Wowee, it’s been quite a week for Love My Dress as we were thrilled to win two awards at this year’s Wedding magazine Blog Awards and achieve a highly commended in another category. I was lucky enough to attend the ceremony at the iconic Tower of London and came away more impressed that ever by the passion of the people that fill the wedding industry here in the UK. And today, I’m able to share more of that brilliance with you as we continue our series of Sunday advice features.
This week, the spotlight is on the talented florists that you’ll find in our Little Book for Brides, many of whom are sharing their floral wisdom with us. For anyone interested in wedding flowers, this is a feature to bookmark and keep safe for future reference.
Philippa Craddock
Claire from Lily & May agrees: “Look closely at the style of designs on their website and in their portfolio. Speaking with a florist that has a distinctive style and asking for something completely the opposite is probably a waste of your time.”
Floribunda Rose
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As with photographers, planners and other key suppliers, consultations and meetings are an absolutely key part of the process – you need to know that your florist completely understands your ideas so get prepared…
“Choosing your flowers can be a rather daunting time, especially as there are so many options available,” says Katie of Love From Katie. “It can be helpful to gain inspiration from wedding blogs, magazines and Pinterest to fine tune what you’re wanting to create as this is all helpful when you meet with your florist.”
Fletcher & Foley
Whilst we’re on the subject of expectations, let’s talk frankly about floral budgets for a moment:
“Budget is an uncomfortable subject but it really is best if you’re upfront about your expectations and budget limitations,” says Lib from Bettie Rose. “A good florist is able to work within a budget and suggest the best ways to make your money go as far as it can. That said, we’re not magicians and we can’t produce something out of nothing!”
“It’s surprising how many people are caught off guard by the question of budgets,” says Joanne of Fletcher & Foley. “Be realistic – chances are you quite possibly can’t stretch to the Kardashian flower wall but maybe a flower screen with trailing ribbons and garlands could be in your budget and look equally fabulous.”
The Country Flower Company
“If you’re a summer bride, you have lots of scope for colour schemes from pastel pinks, blue and lilacs through to all the gorgeous bold colours,” explains Love From Katie’s Katie. “Popular flowers that are available in summer and come in lots of lovely colours are roses, sweet peas and stocks.”
When it comes to autumn, everyone seems to love the delicious dahlia:
“Plump for dahlias,” says Joanne of Fletcher & Foley. “There’s a vast array of beauties out there, they’re in season and they look fabulous.”
Jemma of The Country Flower Company is also a big fan of winter florals:
“For a winter wedding, the cool crisp weather brings stunning roses, winter berries and textural foliage, anemones, hydrangeas and new season ranunculus.”
Bloom Fleuriste
So opting for seasonal blooms is definitely the way forward but beware of any special occasions that happen to fall near your wedding as this could well have an impact on your flowers as Lib from Bettie Rose explains:
“All flowers have their moments and are also subject to pretty extreme price fluctuations. It’s worth checking out if there are any large-scale national or international days of events near your wedding, as this will really affect the price of your wedding flowers. Red roses are going to be at least double the price near Valentine’s Day yet in July, the price often comes right down to sometimes even half their normal price.”
JenniBloom Flowers
“The shape and style of bouquet you decide on really should compliment your wedding dress,” explains Sian from Revival Rooms. “It shouldn’t be the focus, it should be the added extra that completes your whole outfit and it’s always best to decide on your dress before you decide on the bouquet. We usually find that simple, elegant dresses look great paired with a show stopping bouquet that has lots of texture, different varieties of flowers and foliage. A vintage style jeweled gown with laces and embellishments suits a more understated bouquet.”
“As far as the shape and style of dresses go, we cut our stems very short and recommend that brides hold our bouquets at hip height,” says Floribunda Rose’s Sarah. “That way, you can show off rather than obscure your waistline.”
Revival Rooms
And what about bridesmaids, particularly the younger maids and flowergirls? What suits them best?
“We tend to recommend flowers that are child-like and in keeping with their age,” says Zita Elze. “In the past we’ve used craspedia, grasses and chamomile for a sweet bouquet that’s also cost effective when in season. If you have a more extensive budget, little flower baskets brimming with fresh beauty and/or pretty flower crowns are always a delight for girls to carry and wear.”
Joanne Truby Floral Design
I do hope that this feature has given you ideas, information and inspiration and that your wedding flowers will be that little bit more fabulous. As a final piece of encouragement to really be creative and enjoy all things floral, I’ll leave you with these words from Joanne of Fletcher & Foley:
“Some things will work, others won’t but it’s your big day and your suppliers will want to make it as wonderful as possible. Have fun. Go for it.”
Vervain
Thank you so much to all the amazing florists who contributed to this feature – you’re all simply brilliant.
Love Tamryn x
