So, you’re getting married and one of the things on your ‘to do’ list is sorting your wedding flowers. Do you have any idea of what is involved in turning your ideas into fabulous floral designs for your big day? Perhaps you are thinking of doing your wedding flowers yourself and so it might be useful to hear how a florist approaches the task; or maybe you would prefer to leave this side of things to the professionals, but are unsure of how the process works and what you should be thinking about.
I’m a florist specialising in providing floral designs for weddings and special occasions. When working with a new couple I always start by talking about what flowers and designs they would like for the wedding party, as the bride’s preferred style for her bouquet gives a good indication of the look she is hoping to achieve for the whole day.
The following thoughts are not based on any particular couple, so if you think you recognise yourself in this it is certainly not my intention......
It’s all worth it in the end!
FIRST CONSULTATION
Like many florists I offer a free consultation to prospective clients so that they get a chance to see my work and decide whether I am the right person for the job. This happens at any time from 18 months, through to 6 weeks before the wedding! From my point of view, at least 6 to 9 months before the wedding is best as this gives plenty of time to prepare and ideas remain fresh.......however, I never turn anyone away if I think I can help.
Sometimes a bride will come on her own to a consultation, but it is more likely that she will bring her fiancé with her (sometimes under sufferance!) or her mother. However, I also accommodate future mothers-in-law, bridesmaids, best friends and children – occasionally all at once! Most of this I can cope with, but it is important that the people whose special day it is (the bride and groom!) get to express their ideas and form a direct relationship with the florist. Mum doesn’t always know best – although you won’t catch me admitting that to my own daughters!
Most consultations take place at my workroom just north of Peterborough, but I also travel to other places, such as the marriage or reception venues.
Initial Ideas
This first consultation gives the bride a chance to explain her ideas for her wedding flowers – and sometimes the groom might have a few thoughts of his own, and of course his wishes need to be incorporated too! You might be a bride who loves clouds of creamy, velvety roses, or you might aspire to dramatic statement blooms in bold colours, or perhaps you long for a romantic vintage-themed wedding. As the florist I need to be able to interpret these ideas and come up with workable designs that meet the couple’s own sense of style (and which they can afford), without upsetting anyone along the way – phew!! It calls for a lot of tact and diplomacy at times........
Often people bring along magazine pictures of designs they like, which can be very helpful, but there are lots of things to consider that the couple might not have thought about, such as: seasonality of fresh flowers; which flowers are available in a particular colour; suitability of different flowers for particular designs; the cost of different materials; the logistics of delivering particular designs or of moving them between locations on the actual day....... the list goes on and many of these considerations have been the topic of my previous blogs.
When a bride has a particular colour scheme in mind it can be a challenge to source flowers in just the right shade
Bridal party flowers
I always start by talking about the bride’s bouquet, as that is going to show for years to come in all the wedding photos! Many brides have a clear idea of what they want, but might not realise all the different styles that are achievable. And it is also important to consider things such as shape (which can be influenced by the style of gown and the height of the bride etc.), colour (does the bride want a bouquet that will stand out, or that will blend in with the overall colour scheme) and materials (does the bride have any particular loves or loathes when it comes to flowers?). Brides generally have strong preferences regarding the ‘look’ of a bouquet – whether it is a compact design with massed blooms, or a more natural styles with ‘spriggy’ bits. However, very many brides will simply not know the vast choice of flowers and other materials that can be successfully used in wedding work.
A delicately-coloured shower bouquet works well with this bride’s full skirted gown and romantic vintage theme. She is also tall enough to carry this sort of trailing style.
It is also important to consider what the bride’s attendants will be wearing and to link their flowers with the bride’s bouquet if she is hoping to achieve a coordinated look, both in terms of colour and of style.
This bride has chosen a lilac and dusky pink colour scheme for her vintage-style wedding and appropriate flowers have been chosen to suit this style.
By way of contrast, the bride photographed above chose to match her flowers to the strong ‘Cadbury’ purple of her bridesmaids’ dresses and they carried posies with a more contemporary feel achieved by selecting statement blooms in a mix of vibrant colours.
However, choice is not limited to a typical posy shape and a good florist should be able to suggest different designs as well as different flowers for the bride to choose from.
As an experienced professional it is my job to advise the bride and groom on what styles and materials will work in order to achieve the overall look they are aiming for; however at the end of the day the final choice is down to them!
Buttonholes
In my experience many grooms just want a buttonhole that is simple and unfussy and have probably not given much thought to particular flowers and different styles. But discerning brides shouldn’t worry as a single white rose with contrasting foliage looks great against most outfits!
It’s hard to beat a simple white rose, particularly if this flower is also being used in the bride’s bouquet.
However, there is a growing trend for ‘designer’ buttonholes, or buttonholes using statement flowers such as orchids or calla lilies particularly if these are being used in other wedding designs. And some groom’s do have very strong views about what they should be wearing! Another trend is to differentiate the groom’s buttonhole from those of his groomsmen by adding in some decorative elements, such as berries or flower sprigs, to link it to the bride’s bouquet – or simply to use different foliage, such as a variegated rather than a plain leaf.
......but at the end of the day it’s a matter of whatever takes your fancy!
Corsages
Quite often brides will want a floral design for ‘the Mums’ to wear at their wedding, and possibly also for other important female guests. This could certainly be a buttonhole using flowers from the other designs, but sometimes something a little bit more special is called for. In this case a corsage can be the answer and these can be made in a huge range of different designs, from traditional wired corsages (in a typically triangular shape) to designer styles made to match the wearer’s outfit and with decorative elements added in.
So having considered personal flower requirements for the main wedding party members it is time to think about floral designs for the marriage and reception venues. But that will have to wait for another day........
To be continued!
Amazing photos of wedding ceremony !!!!! Beautiful bouquets of fresh flowers . Really amazing....
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