Tag: wedding trends

Wedding Theme: Autumn

I love an Autumn wedding. There is so much texture, colour and inspiration from the season, that it’s difficult not to get excited about creating with it!

The obvious colour palette to go with in this season is the red and yellow of the falling leave, the brown and beige of the branches now on show, and the orange of the fat pumpkins.

As with any season, you can take it in a modern direction, pared with exotic ‘Mango’ calla lilies, burgundy Cymbidium orchids, and spiky Protea. Or you can go all-out rustic, with pheasant feathers, lichen covered twigs, and seasonal berries.

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As you can see, there’s so much inspiration! And there’s no reason you have to go with the fire tones. As shown here, the introduction of berries, skimmia, and foliage can follow the theme, set against purples, pinks and blues – just beautiful!

 

Images: 1: Mr and Mrs Unique, 2: Love My Dress, 3: Elizabeth Anne Designs, 4: Chic Vintage Brides, 5: Rustic Wedding Chic, 6: The Natural Wedding Company, 7: Sortra, 8: Tricia W, 9 & 10: Fab Mood. Featured image: Photo.net All via pinterest

 

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Wedding Theme: Coral

As wedding themes go, coral is up there with my favourites. It’s so versatile, looking good with ivory, pink, peach, orange, purple…

Go country rustic and loose, or contemporary clean cut, coral flowers really work hard for you. Although still a relatively new trend, there is quite a selection of coral blooms to choose from – Roses, like ‘Miss Piggy’ and ‘Vuvuzella’, Dahlias, Gerberas, Gladioli, Antirrhinum, Celosia, Ranunculus, Hypericum…

 

The bouquets compliment the mixed dress tones
The Bride’s coral, peach and apricot selection

 

 

DeerPearlFlowers, via Pinterest
MODwedding, via Pinterest
Wedding Sparrow Wedding Blog, via Pinterest
Love My Dress, via Pinterest
Every Last Detail, via Pinterest

It’s certainly a theme you can have a lot of fun with, and pair with a tone that compliments the season.

 

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An exciting Summer

You went away as a happy girlfriend to catch some rays, and came home a fiancée… How exciting!

And now that you’ve shared your happy news with your parents, your siblings, friends, aunties and uncles, acquaintances, the postman, the cashier at the supermarket…. it’s time to start planning.

It’s quite a task, planning a wedding. There are so many elements you have no idea about as a guest, that suddenly gain incredible importance as an engaged couple. Like the length of an aisle, the correct choice of post-ceremony pre-reception drinks, and where to have your guest list registered. Who knew.

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But also, there’s the fun stuff, like picking out The Dress, getting all your favourite girls and boys together to help you on the day as your bridesmaids and best men, and of course the flowers.

I may be a little biased on the last point there, being a wedding florist and all, but actually picking a theme and choosing how to express it through the day is fun. And flowers play an important role in that.

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Finding a florist who you’re comfortable with, who you trust, and whose style you like is vital. They need to take your collection of ideas, likes, and needs, and transform them into the beautiful arrangements you’ve thought about since playing make-believe in the playground.

I like to get to know you a bit, and find out all about your plans for the day, from venue to food, dresses to music. From there, we build a design scheme together. We can meet in person, or if that’s a little logistically tricky, we can chat via email.  You can take a look at some of my past weddings on my website or Facebook . You’ll find some testimonials there too from some of my lovely brides and grooms.

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So, why not get in touch, and get some of those ideas down on paper. Or, if you haven’t a clue where to even start, fear not – that’s what I’m here for. We florists love talking flowers, so can put you at ease and get you sorted in a jiffy!

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Outstanding Orchids

4 years ago my big brother Matt married his lovely partner, Katy, and I was privileged to create the flowers to help celebrate their big day. It was a big day, bursting with colours, textures, and fun, lots of fun!

It’s fair to say that the colour theme was vibrant. Like orange, cerise and lime green kind of vibrant. Throw in a splash of white, and they really did knock your socks off with their bright kick!

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Orchids, namely Phalaenopsis and Vanda orchids, helped achieve the dynamic palette, along side Cellosia, ‘Purple Power’ and ‘Wow’ roses, ‘Mango’ Calla lilies, and ‘Kermit’ Chrysanthemum.

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Against their green dresses, the bridesmaids carried sectioned hand tied bouquets, with more white to help lift the flowers. The buttonholes and corsages each picked out a focal flower and colour – a lovely way to continue the theme.

