22 Years of Balla Florists – A Year of Celebrations, Awards & Exciting New Beginnings

From our very first flower shop in November 2004 to our busy floral studio today, what a journey it’s been! As we approach the end of 2026, we’re taking a moment to reflect on another wonderful year at Balla Florists.

And what a year it has been! Beautiful weddings, special celebrations, exciting awards, new opportunities and, most importantly, the wonderful people who continue to support our business here in County Mayo.

This November, we’re also celebrating a very special milestone – 22 years of Balla Florists!

A Wonderful Year of Weddings & Awards

2026 has been another incredibly busy and rewarding wedding season for us. We’ve had the pleasure of creating flowers for so many lovely couples throughout Mayo and beyond, bringing their ideas to life through beautiful bridal bouquets, ceremony flowers, reception styling and everything in between.

It’s also been a fantastic year for recognition within the wedding industry.

We were absolutely thrilled to win Florist of the Year at the Let’s Talk Weddings Ireland Awards 2026. It was a very special moment for us, and we’re incredibly grateful for the support and recognition.

We’re also delighted that Dress Your Wedding by Balla Florists has been named a finalist in the Florist of the Year category at the weddingsonline Awards 2027.

And we’re equally proud to announce that we are finalists for Wedding Florist of the Year with WeddingSuppliers.ie.

Three wonderful award recognitions in one year, as we celebrate 22 years in business! It’s something we’re incredibly proud of and very grateful for.

Every nomination, award and recommendation means so much to us. But our greatest reward will always be seeing our couples’ faces when they see their wedding flowers for the first time.

A Lovely New Chapter with The Grace Hotel, Westport

One of the most exciting developments this year has been our growing relationship with the beautiful The Grace Hotel in Westport, which opened in March.

We’re incredibly proud to be the hotel’s house florists, creating floral displays throughout the property, as well as working on weddings, special events, photography shoots and other wonderful occasions.

It’s a real privilege to be part of such an exciting addition to Westport, and we’re looking forward to continuing that relationship in the years ahead.

Giving Back to Our Community

Another particularly special highlight was supporting the Sunflower Hospice Ladies Lunch at The Grace Hotel in September.

We were delighted to donate our flowers, materials and time to help make the occasion extra special. Supporting a cause that means so much to families in our community was an absolute pleasure.

We’re also very proud to have sponsored training tops and half-zips for Mayo Gaels Ladies Football Club here in Mayo Abbey.

Supporting local sport and the people who give so much of their time to our community is something that’s particularly close to our hearts.

Having raised our own family here, we know just how important these clubs are, especially for young people, and it’s lovely to be able to give something back to the community that has supported Balla Florists for so many years.

Alongside our weddings and celebrations, we continue to provide funeral and sympathy flowers for families during some of life’s most difficult moments.

It’s a very personal and meaningful part of our work, and we’re sincerely grateful to every family who places that trust in us.

22 Years of Balla Florists – A Personal Message from Judi

22 years. Where did that time go?

On the 2nd of November 2004, I opened the doors of Balla Florists for the very first time.

Jack was only a year old. A year old!! Honestly, where have those years gone? 😂

Little did I know back then what the next 22 years would bring.

James and I went on to have two more children, raise our family, make a million memories, welcome our four-legged friend, and somehow juggle family life and a flower business through it all.

And what a journey it’s been.

There have been wonderful staff, past and present, loyal customers who have been with us since the very beginning, countless weddings, celebrations, new babies, birthdays, and those very difficult goodbyes when families needed us most.

Some days have been challenging, some have been absolutely magical, but every part of the journey has helped shape the business we have today.

And after 22 years, I still genuinely love what I do.

But one thing I’ve learned along the way is just how precious time really is.

Time with our children, our families, our friends, and the people we love. Time to make memories, enjoy the little things, and occasionally slow down.

When we moved from our traditional flower shop to our studio in Mayo Abbey, it was always part of my plan to create a slightly different way of working.

A business that would allow us to continue doing what we love – focusing on beautiful weddings, meaningful funeral tributes, and special floral projects – while also making more time for family life.

And that’s exactly the direction we’re continuing to take.

There are some exciting changes ahead, including our new website and the next chapter of our floral studio.

The way we work may be evolving, but the care, creativity and attention to detail that have always been at the heart of Balla Florists will never change.

To every customer, couple, family, staff member, friend and supporter who has been part of our journey: thank you from the bottom of my heart.

And to James, our three children, and our wonderful team, past and present: thank you for being part of it all.

Here’s to 22 years of flowers, family, friendships and memories.

And to making plenty more, while remembering to enjoy the moments along the way.

Judi x ❤️

Christmas Wreath Workshops

We’re looking forward to welcoming some familiar faces back to the studio for our Christmas wreath workshops this year.

We haven’t advertised these heavily, as so many of our lovely customers return year after year, but we may have a small number of places remaining on selected dates.

If you’d like to join us, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to check availability.

A Little November Break & Our Christmas Opening Arrangements

November is extra special for us this year, as James and I are also celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary!

We’ll be taking a few days away together, and the studio will be completely closed from Thursday 5 November to Wednesday 11 November inclusive, reopening at 11 a.m. on Thursday 12 November.

We’re also continuing a little tradition we started last year – taking a proper family break over Christmas.

Our studio will be closed for Christmas from 21 December until 3 January. Please check with us in advance regarding any pre-arranged wedding or event work during this period.

Thank you, as always, for your understanding and continued support.