A Q&A With Krisztina Hegedűs
Winner of the World of Spray Roses Festive Design Photo Competition.
Late last year, we hosted our annual World of Spray Roses Festive Competition, inviting florists from around the world to enter both video and photo categories. We were delighted when Hungarian florist Krisztina Hegedűs captured the judges’ attention and ultimately won the photo competition with her beautiful and emotionally engaging design.
Based in Budapest, Krisztina is the owner of a large flower shop and delivery service, with more than two decades of experience in the floral industry. Her journey is a fascinating blend of technical mastery, design psychology, and a deep personal connection to spray roses, a flower that has shaped both her career and creative identity.
We spoke with Krisztina about her path into floristry, her winning design, and why spray roses continue to inspire her work.
Where did your journey begin, and where are you in your career today?
My name is Krisztina Hegedűs. I live in Budapest, Hungary, where I own and run a large flower shop and flower delivery service. I have been working as a florist for 21 years.
Originally, I studied architecture, but the world of flowers eventually pulled me in. My first emotional connection to flowers actually came when my father surprised me with a beautiful spray rose bouquet for my graduation. It feels especially meaningful that spray roses later became such an important part of my professional life.
Throughout my journey, I have been fortunate to learn from some of the most influential names in international floral design. I completed IMF studies at the Boerma Institute under Gregor Lersch and attended masterclasses with Iza Tkaczyk, Krisztián Kövér, Bart Hassam, Hanneke Frankema, Leopoldo Gomez, and Klaus Wagener. These experiences shaped not only my technical skills but also my design thinking and understanding of floral composition on a deeper level.
Today, I run a well-established shop, work with events and deliveries, and continuously develop floral products based on customer psychology, design theory, and real-life market feedback.
What do you do most, events or shop work?
The foundation of my work is my flower shop and daily flower delivery. This is where I constantly test, observe, and learn what customers truly respond to.
Alongside this, I also work on events and installations, which give me creative freedom and allow me to experiment on a larger scale. The two areas strongly influence each other.
I also love participating in competitions, and I feel truly fortunate that growers trust me with their flowers, sending them so I can create promotional designs that showcase them at their very best.
How did you come up with your winning design?
This competition was a very conscious experiment for me. I participated with two designs — one for the photo category and one for the video category — and both made it to the finals, with the photo winning. That confirmed something I have been researching for a while: what people truly like.
Earlier in my competition journey, I focused on very modern, airy, technical designs. While I loved them, I noticed they did not receive the most votes. I started studying design psychology, especially Gestalt theory, which explains how the human mind naturally prefers recognisable, familiar forms.
Applying this theory, I designed bouquets shaped like a Christmas tree and a star — familiar festive symbols — while still using all my professional knowledge of floral design, colour theory, and composition. Spray roses were perfect for this. Their clustered heads resemble ornaments, they naturally create layers, and they are incredibly expressive and easy to work with.
Have you always been passionate about flowers, particularly roses?
Yes, especially spray roses. They were the first flowers I truly fell in love with, and they have stayed close to my heart ever since.
Winning this competition feels extra special because I also won the Spray Roses Summer Competition two years ago. This flower really runs through my entire story.
Have you noticed an increase in the use of spray roses in weddings and events?
Absolutely. Spray roses are appearing more and more frequently in weddings and events. Designers and clients appreciate their versatility, softness, and natural fullness. They work beautifully in both romantic and modern concepts.
Why do you personally enjoy incorporating Spray roses into your designs?
We have 10–15 spray rose varieties in our shop every single day. Customers love them for their colours, textures, size, and shape.
They can make even a small bouquet look lush and generous, which is especially important in today’s market. They are cost-effective, long-lasting, and incredibly adaptable — from bouquets to installations to modern vial work. And of course, the colour selection is amazing.
Do you have a favourite spray rose variety?
My absolute favourite is Barbados, but I also love Chimo, Finder’s Lane, Azore, Wedding Invite, Green Glow, all the Trendsetters, Gypsrose, the English varieties, and the Hashtags.
I’m truly head over heels for spray roses, so it felt very natural when I became a spray roses ambassador last year.
Have you observed a rise in demand for spray roses? Why do you think that is?
Yes, definitely. Customers are becoming more educated and visually aware. Spray roses offer richness, elegance, and flexibility while also being practical.
With proper care, removing leaves, regular stem cutting, using finishing solutions, Quick Dip, and keeping floral foam fully hydrated, they have excellent vase life, which leads to very high customer satisfaction.
What trends are you seeing in your 2026 bookings?
For 2026, I see a strong demand for lush, emotionally engaging designs, recognisable forms, and high-quality flowers used intelligently rather than excessively.
Clients want designs that feel familiar yet special, and spray roses fit perfectly into this direction. I also feel that through my competition work and unique statement pieces, I have helped guide my customers’ taste in a new direction. It is wonderful to see more and more people becoming curious and open to something special.
Congratulations, Krisztina, on your beautiful winning design. It was truly lovely to catch up with you, and our conversation was incredibly insightful. We look forward to seeing more of your inspiring work with spray roses in the future. To learn more about Krisztina, please check out her website www.szirom.hu
