A Picturesque London Wedding

It can be hard to believe the busy city we call home has such stunning, country house-style spaces like The Hurlingham Club in Fulham. An exclusive private member’s club, this Georgian building has floor-to-ceiling windows and is set in 42 acres of the most magnificent landscaped gardens overlooking the river. With pure joy, last year we took up the opportunity to create some splendid floral designs at this venue for Anis and Saarah’s wedding…

Our fabulous bride knew she wanted very colourful flowers for her special day which led us to an apricot, orange, peach and cream palette with plenty of greenery to complement the walls of the tranquil Terrace Room and gorgeous lawns. Here, we lined the ceremony table with bud vases of individual stems that could be spotted throughout our arrangements (because who doesn’t love consistency, right?!) We also added Pearl Avalanche Roses for a luxuriously warm salmon-champagne touch and the short, rounded coral Hypericum Berries which varied the height of the blooms on display and worked perfectly with each of the vases.

For Saarah’s hand-tied bouquet, we selected the soft, creamy two-toned blooms of Cafe Au Lait Dahlias, compact white Cosmos, bell-shaped Lisianthus in apricot, delicate Jana Spray Roses, long stems of white Phlox, trailing Asparagus Fern and Miriam’s favourite, the Romantic Antique Garden Roses in peach. Our lovely groom, Anis wore a buttonhole made up of an oversized white Avalanche Rose and peach Jana Spray Rose to tie in with Saarah’s arrangement.

The four beautiful bridesmaids also each had a bouquet, this time comprised of tightly quilled Pom Pom Dahlias and Ranunculus rosettes with silky, paper-thin petals. Cosmos, Lisianthus, Phlox and Antique Garden Roses all made an appearance too, matching the bridal bouquet but bringing their own unique twist. We also created peach and green wrist corsages with Lisianthus, Jana Spray Roses and star-shaped Astrantia for when they were ready to put down their bouquets and dance the night away!

With a room as breathtaking as the reception space, the designs didn’t need to be big and bold, instead, they formed a graceful finishing touch to the look. We carried through the same flowers to create short centrepieces adorned with candles and silverware, plus a garland on the top table. Et voila!

A day filled with so much love and laughter, we’re over the moon that we got to work with Anis and Saarah. We wish them a very happy future together! If you or someone you know are planning a wedding or event in or around London, then we’d love to invite you to get in touch with us. You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

Photographers: Emma Kenny (1-15) and Amanda Karen (16-30) | Venue: The Hurlingham Club | Flowers: Miriam Faith

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Childrensalon SS20 Collection Preview Event

With most launch events now attended by both press and influencers, having a gorgeous backdrop for those Instagram and media shots is a must. That’s exactly what we were tasked with back in November last year for the showcase of the AW19 collections and preview of the SS20 collection, by children’s designer clothing brand, Childrensalon - to design a late autumnal floral arch over the emerald green door which would welcome guests and provide the perfect photo opportunity!

Hosted in one of the most buzzing areas of London, Soho Square, the event was held in an 18th-century townhouse that has been refurbished for a blend of period features and a contemporary twist. The day was brought to life via a collaboration with children’s nutrition and cooking expert, Annabel Karmel MBE. There was everything from discovering the casual and occasionwear designs to a live panel discussion, cookie decorating, soft play, tote bag embroidery and crafting with events company Sharky and George. But it was our job to make sure those visiting were in awe before they’d even stepped in the door.

For this whole day event, we chose a palette of vibrant and deep pinks, peach and pink champagne on a bed of lush-green for a non-traditional yet still festive feel that would suit the chilly morning, the low sun of the afternoon and the cool wonderland that was evening. We also wanted to give a nod to both the heritage and luxury of the Royal Tunbridge Wells brand…

The romantic Antique Rose in cerise pink (which only blooms once a year) oozed sophistication with its cup-shape and many silky petals, while the vintage-chic, Pearl Avalanche Rose combined a hint of warm peach with pink and green hues to also bring glamour to the arrangement.

Not one to go unnoticed, the unique, ruffled Bleuberry Rose with its dark pink, purple and berry tones really attracted attention and stood out from the crowd. In contrast, the creamy light peach Creme Garcia Spray Rose, positioned in close bunches to create depth, was an understated addition to the display. For more texture, we selected purple Mimosa, which can only be described as round, fluffy balls! Their delicate fern-like leaves and scent symbolised the sensitivity and vulnerability of children while the star-shaped, deep-coloured Red Astrantia pincushion flowers symbolised the strength and protection of their guardians.

For the base of foliage, we used the aromatic, dark green glossy leaves of Laurel, the long, trailing, elegant branches of evergreen Asparagus Fern and fresh, frosty-looking and earthy Autumnal Eucalyptus. Finally, we sprayed the narrow tear-shaped leaves of Ruscus gold which glistened from every angle.

As a mum herself, lead designer Miriam adored working on the floral creation for this event. If you or someone you know are planning a wedding or event in or around London, then we’d love to invite you to get in touch with us. You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

Photographer: Amanda Karen | Flowers: Miriam Faith

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See more from this event here.

A Charming Marylebone Wedding

We knew we’d struck gold when we were invited to be the florist for Vikki and Jonathan’s wedding back in the summer of 2019. With the couple as passionate as we are about the role of flowers in their big day, it was a wonderful opportunity for us to do our best work and bring their visions to life for both their civil ceremony and reception.

The venue - our canvas - was the iconic private member’s club, Home House; a 16th-century Georgian townhouse situated in Marylebone. Just moments from Hyde Park and Oxford Street, it’s located amongst the buzz of the city, but step inside and you’ll be taken aback by its grace. In fact, when it was built, it was even commissioned to be a “palace of pleasure” for entertaining, with an elegant structure, sumptuous decor and dramatic staircase. Despite being restored, it’s maintained its timeless appeal and decadence, with tall windows, parquet flooring, grand chandeliers and the finest fireplaces. What a space to work in!

Our brief for this luxurious London wedding was simple - blooms were to be the main decor, the perfect combination of scents was important and the colour palette was to be cream, white and blush flowers, complementing the light and airy rooms. Each of our designs would have a base of full, lush foliage to balance the high ceilings and scale of this space, while our urns, centrepieces and vases would be all gold to match the venue’s details. We’re not sure this could have been any more suited to us!

The Front Parlour & Eating Room have the most magnificent features and we knew just how to enhance them. Sweetly-scented Peonies, luminescent Scabiosa, glamorous Majolika Spray Roses, late Spring Blossom, oversized Avalanche Roses, tender Sweet Avalanche Roses, White O’Hara Roses (Miriam’s all-time fave), velvety Prince Jardinier Garden Roses and distinct Phlox made up a dazzling fireplace arrangement while Peonies, Scabiosa, Majolika Spray Roses, late Spring Blossom, untouched Lilac, Sweet Avalanche Roses, Avalanche Roses, frilled Solomon Seal and the large rings of clustered Guelder Roses adorned the mantlepiece. There is nothing better than being able to decorate a mantlepiece/fireplace, especially when they’re as beautiful as these!

At the top of the room where all eyes would be, we designed two statement urns. Bountiful Hydrangea, Sweet Avalanche Roses, Avalanche Roses, Guelder Roses, crinkled Stocks, Solomon Seal, Peonies, Lilac and white Spray Roses created highly fragrant, impactful arrangements with lots of movement. We just love a big urn filled with glorious blooms! To complete the look, we kept the ceremony table simple, adding just three pots of Peonies, White O’Hara Roses, dainty Ammi and Prince Jardinier Garden Roses. The chairs were then dressed with Lisianthus, Ammi, Avalanche Roses and Stock pew ends, and the aisle was strewn with white Rose petals.

For the bride and bridesmaid’s bouquets, the fragrant combination of Jasmin, evergreen Rosemary, woody Sage, Four Seasons Roses, Peonies, unadulterated Ranunculus, Sweet Peas and Scabiosa produced a delightful, ethereal arrangement to knock the brief out of the park. We never tire of Four Seasons Roses - they fill a bouquet or arrangement with so much beauty and romance! For the groom and groomsmen, the buttonholes consisted of a Four Seasons Rose, Lisianthus (our favourite for buttonholes), Rosemary and a Majolika Spray Rose. Roses and Rosemary are such a striking partnership, yet elegant and uncomplicated at the same time.

