8 top tips for Fabulous Florals

After a break last week to try to get caught up, it’s nice to be back with another wedding guide! After the flurry of snow at the end of February, it’s been lovely to see the first signs of spring emerging, the riot of crocuses at the school gates, the trees tipped with green shoots and some early daffodils are all beautiful reminders that the good weather is just around the corner.

This week I really wanted to focus on flowers and florals for weddings and some fabulous options that don’t break the bank

Seasonal

We hear this all the time with food and other produce but when it comes to flowers there is definitely a lot of advantages to going with the seasons. Most commercially sold flowers are imported, but at certain times of the year they may be grown locally while others they may need to be specially obtained and therefore will be a lot more expensive.

Another consideration might be the flowers that will be growing at the venue, will the trees be full of cherry blossom, or will the hydrangeas be in full bloom? It can create a fabulous (and effectively free display) if the grounds are literally bursting with the blooms from your bouquet!

Fake v Fresh

There are dozens of reasons why you might choose fake over fresh, a lot of couples choose them because they are allergy suffers or because the flowers they want are too fragile or out of season. Another reason is cost. There are some really expensive options for both artificial and fresh flowers, likewise there are some that are much more economical options, it can still be worthwhile pricing up both options to make sure it really is good value.

A lot of couples choose to combine the two, they might have fresh flowers for the adults (bride, groom, best man) but the artificial equivalent for the younger attendants, in this scenario I will just take close ups of the fresh flowers because from a distance no one will notice the difference. Another option is to have have fresh flowers as buttonholes and bouquets but artificial ones on the tables.  

A popular reason for choosing artificial flowers is the option of seeing them well in advance, this can be very helpful especially if you can just order a small quantity but if you can’t return them and ending purchasing something else, it may end up being more expensive.

Dried

I LOVE dried flowers! They are really fashionable right now and they have a lot of the advantages of fresh and artificial. Time was they had really gone out of fashion, people associated them with dust gathering ornaments but they have made a massive comeback. Some flowers really lend themselves to being dried such as heather, thistles and lavender, a lot of foliage can also be dried without losing its character, eucalyptus, rosemary, thyme and other herbs will still retain their beautiful fragrances even when they are dried.  Another big plus for dried is that they retain the colours and character of fresh flowers but have the lightness and longevity of artificial.

DIY

I am always so impressed when couples are telling me that they are making any element of their wedding, I’ve seen it all, from the cake to the invitations, even the dress! But flower arranging is something that you might not want to be doing on the morning of your wedding. If you are going down the artificial or dried option then it can be done weeks in advance, fantastic! Getting stressed over buckets of flowers, trying to recreate a ‘YouTube’ video that looked makes it look so easy might be the last thing you need on the morning of your wedding.

All that glitters

A very stylish alternative to traditional flower is a brooch bouquet, they usually combine items of jewellery, brooches, earring and even necklaces to create a stunning focal point. I love it when a bride chooses to carry one because they are so intricate, and they really catch the light. They can be custom made are also available on etsy and vintage designers. If you have the patience, you could also make it yourself. A good starting point might be to use costume jewellery from family and friends in the ultimate nod to something old and something borrowed.

Lots of pots

When I was planning my wedding, I really liked the idea of something a little bit different for wedding favours so I put together tiny plant pots with fresh herbs for our guests, I attached name tags and I was delighted to see that they all got taken home! An alternative might be to use plant pots in place of fresh flower displays on the tables since they can also be prepared in advance and given as gifts or added to your own garden after the wedding.

Foliage

While for some people this might seem a bit dull to forgo the flowers completely but it can be a really stunning effect, especially if you choose a wide variety of textures and shades. Foliage lasts a lot longer than cut flowers but do be careful as it can get heavy really quickly and you may still want to have it put together by a florist.

If you are getting married in the autumn, there are some spectacular colours available, and just using autumn leaves, ie maple can give you a wide range of colours to choose from.

The florist

If you are having fresh flowers do look around and do your research and if possible try to visit their shop, it helps to make an appointment and make sure you tell them your budget. If it’s really limited be open to their suggestions and advice, they may have something which offers the colour and effect of your favorite blooms but at a fraction of the price.