weddings flowers: a beginner's guide

Flowers are an important part of the wedding, they help to set the tone and are a great way to add beauty and colour to the day. Even if you’re not a ‘flower person’, you’ll find there are so many different options that it will be easy to find blooms you love

Click here to find out what wedding flowers your favourite celebs indulged in.

Finding Your Florist

When you start looking for a florist, a great place to begin your search is the internet. Browsing company websites will soon give you an excellent overview of what they can offer. Once you have a few florists in mind, nothing beats a visit to their shops to establish whether you are on the same wavelength – and it’s the easiest way to get a look at the sort of arrangements they typically produce. As most of the work you see on display won’t be wedding-related, ask to see portfolios showcasing previous bridal bouquets.

Finding Your Style

In order to find the best flowers for your wedding think of the context in which the flowers will be seen – how will your venue, the formality of the event or time of year affect your choice? Consider whether you want to have a natural posy of loosely bunched stems for the bouquet or a more traditional arrangement. If your dress and bridesmaids dresses are pastel coloured you may want to choose flowers to match, or you may prefer to bring in contrasting colour schemes, allowing your flowers to stand alone.

In Season?

If you choose wisely flowers can reflect your personality, evoke a memory or enhance the colour scheme and theme of your wedding. For example, you don’t have to stick to a white orchids or cream roses – why not inject a bit of colour into the proceedings with an exotic flower such as the Oriental lily? Bright colours work well in summer, pastels and citruses are great in spring, whereas rich reds, oranges and greens look fantastic in autumn – finally, darker shades and metallics tones are wonderful for winter.

In Your Hands

There are several different styles of bouquets, from the tightly-packed hand-tied kind (or posy arrangements) to loosely gathered longer stemmed varieties. There are also cascading options such as the teardrop shape or the one that drapes over your arm. There are lots of ways to enhance your bouquet, try decorating with pearls, crystals, foliage, grasses or add texture with organza or satin ribbon.

The Latest Look

Hydrangea, calla lilies and roses are the most popular flowers for weddings at the moment. In addition to peony roses, top picks include antique-style roses such the carousel illusion, metallina, silverston and the beautiful lilac avant guard rose. In terms of floral accessories, florists are using a lot of antique pins to finish off the binding down the stems, as well as pearl or diamanté pins through the bouquets. The vintage look is definitely not dying down yet! More natural bouquets are also gaining popularity, with bouquets that are looser, less structured and more organic. The hand-tied bouquet is still very popular of course, but many brides are now opting to have them flowing naturally rather than in a tight ball.

Practicalities

Ensure you book your florist at least four-six months before the wedding. As with all wedding suppliers, the best ones can be booked up years in advance, especially for popular summer dates – so try to book as soon as possible, even if you don't know what you're really looking for at that stage. It is difficult to give an accurate estimate of costs because the total will depend on many factors; how many bridesmaids you have, the number of table centrepieces (if you're decorating tables with fresh flowers), the time of year and which varieties you choose. As a general guide, you should expect to pay between £350 and £1000. However, if you are looking for the full wedding package it may be towards the upper end of this scale and perhaps considerably more. If you are on a tight budget talk to your florist as he/she will often be able to suggest ways to cut costs whilst still having beautiful wedding flowers. A full package would include:

• Two bridal bouquets – one to toss and one to keep
• Two corsages or thank-you bouquets for the mums
• Bridesmaids’ bouquets
• Buttonholes (for the men)
• Flower girls’ posies
• Reception / venue flowers

Top Floral Tips

• If you're not wearing a tiara, ask your florist for extra flowers to put in your hair for country girl chic
• With wedding dresses becoming more elaborate, the trend for bouquets is to keep things simple so that the two aren't competing
• For flowers that smell as good as they look try sweet peas, peonies or jasmine
• Lots of contrasting colours within your bouquet may look too busy and won't photograph well
• The reception flowers and the bridal party's bouquets don't need to match
• Choose a colour that contrasts your outfits as matching your bouquet exactly to the bridesmaids' dress, for example, may be difficult
• Check with the bridal party to see if there are any flowers they are allergic to before you order
• If the flower you're after isn't in season, ask your florist to suggest something similar that is
• It is better to have a few stunning pedestals than ten average looking ones
• Choose blooms that fit well with the formality of your wedding