How To Get The Most From Your Wedding Flowers
There is SO much about planning a wedding which can leave you a little, well, lost! Jargon for this, wedmin words for that, a whole new section of vocabulary you never knew existed! Navigating your wedding flowers is an issue which many brides flag up; they've seen some amazing ideas on pinterest, but have no idea if what they've seen is possible, or what it might cost. Here are some answers to some of those burning questions you may have if you're just starting out in the planning world. Don't forget, your florist will help you out MASSIVELY with all this, but it's a good idea to go armed with the basics...
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What are the most popular flowers used in weddings? And what do they cost?
If we put it into 3 rough price categories (which can vary slightly season to season), wedding flowers can be grouped something like this...
Most expensive: Callas, mini & regular sized Casablanca Lilies Garden Roses Hydrangea Lily of the Valley Orchids (Cymbidiums, Cattleyas, phalaenopsis )
Mid range: Dahlias Fern Fronds (monkey tail) French Tulips Glorisa Lilies Orchids (Dendrobriums, Mokaras, Oncidiums) Peonies Pincushion Protea Succulents Viburnum
Least Expensive: Anemones Asiatic Lilies Bells of Ireland Carnations Craspedia (Billy Balls) Freesia Gerber Daisies Gladiolas Grape Hyacinth (Muscari) Green Fuji Mums Hyacinth Hypericum Berries Larkspur Lisianthus Phlox Poppies Ranunculus Roses Scabiosa Pods Snapdragons Stephanotis Stock Sunflowers Sweetpeas Tulips Tweedia
Oh no, I was hoping for hydrangeas but they're in the most expensive list! HELP?!
Don't worry! Some of the flowers in the most expensive list may have a high price per stem, but, as with hydrangeas, they're quite large so you need less of them to make an impact. Have a few then fluff them out with cheaper blooms. Clusters of carnations can have a similar effect to big fluffy hydrangeas and are much cheaper per stem.
There are some fantastic super cheap options for bulking out arrangements which still look really effective. In terms of flowers, baby's breath (gypsophila) is a popular choice for it's delicate and pretty, yet striking nature. It's super cheap and looks really effective! Queen Anne's Lace is a similar white flower (a little larger) which is slightly more dense than gypsophila. It looks amazing in vintage bouquets and is budget friendly. It's not all about the flowers, however. Used correctly foliage can make a super stylish impact on your bouquet, with it's effortlessly chic and trendy vibe. Eucalyptus leaves are bang on trend right now and can really add a wow factor to your floral arrangements.
I really love the idea of having flowers EVERYWHERE, but that's going to be expensive, right?
There are a few sneaky tricks you can use to give the illusion that there a flowers EVERYWHERE during your wedding day without having to break the bank. Firstly, put your flowers on double duty. Any arrangements you have for the aisle, the altar, the church arch etc, have one of your groomsmen be in charge of transporting them into the reception room and dot them around the place. You could even have 2 of your centre pieces used as altar flowers and then sneakily ship them back to their reception tables whilst everyone has their drinkies. Discuss options like this with your florist, they'll have some great ideas. The second thing you could do is super easy and will work very well for an outdoor or relaxed country vibe wedding. Simply ask your mum, aunties, friends, friends of friends who like gardening if you could borrow a couple of their potting plants for the day and dot them around the place. Sure you'll get an eclectic look with many different types of blooms, but it's a super simple and FREE way to create that english country garden look at your venue.
Eleanor Yeo Flowers