Deputy Editor and bride-to-be, Becci Clubb reveals how she chose her wedding flowers, plus find out nine ways to make the most of your blooms (and save money too!).
The importance of wedding flowers on a priority list varies from couple to couple, but I think the choice of flowers can make or break the overall look of a wedding. The colours can tie together multiple elements from the big day, echo your overall feel for the day (free flowing bouquets are perfect for a relaxed wedding, while perfectly symmetrical round arrangements in huge urns are fabulous for a formal wedding) and add a beautiful fragrance too.
As someone who loves flowers and colour, I knew they would play a big part in my day. Apart from my groom (of course!), flowers were one of the only things I was certain about for our wedding day. A real eclectic mixture of flowers, with different shapes and colours, was the vision I had in mind – and I knew just the florist too!
Liz Inigo Jones of Blue Sky Flowers has created fabulous bouquets that have featured on the front covers of Wedding Ideas. To create these, she worked to a loose brief and arranged bouquets that were better than we had even pictured in our own minds.
After speaking with Liz, we went to visit her workshop to discuss our ideas, look at images together and to come up with a general floral plan. Her knowledge of flowers is incredible – when I mentioned flower varieties I might like in my blooms, she was there to let me know if they would be in season. If they weren’t she offered ideas for similar flowers that she could include instead.
It’s not just your and the bridesmaids’ bouquets that you need to think about. Remember all of your groomsmen will need buttonholes, too. If you’re trying to make the groom stand out from the rest of his groomsmen, try to match his buttonhole to your bouquet, which will contain more of the larger hero flowers that those of the bridesmaids.
You can match the rest of the groomsmen to the bridesmaids dresses by using different, but coordinating, blooms. Then there’s corsages for both of your mums, table centres and venue flowers too. You might even want a feature flower wall or a floral arch under which to say ‘I do’. With floral chandeliers and edible flowers on cakes trendier than ever, it is clear that floral decoration has no bounds and is springing up in new ways all the time!
What are the key things to think about when choosing wedding flowers?
Colour
The colour of your blooms can bring the different elements from your day together. Why not tie in things like stationery designs with the bridesmaids dresses through flowers? They can add a pop of colour to your bridal look or blend in seamlessly if you choose more neutral tones.
Fragrance
Bouquets were originally carried to mask odours and to act as a perfume. When you choose your flowers for both your bouquet and your venue, don’t solely think of colour. Add some heavily scented blooms and sprigs of herbs to fill your venue with a lovely perfume, too.
Textures
Mixing huge fluffy peonies with delicate anemones, tiny forget-me-nots and sprigs of foliage will create an interesting bouquet. A variety of shapes and sizes is on trend and will give your bouquet a gathered-from-the-garden look.
Co-ordination
Whatever decoration you are thinking about, you should keep your venue at the forefront of your mind. Use your flowers to match your look with the groom’s style, and the bridesmaids with both your attire and the groomsmen for a cohesive bridal party.
Strength
Flowers like tulips, with a hollow stem, might not be the best choice for a buttonhole. The stem will bend easily, where as a rose’s stem is strong and will hold its shape. Think about petals too – anemones and daffodils have thin petals that easily bend, scar and wilt, so may not be ideal if you intend on throwing your bouquet after the ceremony!
Storage
On the wedding morning take note from your florist about where to store your flowers. It’s generally best to keep them somewhere cool and in water. During the ceremony you’ll hand you bouquet to your maid of honour. Ask your venue in advance to set up some vases so that once the ceremony is over you and your bridesmaids can place your bouquets in water and keep them looking fresh.
Logistics
If you want a huge wall of foliage winding around beams at your venue and your florist can’t access the room until 11am, but your wedding starts at 1.30, you might have to re-think depending on how quickly they could get it set up for you. Always talk to all of your suppliers about timings.
Distance
Make sure your chosen florist is happy to travel to your venue. Some florists can only travel a certain radius, due to early starts and transporting the arrangements.
Saving money
If you are having pew ends for your ceremony, can you have them designed to then fit on chair backs too? Or if you’ll have a flower arch to say ‘I do’ beneath, could that be moved to become a backdrop for photographs? Ask someone to take charge of moving things on the day for you and you’ll save money by using the same arrangements twice!
