success. It looks gorgeous, BUT...the first thought is that it is overloaded with flowers. I'm not a florist, I could be wrong.
- Everything dazzles in my eyes
- Understood nothing