Later in the day, the ceremony room was transformed for the reception (spot us hard at work turning this around below)! Seven round tables, each decorated with one of two centrepiece designs. There are lots of options when it comes to table flowers. One thing we think about is the venue and dressing it in a style that would match the room. Here, the gold detailing was in keeping with the venue, while the soft and natural palette was ideal for the ambience. For the tall, gold stand centrepieces we chose Hydrangea, Sweet Avalanche Roses, Avalanche Roses, Majolika Spray Roses, Guelder Roses and Peonies. For the low, gold challis vase centrepieces, we selected Scabiosa, Peonies, Phlox, Ammi, Prince Jardinier Garden Roses, Majolika Spray Roses and blissful Sweet Peas.

This charming Jewish wedding brought an almost celestial vibe to a very classic building - something we’re just loving at the moment. We want to say a big thank you to Vikki and Jonathan for letting us work our magic and be part of their special day! If you or someone you know are planning a wedding or event in or around London, we’d love to invite you to get in touch with us. You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

Photographer: Gyan Gurung Photography | Venue: Home House | Flowers: Miriam Faith

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A Grand Affair London Wedding

If you’ve visited our blog before you may recognise the majestic 116 Pall Mall from the opulent wedding shoot we worked on in early 2019. In that post, we revealed we were going to be creating the floral arrangements for a wedding in the same venue later in the year. Never ones to break our promises, today we’re thrilled to be able to share the photos and details from that very wedding…

Five floors, each reached by sweeping staircases, 116 Pall Mall is one of the grandest yet most glorious and charming venues we’ve had the privilege to work in. Our fabulous couple, Leila and Arthur, selected this incredible central London building for their reception following their ceremony in the Knightsbridge Brompton Oratory Catholic Church, and we had the pleasure of working with them on the floral designs to further enhance this already gorgeous setting. Guests took to the Waterloo Room for drinks, overlooking Pall Mall and Waterloo Place before going through to the impressive adjoining Nash Room to eat and dance the night away.

With a theme of pink, pink and more pink, we knew we wanted to select a variety of blooms in different hues to add depth and plenty of luscious greenery for fullness in the large, airy rooms. Working in such splendid spaces with period features that do all the talking, elegantly enriched with swanky chandeliers, tall windows revealing remarkable views and perfectly curated furnishings is just a dream for us, but it also emphasises how important it is to get the intricacies of our floral designs just right to complete the look. However familiar we may be with where we are working, each time we visit totally inspires us and equally challenges us to see it in a new way.

On this occasion our couple chose simple bud vases for the Waterloo Room, made up of long, narrow Phlox with star-shaped flowers, each stem equipped with more than one fresh pink bloom; vibrant and tightly-quilled, two-toned Pom Pom Dahlias; petite Spray Roses with a deep pink heart and lighter pink outer which give a blushing effect; and the purest, oversized ivory Avalanche Rose (one of our absolute favourites)!

Walking along the balcony to the Nash Room the guests were greeted with one of two XXL urns (as seen at the ceremony). Also featuring Pom Pom Dahlias, Spray Roses and Avalanche Roses, the urns included the pastel pink softness of the Sweet Avalanche Rose, the aromatic clusters of instantly recognisable pink Hydrangea, large creamy peach Cafe Au Lait Dahlias with mid-green foliage, and ruffled, trumpet-shaped Lisianthus with their dark green leaves.

Upon entering the room, the seating chart also had an abundant display of Avalanche Roses, Sweet Avalanche Roses, Spray Roses and Lisianthus, leading onto eighteen tables each with either a tall gold candelabra of Hydrangea, Roses and Dahlias or a low gold chalice bowl, filled to the brim with Dahlias, Cafe Au Lait Dahlias, Sweet Avalanche Roses, Phlox, Lisianthus, Hydrangea and Spray Roses. For the top table, we graced the sweetheart table with a garland of fragrant Eucalyptus and evergreen Rosemary, studded with Avalanche Roses, Spray Roses and romantic pink O’Hara Roses (with a deliciously rich lavender scent) for possibly our favourite foliage-based design to date.

We can’t talk about tables without specifically mentioning the cake table. As the lovely Leila is from Brazil, where cake tables are a big thing in their culture, we wanted to go all out with the floral decorations. Four large urns, each overflowing with Hydrangea, Roses, Dahlias, Lisianthus and Spray Roses adorned the table of dreams!

Finally, we carefully dressed the fireplace with a mantelpiece arrangement full of British foliage, alongside British Hydrangea, Sweet Avalanche Roses, Spray Roses, Pink O’Hara Roses and the delightfully dainty white, lacy Ammi with their strong yet feathery stems.

We think this wedding goes to show that pink doesn’t necessarily mean overtly feminine or not luxurious, it’s simply about striking the right balance for the backdrop. We had the best time working with Leila and Arthur at 116 Pall Mall and can’t wait to work on our next weddings and events! If you or someone you know are planning a wedding or event in or around London, we’d love to invite you to get in touch with us. You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

Photographer: Gyan Gurung Photography | Venue: 116 Pall Mall | Flowers: Miriam Faith

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A Contemporary Country House Wedding

In the heart of the beautiful county of Somerset lies Brympton House - a luxurious country estate with acres of stunning parkland, a magnificent lake and the historic church of St Andrews - where our couple, Naomi and Alex recently tied the knot. Tasked with creating the bride’s bouquet, bouquets for her bridesmaids and the buttonholes, we set to work designing arrangements that were as fresh and charming as the setting.

Taking centre stage in the bouquets was the dreamy pale pink Prince Jardinier Garden Rose with its soft saucer-shaped bloom and swirly velvet petals (which looked gorgeous with the light blue suede shoes Naomi wore). The strong scent also made it a perfect match for her Diptyque perfume, both giving her a glorious sweet, floral fragrance throughout the day. Sitting next to this was an absolute stunner - the Garden Spirit Rose. Luxurious yet graceful, this popular wedding rose has a vintage look thanks to the light peach outer, pink inner and ruffled edges of green.

To complement the amazing Naomi Neoh gowns the bride wore, together we opted for two blooms ideally suited for the transition from day to night. Perfect for the ceremony in the quaint church, Blushing Bride Protea symbolises uniqueness, diversity and acceptance of change. Mainly white, with accents of pink, yellow and green, this small, dainty flower is star-shaped with a fine, feathery appearance gathered in clusters on each stem. It’s beautiful on its own, but we also love to pair it with blooms in similar hues as we have done here for added texture. We also selected none other than the Queen of the Night - Epiphyllum Oxypetalum - which completely transformed the bouquet for the reception back in the country house. This showy bloom gets its name because it’s nocturnal; only opening for a few hours at night and only the once. The tropical flowering cactus Oxypetalum with large, white flowers and strong, sweet fragrance is one of the most expensive flowers in the world but in our opinion, totally worth it!

Of course, it’s not just about the big or striking stems we choose. Picking the best fillers is essential for full arrangements that enhance the outfits and venue. From white and subtle blush flowers to varying shades of green foliage, we made sure everything included played a role in adding depth and character to the floral designs:

  • Phlox - an impressive array of majestic flowers, they’re tall and eye-catching with long, narrow leaves and a delightful fragrance.

  • Nigella - belonging to the Buttercup family, they’re pretty ornamental flowers with a thread-like structure which give the appearance they’re surrounded by a mist. The ferny foliage and spiky flowers make it a stem that works wonders next to a more feminine flower.

  • Ammi - guaranteed to add splendour to a mixed bouquet, the tiny white florets are densely packed but lacy in texture (which if you look closely, almost matched Naomi’s daytime dress exactly)! It’s abundant yet light with an ethereal quality.

  • Lisianthus - one we love to use, especially for buttonholes, it’s soft and tender, and often mistaken for a rose because of the large, gentian bell-shaped flowers, wide petals, long stems and dark green leaves.

  • Astilbe - brilliant at adding drama to an arrangement, each stem features a plume of feather-shaped branches holding clusters of small flowers. We love its attractive glossy fern-like foliage - a must-have with a satin gown!

  • Eucalyptus - if you’ve visited our blog before you’ll know we’re big fans of eucalyptus. Fast-growing, well-covered, its waxy finish is simple but so effective in bouquets.

  • Ivy - the woody, evergreen lobed leaves look divine as part of garden or country weddings thanks to the trailing display it presents.

