15 things you need to know before ordering your wedding flowers.
Wedding flowers were to start?
We always suggest starting with a mood board, put together some images of flowers and colours you love, maybe investigate seasonality, will the flowers you love be easily available on your wedding date?
Next you need to think about who and what needs flowers. Maybe make a list of definite’s like bouquets, buttonholes and table flowers, and another dream list; if budget allows, of statement pieces, pew ends etc. Really think about your venue and were it needs some flowers, look up previous weddings for inspiration.
Next find a florist you think will be a good fit for you and your style. Get in touch with them and tell them all about your plans and ideas, they should then be able to provide an individually itemised quote so you can then sit down and work out how best to spend your budget.
Do wedding flowers have to match?
Our advice, first and foremost is to go with what you love. It is your day, don’t let anyone else put you off the colours and varieties you like. Flowers that are in season together always seem to look good together, nature knows what it is doing, so as long as you go for the real thing, and seasonal you can’t really go wrong. One thing we highly recommend you don’t do, is mix fresh flowers with artificial, if you have say, a fresh bridal bouquet, but then artificial table flowers they will never match. Even the most expensive silk flowers are not the colours of nature, nor do they move naturally or feel right and certainly don’t have any scent. They really stand out a mile, put next to the real deal.
Do wedding flowers have to be white?
Absolutely not! White is the traditional colour and is classic and elegant, it goes with anything and will never date, but we are big fans of colour, and feel it adds personality and fun to your big day.
Which wedding flowers are the least expensive?
What is in season is the simple answer, they are the best value because they are readily available, grown naturally and are the best quality. Summer weddings on the whole may be more expensive as dates are at a premium, but flower wise it’s the cheapest time to buy them. Seasonal flowers are often short lived so you won’t find them all year round, which make them a popular choice for couples looking for something a little different too. For example, if you are lucky enough to marry at the beginning of June you get Peonies in season, they are by far the most popular bridal flower at the moment, but if you want them in September the price would rocket. Another thing to be conscious of are peak flower buying events, things like Valentine’s Day, Mothers Day, Easter and Christmas all push up the worldwide flower prices as demand outstrips supply at the markets.
Which wedding flowers are in season?
In Spring your options would be beautiful Tulips, Narcissus, Ranunculus, Anemones and all the other Spring bulbs. Followed by the Summer classics, Roses, Larkspur and all the cottage garden favourites like love in a mist, cornflowers and sweet peas. As Autumn beckons we can go for Sunflowers, Hydrangea, Dahlias, Rudbeckia, gorgeous foliage and grasses followed by the winter berries, Christmas foliage and early bulbs with Hellebores.
Why do I need a wedding bouquet?
Traditionally bouquets where carried to disguise the smell of the bride, luckily as bodily odours are no longer an issue they are carried to add character & to show a touch of the bride’s own style. They are also great for having something to keep your hands busy when you’re feeling a little nervous, or to hide your body if you are a little self conscious.
Who gets wedding flowers?
That is entirely up to you, but traditionally the bride, the bridesmaids and any flower girls will have bouquets. Then the Groom, Best man, Ushers, Fathers and sometimes Grandfathers and brothers will each have a buttonhole. Other important ladies like the Mothers of the happy couple, the Grandmothers and any sisters or very special friends will have a corsage either to be worn on their lapel, wrist or handbag. It is very rare that we get asked to make a buttonhole for every guest, our big tip is to keep the flowers to immediate family and best friends otherwise it can quickly get out of hand.
Are wedding flowers worth it?
I know we are probably a bit biased on this one, but hell yes! They are the one thing that makes a venue yours for the day, they are the thing that adds your personality and depicts the vibe you want to portrait. Without fresh flowers, weddings would all be a bit the same. They add the colours, texture, character and scents you love, they create drama and the wow factor, they break up plain spaces and they’re also pretty good for hiding things you rather weren’t on show like cables and wires.
If money is tight and you are looking at ways to save, why not look at doing them yourself, we can provide buckets full of blooms for you to arrange as you like throughout the Summer months. Or if that doesn’t sound like your thing, why don’t you talk to us about ways to get impact without a huge budget.
Are wedding flowers bad for the environment?
Some are, obviously silk / fake flowers are made from plastic, even if reused for several weddings, they are still not biodegradable and will be around in hundreds of years time, they are a plastic shipped from china and have a high carbon footprint.
With fresh flowers at least you know they will always biodegrade, rot down for the earth worms and to regenerate the land. If you're looking for a sustainable wedding, you need to try and use flowers that are in season, as they are likely to not have been grown using heat, or shipped half way around the world. Here at the flower farm we use our own flowers first which have travelled no distance and grown without pesticides, we will also buy from other growers in the UK, and thirdly we buy from the world market, we have purposely chosen not to remove this from our offering as many people have their favourite colours or varieties and it just isn’t possible to provide them year round from UK suppliers. We believe it’s a balancing act of doing the best we can at this time, without limiting customers choice. As in the words of Mr Tesco, every little helps!
How long will wedding flowers last?
