A chink of sunshine for Louisa & Casey

The wedding took place at the Crockstead Farm Hotel, Hallam Nr Lewes on what turned out to be a fabulously sunny October day.  Louisa rang me a couple of weeks previously following a referral from her local flower shop.

As a freelance workshop based florist, my busiest time for weddings is usually during Spring & Summer, so I can normally accommodate late comers during the 'off peak' months running up to and including Christmas!

Louisa didn't have a colour theme, as such, but mentioned that she liked the idea of using blue flowers and also mentioned that Casey's favourite colour was orange - a particular favourite of mine and a winning colour combination!

Louisa's dress was fitted and stunning, with some subtle diamante embellishment which I incorporated into the bouquet design by securing the hand-tied design with double satin ribbon and diamante pins.

The ceremony was taking place at the Crockstead Farm Hotel, a romantic venue nestled in the heart of the beautiful Sussex countryside, so the Bride chose a country-style, naturally hand-tied bouquet using a mixture of blue and orange flowers, with fragrant foliage including flowering mint and Eucalyptus.  Louisa's two adult bridesmaids held a smaller bouquet using the same flowers.

Buttonholes were supplied for the Groom and Groomsmen, chosing flowers from the main bouquet with smaller accent flowers and matching foliage.

Flowers Used: Delphinium, Crocosmia, Freesia, Eustoma, Alstromeria, September Flowers, Veronica, Flowering Mint & Eucalyptus Parvifolia

Wedding Flowers for a Late Spring Wedding

Here's some ideas for a late Spring wedding, using a mix of seasonal flowers and foliage and some old favourites which are available all year round.

A popular request for this year, a romantic over the arm bouquet using strong contrasting colours and super fragrant Eucalyptus.  This style of bouquet suits a slender cut dress and great for taller brides.

 

A small hand tied bridesmaid posy suitable for flowergirls and younger bridesmaids, using white Avalanche roses and Hosta leaves bound with ivory organza ribbon, secured with diamante pins.

It's traditional for the groom's buttonhole to pick out one of the main flowers of the bride's bouquet.  Here's an old favourite using an orange mini Gerbera with a small Hosta leaf for foliage.

Moving onto the wedding venue, it seems that simple is the key word this season with Gypsophilia making a resurgence.  Here's some simple tied bunches which decorated the aisle chairs for a wedding I did in St Phillips Church in Hove.

And for the reception, simple square glass vases with a hint of Brighton beach using orange mini gerberas.

 

 

A tall vase filled with seasonal flowers is perfect for your cake table.  Here a simple vase filled with glass marbles, sets off an arrangement of beautiful blue Delphiniums, steel grass and heart shaped hosta leaves.

And, for a finishing touch you could add fresh flowers to your place settings.  Here I've used a white Avalance rose wired together with small Delphinium florets, to create this pretty napkin tie.

  

Visit my website for more wedding flower ideas.  Fuchsia Flower Design

Wedding Flowers for Spring

Savvy brides will be making the most of beautiful springtime flowers which flatter both their theme and budget!

Dramatic large, single blooms; Spider Blooms; Lilies

Simple natural spring flowers; Daisies, Narcissus, Nerines

Simple Fragrant Foliage; Flowering Mint, Rosemary, Bay

Flowers - Who? What? Where?

Unsure of what flowers to have, who should have them and which ones to choose?   Gone are the days when the bride carried only white flowers up the aisle!  You can get married wherever you like and have whatever you like in your bouquet, on your tables, at the venue or in the church.  It's completely up to you.

A mood board is always a good starting point, to create an overall theme.  I recently went to see a potential bride who presented me with a folding board dotted with magazine pulls showing blocks of colour and actual fabric swatches and images of all the elements she wanted to include in her wedding.
I was overwhelmed!  And very pleased, as this made my life extremely easy.

If you're going to stick with tradition, here's a general guide as to who, what and where.

BRIDE
What you wear on your big day will influence what style of bouquet but there's 3 basic types:
Hand-tied, Trailing and Overarm

GROOM
Buttonhole - usually he'll have something a bit special, using the main themed flower and another which matches the brides bouquet

BEST MAN/FATHERS

Can be any flower from the wedding theme.
All worn on their left lapel
MOTHERS
Although it's traditional for Mums to wear a corsage - this can be too overpowering and to be honest, out of all the weddings I've done this year, I haven't been asked to provide one!

BRIDESMAIDS

Usually carry a smaller version of the Bride's bouquet or a simple representation using either one or more of the main flower
CEREMONY
Depending on where you are getting married, this is a blank canvas including garlands, pedestals, columns, walls, windowsills, chairs. . . .  the list is endless

RECEPTION

I would normally recommend that any moveable flowers (those not fixed to columns or arches) to be moved on to the reception venue to save money.  In addition to that, table designs which could be anything from extravagent candelabras to simple vases or pots with a mixture of all the themed flowers.

GIFTS

As a thank you for all their help and support in planning your wedding, I'm sometimes asked to provide a 'living' bouquet for presentation to the Mothers of the Bride and Groom.  They then have something to take home as a reminder of your special day.