Three local florists give us some fresh ideas for wedding and event flowers
Lay the Table
Jen Stuart-Smith of Blooming Green offers advice on how to bring flowers to the table at any dining event
Flowers really are the proverbial ‘cherry on the cake’ when it comes to any event table, adding life, scent and decoration, so get as creative as you like! Choose your vases or containers with care – a collection of salvaged jars creates a homely effect, or simple but effective bud vases of seasonal stems can be dotted along a trestle table for an informal ‘gathered-from-the-garden’ look.
If you want more formal stylised décor, try using larger vases – which are decorative in their own right – and fill with one variety of flower. Peonies, roses or tulips en masse will have a strong impact and capture a sense of the season. The same goes for colour. Play safe and chic with monochrome, or throw caution to the wind and embrace a mix of colours for a table like a wild-flower meadow.
Whether it’s a wedding, birthday party or anniversary celebration, carefully chosen flowers and foliage can transform the space into something super-special.
bloominggreenflowers.co.uk
Looking Up
Kirsty Newall, Creative Director at Fall into Flowers explains how to make a statement with flowers that draw the eye upwards (above)
Perfect for drawing the gaze upward, a floating foliage scape can enhance any aesthetic. For something subtle yet beautiful, hanging blooms or planks is a great idea for dinner parties and sit-down events. Or to really make an entrance pop, weave flowers up and down the steps of a staircase to create a show-stopping floral display. The bigger the installation, the more opportunity you have to create something really bespoke and creative. Arches are always a popular choice too (particularly in the summer months), as they can easily transform a dull or vast area into a beautiful photo opportunity dripping with cascading flowers. One top tip is to remember that generally, larger installations can’t be moved once placed, so take time choosing that perfect spot, and consider touring the venue with your florist first to explore ideas. fallintoflowers.com
Edible and Wearable
Blue Hen Flowers share tips on how to add blooms in smaller touches like food and fashion
For buttonholes, we like to go really personal with unique touches like feathers, wheat, dried flowers and gorgeous foliage. Pom pom dahlias are very popular too as they come in all sorts of colours to match any tie, suit, or colour scheme. It’s a lovely romantic gesture to hand-make one for your partner, and DIY is a very popular way to get beautiful, personal flowers on a budget. At Blue Hen we do workshops and hen parties to show you how to make them (while also giving you a chance to think about exactly what you’d like for your bouquet). For your cake, add some colourful seasonal flair with edible flowers such as pansies, cornflowers, calendula, sweet William and sweet Cicely. We never use pesticides, ensuring that nature’s eco-system can work properly, which means our blooms are safe to use as edible decorations. You can ask your florist to recommend edible flowers, or buy from a grower using Flowers from the Farm’s map to find a local farmer. bluehenflowers.com
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All In The Detail
We would like to say a big thank you to Trudie from The Old Rectory Estate. To find out about hiring the grounds of this beautiful Georgian manor house for your own wedding marquee, visit oldrectoryestate.com or call 01883 743388 / 07515...