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The ceremony room looked the part with white trees adorned with orchids. Quite a statement at the front of the room.

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The colour extravaganza continued into the reception! There were two table designs to help lead the eye around the room, one tall and one short. Both featured sliced citrus fruit, and fun, bright collections of flowers. Calla lilies were paired with steel grass and coloured sticks exploding out of a Hydrangea cushion, and sat on a tall vase – what an impact! Mini Gerberas, Dahlias, and carnations joined the other flower varieties in tight handties stood in a flower filled glass bowl, bringing the room to life.

One of my favourite weddings to date! Happy Anniversary Matt and Katy!

 

 

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Cobalt blue celebration

Last week, we had a Thursday wedding with a very distinct theme. The main colour featured was blue, and I mean bright blue – like you’d seen in a tropical sky. This was complimented with the light fluffy white of gypsophilia, and the two worked perfectly together. Throw a tough of rustic hessian into the mix, and that, my friend, is a well thought out theme.

Jemima carried a handtie of blue hydrangea with a gypsophilia and eucalyptus collar, with her bridesmaids having simple collections of just gypsophilia.

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The marriage itself was at Royal Russell Chapel, where my couple opted for a sprinkling of gypsophilia in the way of pew ends.

The wedding celebration was at Oaks Farm in Shirley, a beautiful venue needing little additional decoration. A few jars filled with clouds of white and blue, and the job was done. Gorgeous.

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Congratulations Jemima and Jamie, hope you had a fabulous day celebrating with all your family and friends!

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Wedding Theme: Mint

In recent years, mint has become increasingly popular as a wedding theme. Bridesmaid dresses, table runners, and stylish invitations all carry the soft accent, and look classy to say the least.

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Image from DeerPearlFlowers, via Pinterest

 

When you think about it, there are not many, if any, mint coloured flowers. But the tone can be brought in via foliage elements, such as silvery blue Echeveria (succulents), Senecio cineraria (Dusty Miller), and Eucalyptus. And it’s a tone that can be paired with either complimentary or contrasting colours – think ivory, pink, coral, or even purple.

image from Squidoo, via Pinterest
Image from The Knot, via Pinterest
Image from ruffledblog, via Pinterest
Image from Ruffledblog.com, via Pinterest
Image from Maven Bride, via Pinterest
Image from Chateau Biand Caterers, via Pinterest
Image from Style Me Pretty, via Pinterest
Image from BrideBox Wedding Albums, via Pinterest
Image from alexanevents, via Pinterest

As always, the most important thing is to take your theme and run with it. Don’t shy away from letting it sing!

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Question: Bouquet Shapes

When it comes to thinking about your wedding flowers, one of the first elements you’re asked about is what your dress is like, and what flowers you’d like to carry. It’s worth getting your dress before looking at flowers, as the outfit you go for may dictate a particular style for your flowers. There are more than a few options besides the ever-popular hand tie for the bride, so I thought I’d jot a few down here.

Hand tied bouquet, also referred to as a posy or round bouquet. There’s a reason these are such a popular choice with brides – they are simple, elegant and easy to carry. With your choice of flowers, this style of bouquet can suit various wedding themes. For a modern, tidy look, go for compact stems, either all one variety of flower, like roses, or a mix to add texture. Perfect to sit against almost any style of wedding gown.

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At the other end of the scale, a hand tie can be loose and country style, perfect for a more relaxed day. With a selection of soft foliage and either big blousy blooms like English roses, or delicate meadow type flowers, such as Nigella, Astillbe and Daisies. Perfect to carry against a vintage or lacy dress. And why not follow the current trend of a floral headdress to match?

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Pageant, or over arm sheath. This style of bouquet utilises long stemmed flowers, tied and cradled in the arm. Again, it can be very modern, using bold, choice flowers such as Calla lilies and Phalaenophsis orchids, or very ‘boho’ with masses of trailing foliage and sparse flowers. Gladioli, Delphinium and Campanella suit this style well. They look great against a silky, fitted dress.

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Shower bouquet, also know as a cascade bouquet or teardrop bouquet. A classic, traditional choice. They fell out of popularity with the rise of the handtie, but are now enjoying a revival – and rightly so. They are beautiful arrangements, drawing the eye down your dress, so are perfect to compliment an a-line skirt or ball gown. They can be small and delicate, like Kate Middleton carried, or large and fuller, like Princess Diana’s.

