Saturday 25 June 2011

Flowers


I feel that flowers or plants are a very important part of any wedding. Some people think that they are luxury and can be substituted for candles or balloons but flowers or plants bring a wonderful ambience and shouldn't be under estimated. I would even suggest that you cut other items from the wedding to insure having flowers or greenery but If cost is a concern, then there are ways of using fresh flowers that would match the cost of any alternative decorations anyway.





Before picking your flowers make sure you know what's in season so you don't get disappointed.

Spring flowers include 
Lily of the valley
Tulips
Daffodils
Primroses
Hyacinth
Bluebells
Summer
Hydrangea
Peony
Delphinium
Sweet William

Autumn

Snapdragons
Gladioli
Dahlia
Sunflowers
Arum Lily

Winter

Snowdrops
Fruiting Ivy
Dogwoods
Pussy willlow
Catkins
Heather
If you are on a low budget one large flower such as a Hydrangea or Gerbera in a fish bowl with grasses work well. Most florists will loan vases if you purchased your hand ties etc. from them or why not collect your jam jars up, go to a supermarket a day before the wedding and buy up all the flowers that are reduced to clear? This vintage/mis-matched style is very popular at present.

I'm a big fan of plants as table centres. These can then be given as thank you gifts afterwards. 
I recently worked on a wedding where we used no table cloths just beautiful wooden table tops with lavender in pots as centre pieces. Sunflowers in pots and little green plants or herbs look great too.




We are very lucky to have some great florists in Bristol and recommend the following;

Edward Allen best for a fabulous design!
Lisa Elliott best for the professional touch.
Tilly Tomlinson best for a city centre florist.
Bella and fifi best for local flowers.
1st choice flowers best for budget.
Pompon just the BEST.




Georgina from PomPon flowers really does have green fingers. Her designs are professional, unusual and so so beautiful. 


Georgina when asked;


WHAT FACTORS SHOULD A BRIDE CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING FLOWERS FOR HER WEDDING?


Came up with these 4 main points :

~ +1
~ In season
~ Less is more
~ Foliage as a flower

To elaborate on these a little;
~ +1
Think of your flowers for your wedding as a guest! They must feel part of the events atmosphere. You must feel comfortable having them there and they must sit well among the other guests. Discreetly noticeable! They affirm your past and the new lifestyle you are embarking on.

~In Season
While England is not known for its endless sunshine what you do have are amazing seasons. Take advantage of this! With this comes a richness and contrast of flower produce at high availability and lower cost. For me flower arranging is very like cooking ; picking different ingredients and combing them to create something delicious! Eat strawberries when its strawberry season…combine with a vase of Sweet peas on the table while eating strawberries = life’s simple pleasures!

~Less is More
This is my most important point! Nature is so beautiful, because it is just that…natural. Do not over complicate!!! Keep it simple. By doing so you create an air of informal elegance.
My way of achieving this is by providing quality, considered produce, with the design ethos of subtle repetition. Repetition acts as a powerful design tool.

~Foliage as a flower
Variegated hosta leaves in a low trough vase, heaven! A bridal poise of silver dusty miller foliage bound with sage green velvet ribbon = natures interpretation of fine lace. Magnolia leaf pedestals, striking and sophisticated. Ivy sandwiched between glass and placed as trays/coasters on the table. Beautiful rosemary herb, green on the surface of the leave, silver colour on the underside. When placed in vases on a white table cloth and with a set up table, the mirrored cutlery reflects the silver undertone hue of the rosemary, pulling the whole environment together…. 

I love foliage! I want more people to love foliage!
We are so dazzled by flowers we forget to notice the foliage. Do no underestimate foliage! Separate from the flowers, and then we begin to focus on the foliage and thus we realize how detailed and beautiful, in colour, form and texture leaves may be. A flower within their own right.

Sunday 12 June 2011

Daffodils and The Navy!

This was my first big wedding of the year and I was very nervous that everything should go well. Of course it did! Molly and Stuart loved everything and so they should as they had incredible taste and I loved helping them create their perfect day. 

These photographs are the courtesy of Sam Clayton Photography

Church - St. Mary Redcliffe, Bristol
Reception + catering - riverstation
Flowers - Edward Allen
Dress - unknown 


















Thursday 2 June 2011

Theme

At this point it maybe a great idea to think about your theme. I guess you will already have an idea of what style you are after by the type of venue, invitations and dress you have looked into?... 

A great way of getting all your ideas together is by doing a mood board. You can then take this around suppliers and show them what you are after. In my wedding workshops we make mood boards a4 size. It's then easy to carry around. 

You can also do online mood boards. Style me pretty is a great website to try this out or visit Snippet and Ink for truly beautiful samples of the very best wedding mood boards I have ever seen.







If you're not very creative, why not get a professional to help? Most wedding planners will run through themes with you and venue stylists are mind blowing with coming up with bespoke ideas. 

Make sure you get someone who clearly knows what they are doing though. They should have a good website with a great gallery. I recently saw an event where the country theme was rather like a child's circus theme! Eek.. 

One of the best venue stylists in the South West is The Little Wedding Helper. 

Kirsten says - 
Some styling tips for personalising your day...
a theme can help you focus on a look for your wedding. Pick a style that reflects you both as a couple and layering your celebration with details that show this. You may have different styles but this is about thinking about how you describe your relationship. Will your guests recognise certain elements of the wedding as 'very them' or just recognise your reception from different magazines?

Whatever the theme or colour, it's the personal touches that really make it feel special. Think about adding old family wedding photographs, handwritten notes for each guests on their place setting, personalised homemade favours or naming each table after places you have visited together during your courting days! Family members are usually keen to help so if there is a family member who is great with the sewing machine - bunting! Great baking skills? Cupcakes or a selection of puddings! One couple that I worked with were both teachers and so they had a little quiz for each table on who knew them the best! Answers were written on mini blackboards & personalised stickers were printed for guests who got the correct answer!







Photo's above styled by The Little Wedding Helper and photographed by Jo Handsford photography and Howard photography