  • Gardenias - super delicate, they’re tubular flowers with leathery dark green leaves which make any feminine arrangement edgier.

It was our pleasure to create the bouquets and buttonholes for Naomi and Alex’s special day. If you or someone you know are planning a wedding or event in or around London, we’d love to invite you to get in touch with us. You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

Photographer: Emma Pilkington Photography | Venue: Brympton House | Dress: Naomi Neoh | Shoes: Harriet Wilde | Flowers: Miriam Faith

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An Intimate London Skyline Wedding

Today we’re throwing it back to pre-COVID times and last September when we found ourselves 34 floors up overlooking the stunning London skyline for Stacey and Matt’s wedding at one of our all-time favourite venues - The Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard. A space we know well plus a bride with a clear vision and who’s in the wedding industry herself meant this was a match made in heaven!

Our gorgeous couple - who also got engaged at The Shard on New Year’s Eve back in 2015 - selected the intimate Li Room for their special day. Holding up to 30 guests, the room’s floor-to-ceiling windows with views of London Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral and more make it feel much bigger and brighter, and only enhanced the styling choices for this celebration.

As a wedding stationer and founder of The Bridal Paperie, Stacey has an amazing eye for detail and knew her theme well. She wanted everything crisp in almond and blush pink; even sending us snippets of her ribbons so that we could match her colour palette exactly! We worked with her and Matt to create a moon gate, a welcome sign, centrepieces, a bridal bouquet, a bridesmaid’s bouquet, flower girl posies and a buttonhole featuring full blooms and fresh foliage which complemented the room and outfits perfectly.

The moon gate was wonderful to make and provided such a fabulous backdrop for the couple’s nuptials. For this, we used romantic sandy-blush Quicksand Roses, Westminster Abbey Roses, traditional yet pure, soft pink White O’Hara Roses, small cream Majolika Spray Roses, intoxicating ivory Margaret Merril Roses, Astrantia and white star-shaped Phlox all to add depth and glamour to the design. Westminster Abbey roses - a relatively new rose on the market - couldn’t have been a better match to Stacey and Matt’s colour palette. The rose is named after the abbey as it has the same colour as the building’s exterior - brown-beige but it changes to a delightful greyish/creamy pale pink as it blooms. It’s a large flower, elegantly packed with pretty, ruffled petals.

We carried these flowers through the other arrangements by using them for the centrepieces, bridal bouquet, bridesmaid’s bouquet and the welcome sign. The compact clusters of firework-shaped Astrantia florets also had their spot amongst the creamy, multi-layered Avalanche Roses in the flower girl posies which are always SO cute to see in use!

To differ the two bouquets, we used graceful Stocks with their sweet and spicy scent and tall leafy stalks in the bridesmaid’s bouquet and gentian-like delicate Lisianthus in the bridal bouquet. But of course, we also wanted Matt’s buttonhole to reflect Stacey’s bouquet, so we made this with Lisianthus petals and its dark green, oval-shaped leaves too.

Two other picks to make the floral creations unique were the abundant, aromatic pom-poms of white Hydrangea in the centrepieces and the classic trailing stems of shiny, rich green Soft Ruscus foliage for the welcome sign. Both playing an important part in forming full compositions and show-stopping pieces that look as beautiful on camera as they do in real life. Sadly the only thing we couldn’t capture was the incredible, sweet and fruity fragrances that came from all of these combinations!

We were absolutely overjoyed to work with Stacey and Matt for their big day and to do so in the breathtaking Shangri-La again. If you or someone you know are planning a wedding or event in or around London, we’d love to invite you to get in touch with us. You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

Images: Amanda Karen Photography and Emma Pilkington Photography | Venue: Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard | Venue Styling: Alexandra Rose Weddings | Chair Hire: Rosetone | Flowers: Miriam Faith | Silk Ribbon: Pompom Blossom | Stationery: The Bridal Paperie | Cake: Monannie | Dress: Wed2B | Shoes: Bella Belle | Veil: Britten Weddings | Hair and Makeup: Spence and Oliver | Groomswear: French Connection

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As seen in Wedding Ideas Magazine:

“The space was filled with vases, gold lanterns, candles and flowers. Florist Miriam Faith sourced roses to match the couple’s colour scheme, which were paired with dark green and silvery foliage. And every detail – from the gold cutlery and beaded chargers to the gold-rimmed chairs and hand-dyed silk ribbon around the bouquets – was intricately sourced”.


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6 Stylish Bridal Bouquets For Spring Weddings

To us, bridal bouquets are two things: 1) a reflection of the person holding them and 2) there to complete and compliment the look. From classic and crisp to fun and flirty, we always work with our clients to inject personality and what matters most into every arrangement so your bouquet looks, smells and feels amazing!

In today’s post, we’re sharing six ultra-chic wedding bouquets we’ve created to bring you inspiration for your spring wedding. Each hand-tied with premium ribbon, if you’re looking for luxurious, contemporary designs, we’ve got you covered.

Bridal bouquet #1 features: Alabaster Rose, Spirea, Paperwhites, Lilac, Ranunculus, Sweetpea, Pittosporum, Asparagus Fern

If a modern, romantic and ethereal bouquet is right up your street, you’ll love the combination of the buttery Alabaster Rose, cascading Spirea, crisp Paperwhites and creamy Ranunculus. It’s a pure, earthy and elegant alternative to a nosegay, posy or cascading bouquet with a sweet yet fresh fragrance.

Bridal bouquet #2 features: Ranunculus, Poppies, Edith Rose, Butterfly Ranunculus, Daucus, Clematis, Eucalyptus

One of our absolute faves, this bouquet is vibrant and downright dazzling! With paper-like, ruffled petals and waxy leaves, zoom in and you’ll see we selected these for their shine, silk and multitude of tones which add depth and character. It’s quirky, colourful and packed full of seasonal blooms; it’s guaranteed to bring even more joy to your special day!

Bridal bouquet #3 features: Camellia, Kiera Rose, Guelder Rose, Lilac, Jasmin, Sweetpea, Rice Flower, Asparagus Fern

Evergreen and lustrous, this bouquet brings together different clusters and textures to form a completely unique and charming design. Attractive pink Camellia and peach rosettes of Keira Rose add femininity to the various foliage: the thick, glossy and dark Camellia Leaf; the broad, lobed and radiant green Guelder Rose; the beautiful, heart-shaped Lilac leaves; the tubular, shiny Jasmin; the tiny bell-shaped Sweetpeas; the thin leaves and woody stems of Rice Flower; the trailing branches of feathery Asparagus Fern.

Bridal bouquet #4 features: Ranunculus, Miranda Rose, Clematis, Sweetpea, Daucus, Eucalyptus, Asparagus Fern, Myosotis

Wild, striking, intense and brilliant at first glance, look closer and you’ll see elegant blooms like ornate Daucus, blissful Eucalyptus, baroque Sweetpeas, simple Myosotis and fluffy Asparagus Fern in amongst the grand pink Miranda Rose and satin petals of the two Ranunculus varieties. It’s deep, strong and passionate with so much meaning at the heart!

Bridal bouquet #5 features: Purity Rose, Sweetpea, Lilac, Rice Flower, Phlox, Pittosporum

Soft and natural, this bouquet has arcadian vibes, perfectly suited to the conscious bride. The most muted of all of the arrangements here, it’s also one of the silkiest, wholesome and abundant. Woody stems contribute various shades of green, forming a contrasting backdrop to dense but distinctive white buds and ruffled layers upon layers of blush petals. Pittosporum, Sweetpeas and Purity Roses give it a sweet scent you won’t be able to get enough of too!

Bridal bouquet #6 features: Edith Rose, Miranda Rose, Parrot Tulips, Guelder Rose, Myosotis, Clematis, Eucalyptus, Ranunculus

Bright and showy, this bouquet is all about the layers and vines. The vivid coral Edith Rose and decadent, pink Miranda Rose with wavy petals bring the most fabulously fruity fragrance with hints of raspberry and vanilla making them great choices for Spring. Frilled yellow and orange two-toned Parrot Tulips and lively green Guelder Roses are certainly showstoppers in this arrangement while dainty blue Myosotis (or more commonly known, Forget-Me-Nots) keep it from feeling too big and bold!

