Flowers really add to a wedding. In fact, the only decorations that you really need are flowers and candles. Everything else is extra. Not that there is anything wrong with extra.
When choosing your flowers try to choose them in season. Your florist should be able to help you find your way. I found it quite hard to find the names of flowers that I liked on the internet. There is a magazine called Wedding Flowers which might be worth buying to help you get a clear idea of what you have in mind.
Flowers are the main decoration feature during a wedding so getting them right is important. That does not mean you have to spend a lot of money or have something formal. Your flowers should reflect your personality and the style of your wedding. To gain inspiration type ‘flowers’ or ‘bridal bouquets’ into a search engine then click the image tab. Magazines, blogs and Pinterest are also great sources for inspiration. Rock N Roll Bride will also have lots of pictures of real life weddings you can gain inspiration from. Tear pictures out of magazines and save images to your computer or tablet. You can share these with your florist later who can then advise on whether that flower is in season or would work.
My florist was very helpful. I knew I wanted roses and wanted some blue flowers. I wanted the flowers to match our colour scheme so I had pale pink and white roses, some blue bee and foliage. They looked great on the day. Choosing flowers according to your colour scheme is a good idea but you don’t have to. They can be anything at all.
Upon the shock of receiving a quote for your flowers, yes, unfortunately they are usually that expensive, you will wonder why they cost so much. Surely you could even just go and pick your own flowers. Unfortunately you cannot just go and pick flowers yourself. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 you cannot uproot any wild plant without permission from the landowner/occupier. Breaking the law just before your wedding is probably not a good idea. You could grow some flowers yourself however, or you might have a friend or relative with some beautiful flowers growing in their garden.
Here was the breakdown I got from my florist. I haven’t changed anything.
Bridal posy £55
white roses avalanche three stems
pink roses sweet avalanche three stems
blue bee three stems
foliage Rosemarie eucalyptus dark pistachio
4 bridesmaids’ posies each £25
pink roses sweet avalanche one stem
White Rose avalanche two stems
blue bee two stems
mixed foliage
4 buttonholes each £4.75
white roses avalanche
Four tables each £23
seven jam jars arrangements
pink phlox three stems
alstroemeria white three stems
blue bee three stems
mixed foliage
White orchid plant £30
white container£4.75
delivery £12
Total £381.75
My main tip is to find a florist near you! We live in London and do not have a car so I had to carry eight vases on a bus all the way to Kingston. There was a little bit of walking in each direction and it certainly was not fun, especially as it was July and one of the hottest days of the year.
Secondly, make sure you don’t get screwed over on the price. I mean, really, how much can flowers cost? The answer is, because of the ‘W’ bomb: a significant amount. Hundreds.
Get recommendations when you start looking for a florist. Make sure they are reliable, professional and good at their job. Ask the editors of local bridal magazines, wedding bloggers, the venue, other wedding suppliers and friends for recommendations. A Twitter or Facebook plea for advice and recommendations could also bring up some good possibilities. Make sure the florist’s style is the same as yours, take a look at their website and make sure it looks professional and is up to date. Check if they are on social media. The internet is your friend, use it. Meet possible florists in person to make sure you get along with them and to get a quotation based on your ideas. Don’t feel like you have to go with the first person you see, shop around. Ask to see photographs of previous wedding that they have done. If the florist has worked with your venue before this is certainly a bonus. If they will provide vases or containers this is also a huge bonus. Even if they charge extra for these. Asking them if you could possibly rent any vases or extras is also worth doing. They might say yes and it will save you time and money. Do make sure what is included and not. It is standard for florists to charge you hundreds of pounds for flowers and then not provide anything to put them in. It is a bit annoying. Another thing to check for is set up and break down fees. There may not be any but do make sure. There will undoubtedly be a delivery charge. Make sure this is not too steep and factor it into your budget. Make sure you get the price with VAT on top. You don’t want an extra 20% on top of your bill. If you are hiring their vases then ask what happens if something is accidentally broken. The florist will want a deposit of ten to twenty-five per cent to secure your booking and then will want the full amount paid a couple of weeks before the wedding.
