The beginner’s guide to wedding flowers
Wedding flowers can be tricky. You might find yourself pinning stunning designs on Pinterest, presenting them to a florist and discovering it will cost ten times the price you had in your head. Or, every flower you want is unavailable at that time of year – good luck getting Peonies in winter for a reasonable price.
If you’re a newbie to wedding flowers, like most brides and grooms, here’s a quick guide on what to look out for and perhaps how to save a little money:
Stick to seasonal plants
Not only will you get stunning, fresh blooms that don’t need to travel too far to reach your florist, but the price will be significantly cut if you choose seasonal plants and forget about those sunflowers for your December wedding.
Just think, with all the money saved you could perhaps pick up some diamond earrings as a gift for your Mum or buy more wine and bubbly for the reception.
Greenery can cut down costs
If the flowers you want are costing a significant amount, plump out the rest of the bouquet with greenery to create a striking effect that doesn’t put you over budget.
Certain flowers have meaning
If you’re the sentimental sort, you’ll be looking for flowers that have meaning and significance for your big day. Here’s a quick round up of the three most popular bouquet choices:
Grand Prix rose (red) – Symbolises romance and love.
Season: Summer.
Perfect for bridal bouquets or used individually to decorate the tables.
Lily – Symbolises innocence and purity.
Season: February
Perfect for table arrangements and bridal bouquets – just be sure to pull the stamens from the inside of the flowers to ensure they don’t stain your dress!
Gypsophila – Symbolises pure of heart.
Season: All year round
Perfect for button holes, hair embellishments or as a striking bridal bouquet created just using the plant.
There are flowers you should steer clear of
White lilies are commonly associated with death and older relatives may be a little dismayed by your choice, while those super popular peonies are actually known to represent shame.
You don’t even need to use fresh flowers
Artificial and paper flower arrangements are becoming popular now, as brides want to keep their bouquets as sentimental reminders of their big day.
It could be as simple as taking store bought paper roses, a Styrofoam ball and hot gluing everything together, as this tutorial demonstrates, or taking artificial flowers, florist tape and some pretty ribbon and creating a bouquet that way. It removes any issues when it comes to seasonal flowers and can dramatically cut down the cost.
You could do it yourself
Instead of paying a florist, you could get crafty and put together your own bridal bouquets. There are numerous wholesale nurseries up and down the country who can provide freshly cut bunches of your desired flower, but beforehand you could either take a class in flower arranging and creating bouquets or simply put in lots of practice leading up to the big day.