Which is your favourite? If you or someone you know are planning a wedding or event, we’d love to invite you to get in touch with us. You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

You might also like to read:

Flowers: Miriam Faith | Images: Amanda Karen Photography

6 Spring Wedding Table Arrangements You & Your Guests Will Love

Centrepieces have the ability to totally transform tables at your wedding. When carefully considered, they can make everything feel more inviting, complete the room and bring your guests closer together. And the great thing is that every seat around them gets to see a different perspective of how it all works together.

In today’s post, we’re sharing six stunning table arrangements we’ve designed and produced that demonstrate that you don’t have to have a typical colour palette or the most recognisable blooms for your spring wedding centrepieces. We’ve even included some of the same blooms in different arrangements to showcase their versatility… see if you can spot which ones!

Spring Arrangement #1 features: Spring Blossom, Icelandic Poppy, Parrot Tulip, Ranunculus, Butterfly Ranunculus, Clematis, Frittila, Guelder Rose, Lilac, Spirea

If you’ve got a taste for the tropics, the exotic, frilled, bi-coloured Parrot Tulip, vivid orange, bowl-shaped Icelandic Poppy and glistening yellow petals of Butterfly Ranunculus are great additions to a springtime centrepiece.

Spring Arrangement #2 features: Sweetpea, Clematis, Ranunculus, Daucus

If you’re looking for something a little edgier and daring but still full of deep desire, the satin layers of Ranunculus in hot pink and plum contrasts perfectly against the softer, lacy Daucus and tubular Clematis in this season.

Spring Arrangement #3 features: Camellia, Ranunculus, Jasmin, Paperwhites, Clematis, Spirea, Keira Rose, Sweetpea

For the chic and stylish couple, it’s all about texture and beauty. Big, beautiful rosettes in cream, blush, peach and pink on a backdrop of sweetly scented Jasmin, evergreen Camellia and crisp, pure Paperwhites couldn’t be more ideal for spring.

Spring Arrangement #4 features: Lilac, Paperwhites, Phlox, Rice Flower, Guelder Rose, Hebe, Ranunculus, Keira Rose

For a contemporary classic, let the foliage and vines do the talking with a couple of statement blooms to tie it all together. Small, dense buds of Rice Flower, dome-shaped, Hebe and ornamental Lilac make for an elegant and delicate springtime design.

Spring Arrangement #5 features: Spring Blossom, Icelandic Poppy, Butterfly Ranunculus, Ranunculus, Myosotis, Edith Rose, Guelder Rose, Miranda Rose, Parrot Tulip, Clematis

Three words. Colourful, vibrant, playful. Guaranteed to brighten up any venue (inside and out), a rainbow arrangement - when done right - can still feel luxurious. Gorgeous, glossy David Austin roses, dainty blue Myosotis and pretty-in-pink Spring Blossom pop from every angle, bringing gloriously fruity, fresh fragrances.

Spring Arrangement #6 features: Camellia Leaf, Parrot Tulip, Butterfly Ranunculus, Spring Blossom, Ranunculus, Daucus, Eucalyptus, Icelandic Poppy

Finally, we take you where the wild things are for a homage to the first time you notice the new life of spring to mark the dawn of your new life together. Where leafy green stems grow tall and wide and flowers go from bud to bloom. Thick, serrated Camellia Leaf and well-covered Eucalyptus were made for tall arrangements.

Which is your favourite? If you or someone you know are planning a wedding or event, we’d love to invite you to get in touch with us. You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

You might also like to read:

Flowers: Miriam Faith | Images: Amanda Karen Photography

Seasonal Blooms For Your Spring Wedding

Spring promises some seriously pretty flowers so in today’s post we’re bringing you all the inspiration for arrangements in this season. From the illustrious to the unexpected, there’s something for everyone in here…

RANUNCULUS

We adore the pure shapes and silky textures of this bloom, and our clients do too. With long stems and paper-thin petals, the Ranunculus is available in a variety of colours - light and dark. Mildly scented, it symbolises charm and attractiveness - a very accurate description for its appearance, fragrance and versatility.

MIRANDA ROSE (DAVID AUSTIN)

Just one of the David Austin roses to feature here, Miranda is a gorgeous, large rosette with pink, wavy petals and a fruity/floral scent. As each head opens, the outer petals become lighter in colour for a hue that’s just the epitome of Spring!

PHLOX

Coming from the Greek word meaning flame, these tall, star-shaped, eye-catching perennials typically have 5 petals in single or two-toned colours, and long, narrow leaves. A modern, luxurious pick which works so well in a variety of floral arrangements.

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JASMIN

Releasing its sweet, strong essence at night, Jasmin gather in clusters of a minimum of 3 tubular, waxy white flowers. Each 2-5cm in diameter with 4-9 petals and shiny, oval leaves, Jasmin symbolises happiness. Especially ideal for bouquets and buttonholes!

CAMELLIA

5-9 large, showy petals and glossy, serrated foliage, Camellia make for exquisitely elegant blooms. An attractive, evergreen shrub; what it lacks in aura it certainly makes up for in vibrance and warmth. The blue-pink hue of petals represents unreserved love while the yellow heart reflects deep affection and admiration, making it the perfect Springtime wedding flower choice.

PARROT TULIP

The most flamboyant of the tulips, this distinctive flower blooms in mid to late Spring. Each completely unique thanks to fringed, twisted, ruffled or scalloped shapes and vivid, flame-like splashes/stripes, this exotic stem resembles the plumage of a tropical parrot. Available in a whole range of bright colours, these are often bi- or tri- coloured with tall, strong stems and a star-shaped centre. We love working with these to create unforgettable floral designs.

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DAUCUS (“WILD CARROT” / “QUEEN ANNE’S LACE”)

Named because of its tiny lace-like dark-red/purple flowers, Daucus is a wildflower available from late spring, which is both delicate and striking at the same time. Interestingly, some of these stems are sweet, some smell of carrot or parsley, and some are not fragrant at all. The flat, umbrella-shaped heads have a pale-pink tinge when the blossoms open which radiate in the sunshine - definitely one to consider for your outdoor wedding/event.

EDITH ROSE (DAVID AUSTIN)

Edith’s sweet and fruity with hints of raspberry and vanilla, and undertones of myrrh. These two-toned blooms in cupped shades of peach/apricot, gold/yellow and soft pink/coral outer petals open to be around 10-12cm in diameter. If you prefer brights over pastels and want something show-stopping, this could certainly be one for you.

PURITY ROSE (DAVID AUSTIN)

The name pretty much says it all. Purity is a luxurious wedding rose that’s gentle, feathery and creamy with white petals and soft blush undertones in the centre. With ~90 petals loosely ruffled and a rose water/Turkish delight aroma, this bloom is a contemporary twist on a more traditional rose.

TULIP

Probably the first flower most people think of when it comes to spring, the Tulip - which is part of the lily family - comes in an array of colours from fiery orange to classic white, dreamy pink to deep purple, pale yellow to romantic red. Another one that can be fresh, sweet, spicy or have no fragrance, Tulips have smooth, fringed or ruffled petals in a cup shape with a dark centre to contrast. These flawless flowers have perfectly symmetrical buds and represent purity, honour and holiness.

ALABASTER ROSE (DAVID AUSTIN)

Another of David Austin’s incredible garden roses, the rounded, flat Alabaster rosette is just meant for weddings. 60 dainty white petals, layered to meet a creamy, buttery centre with dense, dark green yet glossy foliage, it’s sweet, soft and stylish.

PAPERWHITE NARCISSUS (“PAPERWHITES”)

These crisp white flowers symbolise renewal and the coming of Spring. As one of the smallest members of the daffodil (narcissus) family, Paperwhites are a polarising choice. Bringing a heady, ripe perfume, some say they they experience floral notes while others pick out musky notes. Emanation aside, we’re fans because of the clusters of pure, tender flowers with blue-grey foliage.

GUELDER ROSE

If for you, bigger means better, Guelders are a great option. 5-petalled, characteristically fragranced flowers arranged in dense bundles surrounded by a larger ring, with broad, lobed leaves, these flower in May-July in cream to pinkish-white colours.

KEIRA ROSE (DAVID AUSTIN)

Individual and subtly different in colour, Keira is tightly packed with 100 wave-effect petals to form a whimsical head. The blends of blush and cream with touches of pink make it a romantic selection, with each bloom smelling of myrrh, marzipan and vanilla.