Your flowers will certainly last the day which is what you need them to do, they need to be at their absolute peak of perfection for your wedding, fully open and glorious. As with a good strawberry, this means they are at their absolute best just before they die. You shouldn’t expect your flowers to last many days after the wedding unless you have requested things that don’t really open or alter, such as Limonium, Lisianthus or Chrysanthemums.
Can you do your own wedding flowers?
As long as you are a bit creative, don’t mind not having perfect nails (flowers cause havoc to your hands) and think you will have enough time the day before your wedding, them yes you can absolutely make your own flowers. We can provide DIY buckets or a mixture of bouquets and buckets (if you don’t fancy making the bouquets and buttonholes yourself but want to do the rest) and we also run bespoke wedding flower training classes if you fancy getting some practice in first.
When should flowers be delivered or collected for my wedding?
If being delivered flowers are nearly always delivered on the morning of the wedding as venues often aren’t ready to accept them until the actual day.
If you are collecting them, we ideally recommend the day before, but if you can keep them cool there is no reason why they wouldn’t be absolutely fine collected two days before. Obviously when you collect them the flowers will be more tightly closed than they will be on the actual day.
Wedding flowers etiquette?
Wedding flowers etiquette is about providing clients with the highest quality service while respecting their budget, preferences, and timeline. At The Flower Farm, we take pride in providing exceptional service and creating beautiful, memorable floral arrangements.
What are traditional wedding flowers?
Weddings aren’t complete without flowers, and the significance of flowers in weddings dates back to ancient times. Flowers have always been an integral part of wedding ceremonies, and they play a crucial role in adding personality, vibrancy, and beauty to your big day. Some flowers are so traditional in weddings that they’re almost iconic. Here are a few traditional wedding flowers:
Roses symbolise love and passion, they come in lots of different colours and shapes, big blousy garden roses moving through to beautiful multi headed spray roses. These elegant and fragrant flowers are popular wedding flowers for bouquets, centrepieces, and aisle decorations.
Peonies are known for their large size, soft petals, and stunning appearance, peonies signify good fortune, prosperity, and happiness. These romantic blooms come in various shades of pink, coral, ivory, and red but have a short natural season from mid May into June. They are available at the other times but this makes them an expensive choice and quality can also be an issue.
Lilies with their gracious and classic beauty, they are a symbol of purity and innocence. These flowers are available in white, pink, and yellow but are currently out of favour for weddings but will probably have a resurgence soon.
Hydrangeas are gorgeous, show off blooms, they come in various shades of white, pink, blue, and purple. They represent gratitude, understanding, and heartfelt emotions. Hydrangeas are a popular wedding flower for ceremonies and receptions, they don’t like to be dry for too long so aren’t the best choice for bouquets.
Tulips symbolise perfect love, they come in lots of different hues of pink, white, yellow, red, and purple, we grow lots of the big double petalled varieties, that often have a great scent too. These delicate and surreal flowers are popular for springtime weddings.
Gypsophila is often used as a filler or accent flower, it symbolises innocence. The small delicate flowers come in white and add a soft touch to any bouquet. Beware though, in high summer they do not have a pleasant smell!
Whether you prefer to follow the tradition or make your own flower choices, these traditional wedding flowers have been popular for a long time. Choosing the right flowers for your wedding will help to express your feelings and provide a romantic and stunning atmosphere that reflects your personality and style.What are popular wedding flowers?
We see so many things spring in to fashion and by the following year or two they are gone. A prime example of this was Pampas grass, a couple of years ago everyone wanted it, we planted lots, and now it is rarely mentioned and our plants are redundant. Another was the colour blush, although quite timeless, over probably the last 5 years it has been the colour of choice, but its tricky, some people see blush as a pale pink and others as a subtle peach. If you are thinking of having blush please make sure you have a definite swatch of the colour that you can provide to all your suppliers.
One thing that seems to be popular and has been for some years now is the very natural, meadow look, using lots of different varieties arranged almost as they’d grow. Flowers that have movement and aren’t perfectly straight are also a popular choice, as is anything a little bit delicate and unusual like Love in a mist or Cornflowers. People are looking more and more for sustainable plant materials and British grown has increased drastically in popularity. Roses will always be a popular choice, but over the last year or so, we have seen a big increase in couples asking that they aren’t included so maybe they are loosing that top spot?
As to colours, we have seen a big increase in couples asking for a bright mixture, a little bit of everything that is cheerful and fun. Being brave with colour is definitely on trend, as is seasonality, especially when it comes to an Autumn wedding; rich reds, oranges and warm golds with brown and deep burgundy foliage . Over the last few months we have had a lot of mention of Sage green too, as with blush this can have several different preconceptions, so please be sure to have that colour swatch to hand when talking to your suppliers. White and green are the classic choice and never date, so if you want to play it safe they’re your go too’s.
We hope we have covered a lot of your main questions when it comes to wedding flowers, but if you have anything else you would like us to answer please drop us an email at clare@theflowerfarm.co.uk and we will be happy to give you an answer.