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If you’d like to carry one of these while wearing a mermaid or sheath dress, you can go for a more modern, minimalist drop-bouquet. This way, you’re silhouette won’t be too hidden behind your flowers.

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Crescent bouquets are similar to shower bouquets, but the flowers are placed in a crescent shape – ideal if you have detail at the front or down one side of your dress that you’d rather not hide away.

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Pomander. These are a essentially a compact ball of flowers, hanging from a ribbon loop handle. A fun choice for flower girls who like swinging them down the aisle, but they’re also gaining popularity with brides. They go wonderfully well with a knee-length, flared skirt dress.

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Composite bouquet, or glamelia, is essentially one large flower made up of lots of petals, often from a rose. They are a particularly skilled piece, with each petal being painstakingly attached by hand. It’s a shame they’re not that popular in the UK because they are gorgeous! They’d suit a modern themed wedding, against a fitted classy dress.

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Free form bouquets are similar to a handtie, but follow a random shape. They suit a very relaxed laid back event, for the bride going for a ‘gathered from the garden’ look.

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I hope this helps you choose which direction to go in with your flowers. Don’t forget to ask your florist’s opinion too! They are, after all, the professionals, and have a wealth of information and experience to dip in to. Most of all, enjoy this fun part of the planning!

 

 

[Calla lily Pageant bouquet from Colin Cowie Weddings; Boho pageant bouquet from Bajan Wed; Lily of the Valley shower bouquet from MODwedding; Pink minimal shower bouquet from Carlyanes.com; Crescent bouquet from The Knot; Composite bouquet from lisaflorist.blogspot.se; free form bouquet from greenweddingshoes.com – all via Pinterest]

 

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Preserving Wedding Flowers

What a joy to be able to look at your gorgeous wedding flowers for years to come. To have them hanging next to a picture of your and your other half in all your glory, making you smile every time you pass them.

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Hazel and Laura make these dreams a reality with their company 3d Flower  Preservation. I’ll let them tell you what they do, from their website:

‘3D Flower Preservation offers a unique opportunity for the bride to save her bouquet as a treasured keepsake – a wonderful reminder of her special day.

3D Flower Preservation specialise in using modern drying techniques, enabling moisture to be taken from the flowers and foliage, leaving them looking as fresh and whole as the day they were delivered to us.

Once your flowers are dry, 3D Flower Preservation re-assembles your bouquet on conservation mount card, cut to a style that suits you. Your bouquet is mounted in a bespoke frame of your choice. The specialist glass used in your frame cuts out 98% of UV light.’

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To make the memento even more special, you can include the grooms buttonhole, a photograph, or a special keepsake from the day. It really is amazing how fresh the flowers still look after being dried. Incredible.

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If you’d rather a smaller souvenir, they also make paperweights featuring a few choice blooms from your bouquet.

For either service, you’re advised to book in as early as possible to ensure they put aside the time in their diary – they’re a small set up so can only accept a small number of bouquets a week. Once booked, they’ll tell you just what you need to do with your flowers, and then work their magic!

To find out more, and book in your bouquet, take a look a their website. Take a nose at their Facebook page to be amazed by their work!

I really wish I’d known about this when I got married!

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Rose Varieties

Roses are probable one of the best known and most popular flowers, and there are many different varieties available as a cut flower. So many in fact that it is impossible to know them all. Some have been grown for years and are a staple in the florist shop – favoured for their strong stem, solid head, good vase life. Others are new on the scene, with special qualities like scent, head size, shape of flower, number of petals. And some have been around from old as a garden rose, and are now being developed as a cut flower.

I thought I’d round up a few of my favourites to share with you the joy of variety available, and perhaps inspire you to step outside the box with your wedding flower plans.

WHITE –  ‘Avalanche’ roses are a firm favourite with florists. They have a good strong stem, not too many thorns, and a large head that opens beautifully to a full Dutch rose. With their slight greeny tinge to the guard petals at the edge of the bloom, they’re an interesting and very popular choice.

‘White O’Hara’ are more recently on the scene, with more of a garden rose style – lots of layered petals, and a scent to die for! Their slight hint of a pink centre make them a firm favourite of brides going for a loose country garden theme. Although their vase-life is shorter, you should still get a good 5 days enjoyment. David Austin ‘Patience’ are a similar garden rose variety, in demand with summer brides, like Elle in her soft loose bouquets.