CLEMATIS

If you hadn’t guessed already, we like to do things a little differently around here; producing arrangements with less traditional florals for avant-garde weddings and events. Clematis (coming from the Greek word meaning vine) is just one example of that. These almond-scented, tubular, bell-shaped flowers have 6-7 petals, with leaves growing in pairs aren’t necessarily a common choice but are perfect for adding pops of colour, coming in white, purple, blue, pink, red and two-toned shades.

SYRINGA VULGARIS (“LILAC”)

An ornamental shrub, Lilac may only be small but as they grow in bunches, they form abundant blooms of pristine white flowers and dark-green, heart-shaped leaves with an intoxicating fragrance guaranteed to make your flowers as memorable as the day itself.

BUTTERFLY RANUNCULUS

It may be fairly new in town, but we’re not sure there are many colourful florals quite as graceful as this. A high petal count, each coated in a sparkling layer of wax, there’s a similarity to a butterfly shape, however this individual stem itself is structured like another of our favourites - the Anemone with a button-like, pressed centre. If you’re looking for a daffodil alternative, look no further!

Which would you include? If you or someone you know are planning a wedding or event, we’d love to invite you to get in touch with us. You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

You might also like to read:

Flowers: Miriam Faith | Images: Amanda Karen Photography

Wedding Flowers For Men: Spring Buttonhole Inspiration

When it comes to their special day, more and more couples are choosing to have an alternative wedding rather than one full of traditions. But one thing that tends to stay the same is that we’re frequently asked to create buttonholes for the men in the wedding party. Here we’ll be giving you some background on who wears them and where, and more importantly showing you some of our favourite spring buttonholes we’ve created…

A great way to tie in the men’s outfits with the theme of the day, buttonholes normally match or compliment the bridal bouquet and floral decorations. Most commonly worn by the groom, best man, ushers, father of the bride, father of the groom and sometimes the pageboy, buttonholes are placed on their left-hand side, above the heart, attached to either the suit jacket or shirt. Some suit jackets will have an actual buttonhole on the left lapel, meaning the buttonhole can be threaded through and secured with a pin. If there’s no hole, the stem is usually tied with thread or ribbon (matching the colour palette) and pinned to the front of the fabric. Either way, the flowerhead always points upwards to show it in all its glory!

Did you know?

‘Boutonniere’ is the French word for buttonhole. These are often composed of a small bunch of flowers or berries, herbs, succulents or feathers grouped together. Whereas a ‘buttonhole’ is usually a single flower and foliage. Here in the UK, we’ve adopted both names, so we recommend working with your florist to determine what you want from yours.

Ranunculus + Pittosporum

For this buttonhole we combined the beautiful, pure shape of a cream Ranunculus with the fine, leathery evergreen foliage of Pittosporum. One of our all time favourite flowers, the layers of mildly scented, paper-thin petals and green heart (which gives it a 3D effect) work so well against the spirally arranged leaves which emanate a fresh, citrus-like fragrance, making it ideal for spring.

Yellow Butterfly Ranunculus

This particular bloom is a relative newcomer on the flower scene. While it brings with it the layers of delicate paper-like petals we’d expect from a Ranunculus, the structure is similar to that of an Anemone but with a higher petal count. Getting its name from its slight butterfly shape, this long-lasting cut flower has a tiny layer of wax on each petal which gives it a glossy appearance and of course, comes in a radiant yellow colour guaranteed to brighten up any suit for spring.

Camellia + Jasmine

The blue-pink hue of Camellia is an elegant option which symbolises gentle unreserved love and admiration. An attractive, evergreen shrub with thick, dark leaves that have serrated edges, Camellia also has 5-9 petals forming a large, showy flower. While this doesn’t have a fragrance, paired with the strong yet sweet Jasmine (which releases its fragrance at night), this buttonhole will provide a subtle scent and a nod to spring. The tubular, waxy white flowers of jasmine which gather in clusters represent deep affection and happiness, making it a perfect pick for your big day.

Ranunculus

You’ve already seen one way to use this flower in a buttonhole at the start of this post, but the different varieties make it so versatile. The deep pink is a symbol of romance, love and gentle feelings, while Ranunculus itself symbolises charm and attractiveness. Here we’ve kept the long, thin stems which support the rosette-shaped blooms and delicate, silky petals. Many would consider this deeper shade to be more appropriate for a late summer wedding but we love designing bolder, unexpected options all year round!

Keira Rose, Jasmine + Lilac

If you’ve read our previous posts, you’ll know we’re big fans of David Austin garden roses, and the Keira Rose is another variety of those. A blend of blush pink and cream, the cupped blooms are framed by around 100 frilly petals and have the most wonderful fragrance of myrrh, almond, marzipan and vanilla. Complimented by Jasmine (as seen earlier) and the ornamental shrub, Lilac, this buttonhole is the epitome of purity and innocence. The abundant display of Lilac (which despite its name) is white in colour, also has an intoxicating fragrance. If you’re looking for a powerful combination for your spring wedding buttonhole, this is it.


Yellow Butterfly Ranunculus, Frittilaria + Myosotis

You’ll recognise the Butterfly Ranunculus from further up, but here we’ve added another pop of colour in the form of Myosotis, more commonly known as forget-me-nots. The small, bright blue flowers have a yellow centre which makes them work so well with the yellow Ranunculus. Next to these we have Frittilaria (also called Snake’s Head Fritillary) - a bell-shaped flower which belongs to the Lily family and brings grass-like foliage, all tightly held together with silky blue ribbon. A vibrant Spring buttonhole if we ever did see one!

Which is your favourite? If you or a special couple you know are planning a wedding, we’d love to invite you to get in touch with us. You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

You might also like to read:

Flowers: Miriam Faith | Images: Amanda Karen Photography

What A Wedding Florist Needs To Know About Your Big Day

What A Wedding Florist Needs To Know About Your Big Day

Before we can work our creative magic, we need to be able to envision what you really want from us. You don’t need to be artistic yourself or have a knowledge of flowers but the more insight you can give us, the easier it is for us to advise, design and bring your vision to life.

From your initial consultation with us, we can help you to make sense of your ideas - recognising themes, details and symbols - and confirm whether what you have in your head can become real or suggest alternatives that may even be better than what you originally had in mind! It’s so important to us to make your day unique and memorable, so we’ll always work as closely as possible with you.

There are certain aspects of your wedding that we just have to know before any practical work can take place (and we promise we only ask because it enables us to see how our work fits into the bigger picture). We know that when you’re newly engaged, you’re very keen to get in touch with lots of vendors and scope out who can do what, so to make sure you’re really ready and to allow us to do our best work, we’ve put together a guide to what we’ll ask you when you first get in touch…



Budget

We’re definitely not here to judge you on how much you’re spending on your wedding. We need to know what your budget is so we can respectfully quote and work within this.


Wedding Date, Timings & Location(s)

As much as we would often love to, we can’t be in two places at the same time so we have to check our diary for our availability on your actual wedding day and of course, for the lead time to prep your designs. We need to know what time we need to deliver flowers, how long we would have to set up, how long we would have to clear up and how much time we would have to move the flowers from one venue to another if you choose to have two. Knowing the date also means we can advise as to what flowers are in season at that time.

The Venue(s)

Inform us of the name, location and type of venue you have chosen for both your ceremony and reception. The type and size of the venue, shape, lighting and its ambiance all need to be considered and gives us some inspiration when choosing the flowers to use and the size and shape of any installations/arrangements. If the venue is already known to us this makes our job easier right from the beginning but if not, we might choose to visit the venue to get a feel for ourselves so we can advise you fully and provide florals which will look right at home within the particular setting.

Theme and Style

Is your wedding going to be a formal or informal affair? Are you going for a classic, more traditional approach or something modern? What are your wedding outfits like? What are the surroundings like? What mood do you wish to create? These all affect the style of any floral arrangements.

If you have booked your photographer, pass these details through to us too. This will enable us to look at the style of the photographer to ensure that the flowers are showcased in the best way.

Colour Palette

We can absolutely incorporate your colour palette into the florals. What colours do you want to include/avoid? Is there a restriction on the number of colours to be used? What colour are your outfits, the tablecloths and cutlery, the walls of the venue? Do you have colour swatches of materials to show us?

