To view more expert advice on a different topic, please select one from the list below.
Flowers & Bouquets
Floral Focus
| Q | I want my nine bridesmaids to have beautiful bouquets, but we're on a tight budget. Do you have any ideas on how we can save money? |
| A | Victoria Makepeace says: Many brides are now opting for bridesmaid bouquets that can double up as beautiful centrepieces to help with their wedding budget. If you stop to think it's very true that the bridesmaids never have anywhere to put their bouquets after the photos have all been taken so by simply providing beautiful vases in the centre of each guest table will not only free up your bridesmaids hands for helping with all their extra duties but keeps the flowers happy and fresh in water and every table looks beautifully perfect and completely in keeping with the overall wedding theme. |
Victoria Makepeace, Simply Stunning Flowers
Green with envy
| Q | I want my wedding to look very fresh with loads of foliage everywhere (but not necessarily flowers). What suggestions do you have? |
| A | Cheryl Slater says: Lots of different foliage can give a wedding visual impact. Because foliage comes in a many different tones and shades of green it creates depth. Popular greens include eucalyptus, olive, soft ruscus and pistache which give good coverage but also adds texture to the designs. Jasmine tendrils and ivy look amazing trailing from a bouquet, a table decoration or a larger installation such as arches, moongates and garlands to beams. These blank areas at the wedding venue can be filled with fabulousness and will soften hard lines. Use of ferns, soft and wispy, are great for a whimical, meadow like wedding giving a wild and wonderful aura. Greenery functions like a neutral tone which allows working with a wide variety of colour schemes easy. Foliage can give any wedding the wow factor without any flowers used! |
Cheryl Slater, Cheryl’s Flowers
Luxe florals
| Q | We're having a 1920s-inspired wedding and would love to incorporate the era into our decor. What flowers will create a luxurious atmosphere? |
| A | Sian Hardingham says: That's easy, luxury, scented, garden roses with velvety petals. Flowering jasmine for the dreamy smell and the softness. A real mix of textures in a elegant, romantic bouquet finished with silk ribbon. |
Sian Hardingham, Hollington’s Floral Design
Money talks
| Q | We want to book a florist but are panicking about the budget getting out of hand. Is there anything we can do? |
| A | Gillian Fautley says: We are now offering seasonal flower packages for 2023-2024, to help our couples stay within budget. It starts with you choosing a colour selection, before deciding what you want for your big day. Our Willow Package, for example, is just £1,000, and includes a teardrop or luxury handtied bridal bouquet, four bridesmaids' bouquets, two corsages, groom's special buttonhole, five groomsmen's buttonholes, an alter or top table arrangement, six tall hired stand designs, eight pew ends and a pedestal for the ceremony and entrance to your wedding breakfast. We even have a Rosa package for just £250, which features a handtied bouquet, two bridesmaids' posies, four rose buttonholes and two spray rose corsages. |
Gillian Fautley, Courts of Rayleigh
Flowers
| Q | How have couples changed their approach to wedding planning for 2022 and beyond? |
| A | Kelleyann Phythian says: Naturally, we are working with a lot of brides that have had wedding dates changed or delayed over the last couple of years. For many brides, this has made them more relaxed; rather than worrying about every single detail, brides are just so delighted to finally be getting married. It has also allowed some couples to save up a bit more ahead of their big day and so they are investing in bigger floral installations and statement pieces that really provide the wow factor. Ceiling fixtures with flowing foliage have grown in popularity, particularly for wedding breakfasts in big barns or grand function suites. More and more, weddings are focused on the celebration of getting together as friends and family in a way that reflects the personalities of the happy couple, so parties with a casual, festival vibe continue to be really popular. Couples are changing up the flowers they feature in their displays now too. There is an emphasis on choosing seasonal bouquets that are native to the UK, which I think is a combination of people thinking about the environmental impact of the choices they make and also fears over supply chains from overseas. Roses, sweet peas, dahlias and tulips regularly appear in bouquets as people find inspiration from things they have seen in their own garden, in the countryside around them or what they see on their social media. |
Kelleyann Phythian, Honeysuckle Flowers