‘Avalanche’ – New Covent Garden Flower Market
‘White O’Hara’ – Alexandra Farms

 PINK – ‘Sweet Avalanche’ are a variation to their big sister Avalanche. With similar qualities, their soft pink hue adds a subtle dimension to a pink bouquet, either as a gift or in bridal work. Paired with succulents and gypsophilia, they were the main focal in Abigail’s handties.

‘Pink Piano’ are a cerise garden rose, with smaller spray buds that open as delicate mini versions of the bloom. A whisper of scent, a few more thorns, but Beautiful with a capital ‘b’.

‘Sweet Avalanche’ – williamhagham.co.uk
‘Pink Piano’ – New Covent Garden Flower Market

LILAC – Until relatively recently, it was not possible to get a lilac rose without (shock horror) dying or spray painting a white bloom, which lead to crispy, poor quality flowers. Thankfully, the rose growers listened to us florists and you brides, and a good range of lilac roses has been developed. Whether you’re looking to compliment a rustic woodland pallet with an grey-beige tinted ‘Amnesia’, or add romance to a soft pink and ivory scheme with ‘Ocean Song’, there’s a natural lilac rose to suit. Susan and Craig paired them with purples and ivory with sunning effect

‘Amnesia’ – williamhigham.co.uk
‘Ocean Song’ – blueskiesandbunting.blogspot.co.uk

RED – Forever the symbol of romance and love, red roses are always in high demand. A staple in the florist shop, ‘Grand Prix’ are a popular variety – strong straight stems, large flat heads, lots of velvety petals opening out into a full bloom, and a trace of a traditional garden rose scent.  Michelle and Alex used these red roses to great effect for their October wedding.

‘Red Piano’ are a more recent addition to the catalogue. More of a garden variety, stronger scent, and a somewhat frilly appearance, they are a favourite of Winter brides, and the romantic among us.

‘Grand Prix’ – New Covent Garden Flower Market
‘ Red Piano’ – New Covent Garden Flower Market

PEACH – Peach has become increasingly in demand in recent years. And rightly so. It’s a versatile colour that can take a scheme from rather bland to exciting. ‘Peach Avalanche’ are part of the expanding Avalanche collection. Group with their ivory cousins for a classy bouquet, or pair with oranges and reds for an Autumn spread.

‘Vuvuzella’ is a peachy pink garden rose, regularly enjoyed by brides going for a coral ‘pop’ in their florals. Although rather thorny (which your florist will remove!) they have a soft appearance, and bring an extra dimension to an arrangement. Coupled with their Dutch sister, ‘Miss Piggy’ they really made Poli’s bouquet sing.

‘Peach Avalanche’ – FlowerMonger
‘Vuvuzella’ – feedly.com

There are so many more varieties than the few I’ve singled out above.  If you’d like to investigate more, I recommend the Flirty Fleurs blog and Pinterest pages. Also worth a look are New Covent Garden Flower Market‘s boards.  I think you’ll be surprise just how wide the variety available is! Why not share your favourite with me?

 

 

[All the images seen here are from Pinterest, their exact source stated in their caption.]

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Wedding Themes: Bright Mixed Colours

I love it when a couple grab a theme and really run with it. Bright colours is such great fun, and when embraced completely, can be a real winner on your wedding day.

And your flowers are an obvious area to bring this theme to life.

It can work in a modern setting, with blocked colour roses, hydrangea or almost any single variety flower. With your bridesmaids in colourful, patterned dresses, each could carry flowers in a set colour, picking out the tones from the dress fabric. Or mix the colours up and go with a more modern take on the bouquet – long and narrow, with a bright coloured hydrangea collar. You can really go to town on your tables, with sliced fruit-lined vases, or stacked fishbowls with vibrant orchids inside.

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It works well in a more relaxed setting too, giving the occasion a real country, garden feel. With loosely tied bouquets of different shaped blooms mixed in with textured foliage, and jugs or jars of flowers for the table. This works especially well in a marque or barn setting, blending with the outside surroundings whilst also popping out from them!

[Image from Wedding Colors]
[Image from greenvillabarn]

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[image from Bride’s Magazine]
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[image from Love My Dress]
Which ever style direction you choose to go, make sure you really do go with it – not a wishy-washy hint of colour, but BOOM in-your-face bright!

For more inspiration, take a look at my portfolio of real brides’ flowers.

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