Choice of Flowers

Let us know if you have any favourite flowers or have flowers that have a special meaning to you. We will try our utmost to incorporate your favourite flower(s) into your floral designs.

Size of the Wedding Party Who Require Flowers

Knowing how many of each arrangement we need to create ensures we know how much time is required and whether it’s achievable within your budget.

Hairstyles

Do you know how you wish to have your hair styled for the big day? Are you wearing a veil, having a floral crown in your hair or wearing floral pins? The type and size of the flowers to be used will depend on your hair style and length of your hair. Also, are your bridesmaids or flower girls wearing flowers in their hair? 

Number of Guests

Although the seating plan has probably not been established at this stage, we need to know an estimate of the number of guests you’re expecting to invite. When booking your venue you would have been given an indication of how many people can be catered for within a specific room. The actual size and shape of the room will dictate the number of tables you require for you and your guests, any other tables required and also type (long, square, circular) of table. Once this is established we know whether to create tall or low table centrepieces, to just use bud vase arrangements, long floral runners, or overhead installations. We can ascertain which areas need decorating with floral arrangements, leaving room for everyone to move around freely.


Cake Flowers

If you wish for us to provide flowers for the cake, we need to know the contact details of the cake designer and also what time and where the cake will be set up.


Point of Contact

Who is the best person for us to contact on the day of the wedding should we have any questions? We’ll need you to provide us with a name and contact details for that person. You won’t want to deal with any questions yourself and we certainly don’t want to bother you!


Wedding Planner

You may have hired a wedding planner. In which case once we know your preferences and requirements, we can liaise with your wedding planner so do pass on their details to us.

Of course, these are just some of the contact details and considerations. We’ll be able to tailor your consultation(s) with us based on the information you give us. Even if you’re not completely sure but have the basics (date, time, venue(s) and budget) down, we’d love to invite you to get in touch with us. You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

You might also like to read:

DIY Wedding Flowers vs Hiring A Florist

DIY Wedding Flowers vs Hiring A Florist

The cost of flowers for your wedding can be pretty expensive so it is understandable why some couples want to cut back and prioritise their budget elsewhere by doing the flowers themselves rather than hiring a florist. But what does it really involve? Today we’re covering the things to consider when doing your own wedding flowers and why hiring a florist might actually be your best investment...

Many of our clients tell us that looking back at their special occasion, they recognise how the floral designs completely transformed their space and were glad they invested in working with us. But some certainly considered creating arrangements themselves at one point during the planning process. If that’s you right now, before making any decisions, you need to first ask yourself the following questions:

  • Do you know anything about flowers?

  • Do you enjoy working with flowers?

  • Are you creative? Do you have any design experience?

  • Do you have any help?

  • Do you have the time?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any or all of those questions, then we’ve pulled together some further considerations for you which will help you to make the best decision for you as a couple...

  • Whether you hire a florist or not, start off with choosing a colour palette and have a vision of how you would like your floral arrangements to look and what types of flowers you would like to use. Consider what you need flowers for - your bridal bouquet, bridesmaids bouquets, corsages, buttonholes, aisle flowers and table centrepieces to name a few. Try to stay seasonal with your choices as this is the best way of keeping costs down. Keep your designs simple unless you have experience of working with flowers and are creative enough to be able to tackle larger floral installations, backdrops or floral arches.

  • If you are making plans well in advance, use Pinterest for inspiration. There are lots of tutorials on flower arranging on YouTube. Also, many schools/colleges or even some local florists hold workshops (including us!) that you might like to go along to. Once you know what your vision is, you will need to know how many flowers you require.

  • Spend time finding out where you can source your flowers. Maybe there is a local flower market or perhaps go online. You can buy DIY wedding flower packages from online wholesalers but nothing beats going out to choose them, which is why we take our clients for a trip to London flower market.

  • Have you thought about the vessels you would like to use to display your flowers? You may already have some mason jars or bud vases that you can use, otherwise you could hire some or even buy some second-hand ones from charity shops or car boot sales.

  • Once ordered, the flowers will need to be collected or delivered several days prior to your wedding day as they will need to be prepped before being made up into arrangements. Ask yourself do you firstly have the time to collect them or have the time to stay at home when they are being delivered or is there somebody else available who can do this for you? Secondly, do you have space to be able to prep and then store the flowers? 

  • The blooms will need time to open fully and be conditioned. Remove all thorns, strip the stems leaving just a few leaves and trim off several inches off the bottom of the stem prior to putting them in a sterile bucket or container with clean water. Ensure that the temperature is right - you don’t want the flowers wilting in the heat!

  • Be prepared that a crisis could occur. It may be that a certain variety of a flower you ordered are not available or it’s the wrong shade. Stay calm and be flexible. 

  • Have you considered what you need to keep your floral arrangements in place? It’s not a case of just tying a ribbon around them. Many floral arrangements need wire, pins and tape so that they can have some kind of structure.

  • Before you can start being creative, ensure that you have enough work space. Flowers are fragile and can be easily damaged in the styling process. It is always wise to buy extra flowers.

  • Have a trial run with making up your creations - you won’t want to leave it down to chance for the big day.

  • How are you going to transport the flowers to the venue the day before the wedding/event? Who is available to drive the vehicle? Does the vehicle have flat space? Who will assist with the final flower set up while you both get ready?

  • Working with flowers can play havoc with your hands! It’s not vain to want smooth hands and beautifully manicured, polished nails on your wedding day. Do you have enough time for this treatment?

Are you up for the challenge? It’s absolutely possible to have DIY wedding flowers and we’ve seen lots of couples do this very successfully. But if you’re questioning if it’s really for you, we wanted to share some of the reasons working with a florist might be more suitable...

  • Professional florists can take that stress away from you so it’s one less thing for you to think about. It’s really important to us that we listen to what you’ve dreamed of having and work within your budget. We’ve spent years developing our skills and working creatively to define or complement the whole look and feel of weddings and events. And why do we do it? Because we truly love working with flowers! 

  • There are so many different options available to you that we can advise you every step of the way to ensure you avoid feeling overwhelmed and that your floral decor is exactly how you envisioned. 

  • We’ve cultivated long-term relationships with our suppliers so that we only use premium, quality blooms, meaning you only ever get the best from us.

  • Freshly cut flowers don’t tend to stay fresh for very long, so we also bring with us the experience of knowing when to source, order and collect the flowers and hire any vases, urns, arches, candles, other props that are required along with consumable supplies – such as wire, ribbon and oasis foam.

  • We have a secure space which has been specifically designed for us to prep the flowers, store them and then arrange them, so you know they are being taken care of at all times.

  • Depending on your needs, we can be there to deliver, install and move the flowers between venues if that’s what you’re looking for. After your magical day, we even clear away or preserve your floral arrangements.

If you would like to find out more about how we can help you to create your dream wedding, event or photoshoot through floral design, then why not get in touch today? You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

You might also like to read:

5 Wedding Flower Trends For 2020

5 Wedding Flower Trends For 2020

For years, trends have been a love or loathe factor for those planning weddings. For some couples, being ‘on-trend’ and having a super stylish day has been essential whereas others have opted to go completely against the grain. But 2020 looks set to change that, as for the first time, it seems that many couples are aligned - no longer seeing these as trends, but as a conscious choice which is no longer just about them and their guests, but something that impacts on a much wider scale…

ECO-FRIENDLY & SUSTAINABLE WEDDINGS

Perhaps unsurprisingly, eco-friendly and sustainable weddings are the number one trend for 2020 (and we expect for a number of years following this). Weddings are no longer just about the aesthetic, impressing others and making them Insta-worthy - more couples want to reflect their own values, use their wedding to inspire family and friends, and consider the impact on the environment. We’re all for this and love seeing the different ways it can be achieved, but rest assured, it’s completely possible while maintaining all the romance, glamour and elegance!

One of the ways we’ve been achieving this over the years is sourcing locally grown, seasonal British flowers as much as possible - not only keeping them fresh and high quality, but reducing our carbon footprint too. We also encourage our couples to only order what they really need and gift or preserve their arrangements after the day - emphasising the reduce, reuse, recycle messaging.

We work alongside a number of vendors for each wedding and event we do, and we’re seeing an increase in couples choosing more ethical, local and organic options. From the catering to clothing and beyond, plastic-free, zero-waste, planet-friendly weddings aren’t just a hot trend, they’re considered a must by most.

