This might be the first time you have ever bought flowers on such a scale, so here is a run down on the arrangements you might want to consider for your wedding day.
From personal flowers, to table arrangements & installations, the types of arrangements available to you on your day can seem overwhelming, so starting with personal flowers & moving on....here you go.....
Bouquets
From neat & tidy to wild & from hand tied to cascades, bouquets come in many shapes and sizes. Your bouquet may lead the style of your wedding or it might just follow on from everything else you like, it can match back in terms of colour & shape, or be entirely unique. But it's yours & will be in many of our photos so you do need to consider the size you are asking for. If you are 5'2'' & ask for a whopping, wild bouquet, of course, that is what your florist will deliver, but you will probably be hidden behind it & it will become the star of the photos rather than you!
Bridesmaids & mini maids bouquets are often a smaller version of the bridal bouquet, but could also be in an entirely different colour range.
Just remember, your bouquet, along with your bridesmaids bouquets can be used as part of your reception flowers. They can be placed into vases after the ceremony & placed on your top table, as table decorations or on you cake or card tables.
Button Holes & Corsages
Button holes are a small arrangement of the bridal flowers wired together to be pinned on the left lapel. Usually worn by the Groom, his Grooms men and any Page Boys. The father of the bride & father of the groom will also usually have a button hole too. A pocket square is a modern take on this traditional piece which is made to sit into the top left jacket pocket.
Corsages are usually worn by the mothers of the bride & groom, and can be a larger form of the button holes, or be made into a wrist corsage or even a bag decoration.
Hair Flowers
From single wired flowers that your hairdresser can add to your hair style, to combs and half crowns or a full crown, these are a delightful addition to your dress.
Hair flowers can also look super cute on mini maids, especially the crowns, and flowers can even be added to little hair clips or combs suitable for really tiny maids.
Flower Girls and Page Boys
From petal baskets and floral hoops to flower crowns, floral wands and mini button holes everything is on a small scale, but just remember, whatever they have, it's likely to get thrown around a bit!
Cake Flowers
Your cake may not need any further decoration, but if you do decide to add flowers to your cake they can be anything from simple arrangements through to a full cascade, or even a meadow arranged around the base of the cake
Ceremony Flowers
Aisle Flowers
Aisle flowers are positioned down the aisle to frame the walkway.
They can be simple bunches tied to the chairs (which can be moved & placed into vases to be used at your reception) or flowers placed in chair tie backs, or if your aisle is wide enough, perhaps you would like a run of meadow boxes to line the aisle, or floral lanterns. Most aisle flowers can be used again as part of your reception décor.
Meadow boxes can be repurposed beautifully either along the front of the top table, or at the base of your table plan or cake table.
Pedestals
These are large flower arrangements placed on top of a pedestal & can be placed either at the start of your aisle, or at the end of your aisle to create a ceremony area (or at both ends if you wish!). And of course they can be moved to your reception.
The Statement Piece
Arches, split arches, moon gates and floor arches - the big guns!!. These statement pieces provide the focal point at the end of your aisle where you will hold your ceremony.
These are often large pieces which can usually be moved to your reception. If you definitely want to repurpose this piece (& I suggest you do as they can be quite costly) make sure this is discussed during your consultation so that it can be taken into consideration when planning how it will be built.
Yes, these pieces can be very costly, but don't be deterred until you have spoken to your florist. Split arches can be made in a variety of sizes and faux arches can be made by placing a number of arrangements onto pedestals. There are often compromises that can be made to help you to achieve your aspirations.
Reception Flowers
The flower arrangements you choose for your reception will to some extent be relative to the location and types of tables you have. If your reception area has a fireplace, you might consider dressing the mantlepiece, of if there is the ability to hang, you might have a floral cloud or ceiling. But in most cases, reception flowers are about dressing the tables. Round tables suit round arrangements and banquet tables suit longer thinner arrangements - mostly! But if you have quite a large space to fill having a selection of tall and low arrangements helps to break up the space. As the list of pieces that can be made as table decorations is pretty endless, I'm going to list the most popular ones here:
Low bowls - placed in the centre of a round table or as part of a 'runner' type arrangement on a banquet table.
Tall flower filled vases or arrangements on a tall stand - high level arrangements can help to break up a large space or a space with a high ceiling.
Selection of bud vases - useful for any type of table layout & can be added to low or high arrangements.
Garlands or table runners - used on long banquet tables & can be all foliage, flower full or incorporate plants.
Wreaths, with our without a lantern placed in the centre.
Candelabra decorated with flowers.
You might also want to add more decorations in the ceilings: flower ceilings, hanging hoops, floral ladders are just a few of the many options out there
Candles and tealights can add colour and a romantic light to all table arrangements, but remember to check if your venue allows naked flames or real candles. If they don't, there are some beautiful battery candles available now, so you can still have your candle lit dream decoration.
The Cost
You might have wondered why, whilst I've mentioned the cost of some items, I haven't added any pricing. Well, buying flowers can be much like buying a car....is it a Skoda or a Bentley you're after? Of course, we'd all like the Bentley, but realistically not many of us can afford one, I certainly can't!
So, my advice to you is, when you are planning your flowers, have a total budget that you are comfortable to spend in mind, and be upfront about this with your florist. We can then give you ideas & alternatives to try & help you to achieve your aspirations without breaking the bank.