For some floral ideas check out Wichita Falls Wedding Photography.
Be upfront about your budget. If you don’t have a lot of money then be honest about this. The florist will know what flowers are cheaper and in season. A good florist will be able to work with whatever budget you have. They should be friendly and accommodating about it and if not immediately move on. The florist may not find your budget realistic. If they don’t then think about it but don’t be pressured. You don’t need to hire a florist. Fortnum and Mason does beautiful flowers that are cheaper than most florists. You can even design your flowers yourself and buy them from a local florist without mentioning the ‘W’ word. Supermarkets also have beautiful flowers. I was very impressed by some flowers I saw in Sainsbury's and there was also some gorgeous flowers in Waitrose.
Orchids are also a great idea and can be bought very cheaply. I have seen some truly beautiful ones from £15. We had one at our wedding and it really added something special. You could also buy plants instead. They can work well if you get the right one. If another couple is getting married at the same venue as you then you could ask if they would like to share floral arrangements. As long as you can agree on colour and style you will be quids-in. Using a mirrored base can give the illusion of a larger arrangement. You do not have to go overboard with your flowers. A simple arrangement on each table will work and if it is a small wedding these do not have to be extravagant. You want guests to be able to see each other across the table.
If you get married around Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or Christmas then your flowers will probably cost a lot more money. This is not the florist’s fault, flower wholesalers put the price up.
Once you decide on your florist give them the details of the venue manager or your wedding planner. They should sort everything else out for you in regards to delivery and setting up. You may have to source and deliver your own vases/containers however.
When buying your wedding flowers think about the venue’s space and what guests will see. Brighten up any drab areas and highlight beautiful ones. If your venue is huge and spacious then vases with single roses will not pack much of a punch. You will need something more elaborate. A very good idea is to buy your flowers and then get your venue to turn them around. This won’t work if you are using all of the rooms at every point but if the rooms are being turned around - this means your ceremony and reception is in one room and it gets ‘turned around’ by the venue in-between the two events while you and your guests go to another room - this can save money as you need to buy fewer flowers. Moving the flowers around really can get you value for money. If your ceremony and reception are in different places then it will also be possible to move your flowers to the next venue. Ask someone reliable to do this who you know will be careful and not break anything. Although accidents do happen and you want to factor in that possibility. You may want to inform your florist that you are going to do this however as they may need to arrange some flowers differently to work at both venues.
Flowers that are good value all year round include freesias, gerbera, roses, lisianthus and Singapore orchids.
Autumn: lilies, iris, phlox, roses, sweet pea, stock, berries, gerberas, hydrangea, calla lilies, fruits, alstroemeria, dahlia and sunflowers.
Winter: tulips, narcissi, lisianthus, roses, amaryllis, freesia, hydrangea, Singapore orchids and cymbidium orchids.
Spring: tulips, freesia, daffodils, hyacinths, lily of the valley, cherry blossom, anemone, agapanthus and hydrangea.
Summer: roses, phlox, peonies, iris, lilies, sweet pea, stock, agapanthus, hydrangea and delphiniums.
Adding something to suggest the season can also look stunning in a bouquet. You could either do this with colour or by adding berries or twigs for an autumn/winter wedding for instance.
If you are getting married in a church or another religious venue then make sure you know what the rules are. Churches can be very strict about decor.
The bouquet will probably be about £50. A shower bouquet, which cascades down, will cost even more £100-150. This is a lot of money for something that you throw
away after a few hours but it does look great in pictures and there are ways to cut the cost.
Here are your options for the different bouquets: the previously mentioned Shower which cascades down and will cost a significant amount. It is wired to drop into a teardrop shape, Posy: this is the type of bouquet that my bridesmaids had. It is basically a smaller version of a hand tied bouquet. Composites: this is a flower which is made from lots of real petals which are wired together to make one big flower. Crescent: a flower and a flowering stem which are then wired together. Slender and classy. Presentation: an overarm bouquet. Hand-tied: a round bouquet composed of flowers, foliage and sometimes herbs. I had this for my bouquet and had some rosemary put it. Some brides get a specific bouquet for tossing. It doesn’t have to match your original bouquet.