NATURAL FRAGRANCES & COLOURS

Although hot pink/fuchsia is expected to be Pantone’s colour of the year 2020, continuing with the eco-friendly feel for weddings and events, we’re anticipating a rise in more natural floral arrangements. We’re already big fans of the colours and fragrances that come from using greenery - even working on our very own, Kirsty’s succulents and foliage theme for her special day. There’s nothing synthetic about weddings in 2020, with couples opting for blooms already with an abundance of scent and an ethereal colour palette of sand, sage and eco green, white, grey and lavender with just a pop of mellow yellow.

STATEMENT BLOOMS

Amongst all that greenery, couples are choosing to have fewer flowers - cutting down on how many they need (reducing cost + waste) whilst still making a statement. We’ve been creating designs like these for a long time, particularly for tall centrepieces filled with hydrangea, pom pom guelder roses, peonies and cafe au lait dahlias. Combining foliage and bigger blooms is a great way to fill a larger/higher space and also brings in the fairytale-esque trend we’ve seen come back around more recently.

WILD/DRIED FLOWERS & UNPACKAGED ARRANGEMENTS

There’s definitely a common theme to the trends and predictions for 2020 - it’s all about the world we live in. We’ve seen meadows becoming a popular ceremony location, with wild and dried flowers being used indoors and outdoors. On tables you’ll find herbs used as decor - again bringing those natural fragrances and colours. In bouquets, centrepieces and arches you’ll see a much wilder creation rather than the pared-back hand-tied, carefully precise designs. Things no longer have to be neat and perfect, instead behaving how they would in nature - a very relaxed, unstructured vibe.

HYPER-PERSONALISATION

So while all floral arrangements are more eco-conscious than ever, it’s still really important to our couples to have something meaningful to them. Perhaps they associate certain natural fragrances with their childhood or want to include something sentimental among their flowers to personalise it to them. Hyper-personalisation is all about a few, simple yet truly special additions that may only be known by the couple themselves and/or breaking tradition for something that resonates more with the newlyweds.

If you would like to find out more about how we can help you to create your dream wedding, event or photoshoot through floral design, then why not get in touch today? You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

You might also like to read:

When To Start Thinking About Your Wedding Flowers

When To Start Thinking About Your Wedding Flowers

For most of our couples, wedding flowers are a big priority when it comes to their special day. Whether you’re as obsessed with them as we are or just know they’re going to really contribute to the overall look and feel of your decor, knowing when it’s time to find your florist is vital to ensure you get who and what you really want. Today we’ll be giving you some insight into the typical wedding planning process, of course with a focus on flowers…

Before approaching a wedding florist, it’s important to make the key decisions such as your budget, the date and making sure you can get the time off work (if either of you need to), the type of ceremony, a theme if you want one, your colour palette and your main wedding party. If you’re working with a wedding planner, often they’ll have a process for you to go through covering all of these areas in the best order but if you’re not sure, you might like to start by using Pinterest for some inspiration and Google/Instagram to find some suppliers. Perhaps most importantly to a florist is that you find and book your venue(s) and that you’ve secured your dream outfit(s) for both of you - after all, these are the canvases for your floral arrangements.

Once you have the above sorted, it is never too soon to book a consultation with a florist. Most florists require at least six months lead time before your wedding date with some even being booked up a few years in advance. This can depend on whether your wedding day is in or out of season and your floral requirements but by securing your florist in good time (ideally 12-18 months ahead), we know that we can do our best work as we get to know you more and it is easier to achieve specific requests when planning further out. We’ve previously put together a post on what to ask a wedding florist before booking which will also give you some helpful hints as to what you need to have prepared. You might also like to read about what flowers you actually need.

Around the same time, it is advisable to secure some of your other key vendors including the photographer/videographer as again these get booked up quickly). Next on your list is decor and furniture/crockery as these have to work with your flowers. If you are opting for floral buds/crowns for hair then this is a good time to book your hairdresser, likewise if you are having real flowers on your cake, we recommend bringing in a cake designer at this stage.

Next up comes sending out invitations, arranging transport, menu tasting with caterers, landing the perfect entertainment and trialling makeup artist(s). Following this you should be looking to finalise your guest list, order/make your own stationery, look for any shoes/accessories and buy your wedding rings. By this stage, you’re ready to think about the details such as wedding favours, vows, music, gift list and the legal steps you need to take to make the marriage official, as well as getting your final fittings, rehearsals and vendor timings in the diary.

So as you can see, finding your wedding florist comes rather early on once your venue(s) and date are secured. This gives us time to visit the London flower market with you, source exactly what you’re looking for, create some truly elegant and unique designs and deliver with the utmost care.

If you would like to find out more about how we can help you to create your dream wedding, event or photoshoot through floral design, then why not get in touch today? You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

You might also like to read:

Traditions You Don’t Have To Follow With Your Wedding Flowers

wedding flower customs and traditions

Today we’re tapping into some of the traditions that have been associated with wedding flowers for many years and how they were once an expectation with links to spiritual beliefs but are now changing, with couples putting contemporary twists on them or leaving them out altogether…

Colour palettes

The tradition of only having a couple of colours in your palette generally went out the window quite some time ago! With so many hues, shades, tones and tints to choose from, you can use as many or as few colours as you want in your wedding palette. From brights to pastels, jewels to just greenery, work with your florist to decide what you really like, what works well with your venue/decor, what’s within your budget and whether you want particularly creative floral designs or you’d prefer to keep things simple.

Bridal bouquets

There is a long history of brides having some form of bouquet. In Ancient Rome, brides carried or wore flower garlands as they were believed to signify new beginnings, fidelity and fertility. In the 15th century, brides carried bouquets consisting of herbs, garlic and spices to ward off evil spirits and bad luck. But perhaps this tradition started having the most significance when Queen Victoria chose a snowdrop bouquet when she married Prince Albert.

Today, the flowers for bridal bouquets are mostly chosen for their beauty of their colours, fragrance and shape. There may be some special significance also. Unless you choose to do so, there is no need to go for a traditional bouquet. In fact, you don’t necessarily need to carry a bouquet at all. There are lots of options - from a single bloom to a wide and wonderful arrangement. It’s completely up to you!

Bridesmaids bouquets

Tradition says that the bridesmaids should all be dressed the same or very similar and should carry identical bouquets in order to confuse and distract any evil spirits that try to spoil the bride’s happiness. Unless you are superstitious, or if you choose for the bridesmaids to have the same bouquets, each bouquet can be different (as can what they wear). They don’t have to include the same flowers in each bouquet (although having lots of different designs can work out more costly) but ideally should have something in common - whether it’s the colours, shapes or flowers. If the bouquets are all the same, you could perhaps add some different accessories or different colour ribbons to make them more individual.

Flower girls

In ancient Roman times, young girls would carry sheaths of wheat up the aisle, which was believed to bring wellbeing and good fortune to the newlyweds. In the Victorian age, a flower girl would spread flower petals on the ground along the wedding aisle rather than wheat sheaths. This was so the bride would live a healthy, happy life with her husband. You don’t have to have any flower girls or you can have as many as you like. We personally love to see flower girls with pomanders or floral wands included in weddings!

Who pays

For years it was tradition for the bride’s parents to pay for the wedding - everything from the dress, venue, flowers and transport to the photography, catering, cake and entertainment, but from our experience, it’s a rather outdated belief now. Many couples who come to us are financially independent and wish to pay for their own wedding, or family/friends contribute to some aspects like their own flowers for the big day.

Tossing the bouquet

This tradition dates back to the 14th century. At the end of the wedding ceremony, guests would rush up to the bride and try to grab/rip some of her dress as they believed it would bring them good luck. As a distraction tactic, brides started to toss their bouquet into the crowd of guests. It soon then became believed that whoever caught the bouquet would be lucky and next to get married.

Although this tradition is still followed by many brides, there are more and more brides who don’t want to follow this tradition, preferring instead to give their special bouquet to their mother, maid of honour or even wanting to keep it themselves. Lots goes into your special bouquet so don’t toss it if you don’t want to. If you would like a few people to share it, why not break up the bouquet and give out flowers to your closest friends; unless you really are superstitious, they don’t have to be single and hoping to get married! If you do want to keep the flowers from the bouquet yourself, there are a number of different preservation methods which your florist can advise you about.