These should be like the bride’s bouquet but smaller. About half or three-quarters of the size. They are usually the same flowers as the bride’s bouquet and it looks great in pictures if they are.
A buttonhole is a flower that goes through the buttonhole of the groom and other members of the wedding party’s jacket. They are usually the groom, best man, ushers, bride’s father and grooms father. The buttonhole is usually the same as one of the flowers in the bride’s bouquet. So it looks like it was picked from there. Roses make great buttonholes. Buttonholes should be pinned on the left side and should be pinned on the underside of the lapel. No part of the actual pin should be showing. The flower should last the entire day and suit the outfit and personality of the groom.
Make sure the florist clearly states what buttonholes and corsages are for whom. Then make sure the venue know too and they can inform a member of the wedding party so they know where they are. Tell people they have one and then they can ask the venue themselves or an usher where to pick it up. You might want to order some extra buttonholes. Some might go missing or get damaged. If not, then you can give them out to some other men at the wedding. An alternative is getting the buttonholes and corsages delivered straight to the bride and groom. This will also stop any confusion.
Sometimes the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom wear corsages, alongside some other members of the wedding party like flower girls. You can have a corsage that pins onto outfits, wristband corsages or floral headbands. If people don’t want to ruin their expensive outfit then you can get corsages that stay in place thanks to a magnet.
For flower girls there is the traditional flower basket with petals that gets strewn from the basket. Make sure the petals don’t get slippery and make someone fall down. Get the child to sprinkle gently, going from side to side of the aisle.
If you go for an alternative or an extra like a flowery headband then make sure this does not swamp the child. Take each child’s age and size into consideration. You could get flowery headbands, a crown of flowers or a pomander which is a ball covered in flowers and lace. It hangs on the wrist from a strap. You could also put one flower in their hair or get a floral hair clip.
Vases, beer glasses, glass milk bottles, jam jars…there are a few different options for your wedding flowers. You will, rather annoyingly, usually have to provide these yourself. I was lucky as I found beer glasses in Waitrose that were perfect. They came in a pack of four and only cost £4.50! I couldn’t believe it. What a bargain and they looked like classy, beautiful vases. They are also not wasted now as we use them as glasses. Teacups, jars and jugs are also good choices that can look amazing. Depending on your venue and the theme of your wedding.
I did not get it right first time however. I bought some vases on Amazon, first checking with the florist, however it turns out they were not right after all as they wouldn’t take the weight of the flowers and I couldn’t send them back. Very annoying.
I have heard of people renting trees and large plants from nurseries. Apparently this is very cheap and can also cover anything at the venue that you really don’t like. Many nurseries rent out a ficus or a palm amongst other trees and large plants. Do think hard about transportation though. It might be more trouble than it is worth. Another alternative is good old eBay, http://uk.ebid.net or a wonderful website where married couples sell their ‘something old’ called sellmywedding.co.uk You can pick up everything from centrepieces to accessories.
A tip if you are having plants or orchids is to buy a new container if the one you get them in looks drab or not very wedding-like. You can get beautiful silver pots from the pound store or in gardening shops for a very cheap price. A pound in the pound store, funnily enough.
If you have hay fever then try and buy some flowers that don’t go for you. I find lilies make my hay fever much worse. Also think about guests and whether they have any allergies. Narcissi, hyacinths and freesias also tend to go for hay fever sufferers. Do people a favour if you know they are sufferers and either keep it away from them or choose different flowers.
The cost of wedding flowers is mostly due to the amount of labour involved. If your budget is low then ask the florist what type of arrangement and wedding flowers you could buy that are not too labour intensive. Alternatively, you can take a flower arranging course yourself or buy a book on the subject. This could save you a lot of money. Think of the time involved in your floral DIY project and the cost of the flowers before you go down this route. It might be fun and you could also give the wedding chore to a friend or family member who wants to help with the wedding. Most people love to get involved in weddings.
The truth is, you can pick flowers from your own garden or a friend’s garden. You could also, with permission, pick them from a local nursery or buy them from a local flower market. Not mentioning the fact that they are for a wedding will stop people marking things up unnecessarily. Picking your own flowers and doing your own arrangement will not only be cheaper but will also have a wonderful personal touch. Many people hire a wedding florist because it is the done thing, but you really don’t have to. Be brave and creative and you can have beautiful flowers at a much cheaper cost. Make sure you research the flowers you are working with and even ask a florist for help and advice. Some flowers will need to be stored in a certain way and some should not touch your skin so taking a class, buying a book or asking a friendly florist for some advice should prove invaluable.
If you want to keep your bouquet or buttonhole then there are a number of ways you can do so. For the buttonhole and smaller flowers you could get two pieces of tissue paper and put the buttonhole inside a heavy book and then place more heavy books on top. Leave for a few weeks and when you go back you will have a beautiful, pressed and dry flower that you can keep forever. You could also turn them into potpourri by taking the petals and then mixing them with oils and herbs. Put them in a jar for about six weeks and shake once a day.
You could also air-dry the bouquet and buttonhole by hanging them upside down in a dry, ventilated room. Separate the flowers for the best results. You could also preserve your wedding flowers with desiccants, you bury the flowers in silica gel which you can get from craft stores. This is easy to do.
You could also let your guests take some of the wedding flowers home so they don’t go to waste. Or donate them to a church or a nursing home.
Tradition goes that the person who catches the bouquet will be the next to get married. This usually means, even in modern times, that female guests take it quite seriously, or at least find it a bit of fun.
You obviously don’t have to do this but some guests might be disappointed if you don’t.
You don’t need to have flowers, or even a floral bouquet. You can have one made of crystals or gems. I even saw one woman with toy cats as a bouquet and posies for the bridesmaids rather than flowers. It was an acquired taste but was certainly unique and also looked cute. You can get a bouquet made from buttons or brooches, feathers, candles, sea shells, sweets or origami. Bouquets made from fabric flowers can look beautiful and will also last forever. Silk flowers can also be used for centrepieces and bouquets. They can look beautiful and realistic. Candles are not expensive and can be bought very cheaply from IKEA or pound stores. You can float some tea lights in a bowl along with some flower heads. It can look very beautiful and adds ambience too. You could also have paper chains, origami and big- or small- letters that spell out love and the name of you and your spouse-to-be.
Another great idea is to have photos of the two of you and your life together dotted around the venue. You could also include pictures of all of the guests. It will spark conversation and make the guests get involved. Photographs from your childhood and pictures from the engagement party will have people entertained for a good amount of time. Especially if there is an entire life history memory board. A photo collage will work well but you could also hang them up on the wall with tiny clothes pegs. These are very cheap and the string won’t cost much either. There are a good amount of wedding props on notonthehighstreet.com and you could also have a photo booth with lots of silly props to remind you of the day. You don’t need to hire an expensive photo booth if you can’t afford it, you could set a camera up and get guests to work it or buy lots of disposable cameras for guests to take pictures.
Bunting is very popular at weddings and can look great. It is also relatively inexpensive. If you are having an outdoor wedding or a summery wedding then this will look particularly good. There are specialist bunting stores but you can also get bunting from sellmywedding.com, eBay and Etsy. If you have some material and are good at sewing you could even make your own. You could also buy some material and then find a friend or an aunt with a sewing machine to make you some bunting. It is relatively easy for someone with sewing experience.
Another thing to think about is small baskets in the bathroom full of little essentials like hairspray, deodorant, spare tights, mints, soap, paracetamol and blister plasters. These are popular at weddings and always go down well. It can be a long day and these little things can make all of the difference to someone who needs one of the above.
A good touch for the table decoration is a menu, a favour and a napkin on top of the serving plate. This looks very good and classy. Along with a floral centrepiece and some candles it is a simple but classic wedding look that always goes down a treat.