If you would like to find out more about how we can help you to create your dream wedding, event or photoshoot through floral design, then why not get in touch today? You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

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How To Prioritise Your Wedding Budget

How To Prioritise Your Wedding Budget

Your wedding budget - something you know you have to face even though it’s the least exciting part of wedding planning! Today we’re here to help you to get started with prioritising how you’ll spend for your special day and of course, making sure your flowers are exactly how you imagined them to be…

When you are newly engaged, thinking about your budget isn’t anywhere near as thrilling as spending time on Pinterest or out meeting vendors. Unfortunately, it has to be done early on. How the budget is spent isn’t the only priority here - actually prioritising setting a budget is vital! Doing this after your first, crazy/excited Pinning-spree is key as not only do some vendors get booked up very quickly, it also helps to keep you in control and feeling empowered when looking through ideas and speaking to people.

The very first step is to determine how much you have to spend and what is the absolute maximum that is comfortably affordable to make your dreams a reality. It’s easy to look up what the average people spend on their weddings is and just as easy to run into debt. Pair this question with what impact does spending this amount have on other areas of your life and who is paying. Does it mean you are going to have to tighten the purse strings for the next twelve months? Does it mean you, your fiancé(e) or family member(s) will have to work extra hours? Does it mean that the family holiday is going to have to be cancelled this summer? There’s a common theme here - always keep in mind that it’s all about you as a couple. You shouldn’t have to go to extremes, find yourself comparing or have expectations of others to fund this big occasion.

Once you have this grand total, there’s something to consider before you work backwards into how it’s going to be spent. Ask yourself how much you are willing to spend. Just because the amount is there and somebody has offered to contribute, it doesn’t mean you want it all to go on one day. Perhaps knowing this amount will help you to think about your honeymoon and the next steps after you tie the knot. Often this is the first time many couples really think about their finances and their future together.

So you’ve determined how much you have available, where the money is coming from, how much you want to go ahead and use, it’s time to put the money separately (or at least create a separate account to keep adding to). Doing this makes it real and encourages you to more carefully consider using it.

The next thing for you to do is to make a list of everything. It’s better to do your research now and think of all aspects of a wedding rather than realising later that you haven’t budgeted for something. Usually the best way to do this is as a line list in a spreadsheet - even if you don’t want it, still put it in there at £0.00 to remind yourself that you thought about this and decided back at the beginning it wasn’t a priority for you.

Now everything is in one place, go through each one and work out what is most important to you both. You might like to do this separately the first time around so you aren’t influenced by the other person. Then come together to see which you jointly agree on. Whether you prefer to number, colour code or re-order, put a system in place based on where you can compromise vs what your non-negotiables are. Give yourself a day or more to take a breather from this before looking back through it together and deciding whether it is important to you or to your guests and whether it’s about celebrating or impressing.

As you discover how much things are actually going to cost, you can make a single conscious decision as to whether to let the price affect your priorities. Knowing the amounts can help you to put your money where your mouth is as to what you really deem a priority - either reinforcing the importance of this for you or making you realise it’s more of a nice-to-have. Most spreadsheets will let you freeze certain rows/columns/cells meaning you can’t adjust your priorities - this can be handy if you are prone to changing your mind! Remember, in some instances it may be that you need to discuss some cost-cutting methods with the vendors or your wedding planner rather than having to let go of that priority completely.

If wedding flowers are up there as a priority for you as a couple (as we hope they are), we recommend also prioritising the venue, decor and photography. These aspects are both the canvas a florist has to work on and the visual memories you will have to look back on the floral arrangements you chose. You might also like to read our blog post, What Wedding Flowers Do I Need? to help you to work on prioritising which floral designs are a must for you too!

If you would like to find out more about how we can help you to create your dream wedding, event or photoshoot through floral design, then why not get in touch today? You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

How To Use Pinterest For Wedding Flowers Inspiration

How To Use Pinterest For Wedding Flowers Inspiration

Ah, Pinterest. The wonderful rabbit hole full of all the ideas and inspiration we could ever need for every aspect of our lives. Of course, the platform is extremely popular for those planning a wedding, but just how can you use it to choose wedding flowers without feeling completely overwhelmed? Today we’re sharing our top tips!

START AFRESH

Even if you had a Pinterest board before you were engaged (go on, admit it!), it’s time to start a brand new one. Now it’s becoming a reality, what you envision can completely change and ideally, it will be a place you together as a couple can share visuals.

PIN, PIN, PIN

In these initial stages, you’ll want to pin everything and anything, so go for it. You don’t need to think about budget or what will/won’t work for your venue. By doing this, you’ll become more familiar with Pinterest, enjoy it and get everything out of your head!

NOW, LIMIT YOURSELF

Your time on Pinterest can be a whirlwind and before you know it, it’s 1am and you’re still saving buttonhole ideas. When it’s time to use the platform more purposefully, set aside a certain amount of time, assign floral aspects to each of you and make it a fun experience.

KEEP THINGS SEPARATE

Whilst having a ‘master board’ of flower ideas can help you to get a clearer idea of the bigger picture you are going for, ultimately, breaking things down for the different floral arrangements, flowers, colours etc will help you and your florist.

USE SECTIONS WITHIN BOARDS

Pinterest has a great feature whereby you can create boards within boards. This is the perfect way for you and your partner to pin your own things, discovering what each of you like and want, before you collectively agree which you are both into.

TREAT PINTEREST LIKE GOOGLE

Pinterest is more of a search engine than a social network, so when looking for pins, use the search bar as you would when typing in to Google. You can now use hashtags too, but a string of keywords e.g. “white hand tied bouquet” will be more effective at refining results.

REVISIT YOUR BOARDS

We all change our minds, so before you keep adding to the boards, regularly go through and remove (or move) anything you no longer feel connected to. Keep in mind that if something doesn’t fit, you can still draw inspiration as to what you like about it.

CREATE A MOODBOARD

This is a board with just a few images (around 7-12 pins will be sufficient) which inspires you most. It’s a collection of colours, prints/textures/patterns and styled photos which gives your florist an overall idea of the theme/trends you want to bring to life.

CLICK ON PINS FOR MORE INFO

Pinterest is also an incredible place for information. For example, most of our pins link back to this blog where you can discover which flowers we used. Instead of just saving all of these images to boards, pick a few which you click through on to learn more.

SHARE YOUR BOARDS

It’s usually much easier to provide visual inspiration than it is to explain what you want to achieve, so by creating group boards and sharing these with your florist, this will cut down on the back-and-forth emailing between you both. But don’t go overboard on pins!

KEEP SOME THINGS PRIVATE

Utilise Pinterest’s secret boards to keep a few surprises and ideas hidden from your guests. If you and your fiancé/fiancée are both pinning, you can also keep some things to yourselves by using two separate accounts and sharing group boards.

REMEMBER, IT’S FOR INSPIRATION ONLY

It’s very easy to get caught up with Pinterest and want to replicate exactly what you’ve seen. This can make things difficult for your florist (who you’ve chosen because of their own unique style) and of course, won’t always work in the space/budget you have.

If you would like to find out more about how we can help you to create your dream wedding, event or photoshoot through floral design, then why not get in touch today? You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

A Timeless Luxury London Wedding

We know our couples are all about finesse when it comes to planning their dream wedding and the one we are bringing you today is no different. Think grace, grandeur, richness and the epitome of beauty, right in the heart of London…

Chosen for its decadent luxury, sumptuous decor and opulent gardens, Home House in Marylebone was the venue for our couple, Vikki and Jonathan’s special day back in May this year. The private members club in a Georgian townhouse building is all about making the occasion one to remember. With a dramatic staircase, tall windows, magnificent fireplaces, parquet flooring, grand chandeliers and spacious adjacent gardens, it defines gracious entertaining and pleasure - exactly what its’ architects had envisioned. We get to work in some pretty incredible places and this is most definitely one of them.

Our brief was simple - blooms were to be the main decor for the wedding, the perfect combination of scents was important and the colour palette was to be blush and cream with gold accents. We’re not sure this could have been any more suited to us!

Led by designer, Miriam, we created two urns, two mantelpiece arrangements, pew ends, a rose petal welcome sign and seating plan, tall centrepieces on gold candelabra stands, low centrepieces in gold challis vases, the bridal bouquet, two bridesmaid bouquets, hair rose buds and buttonholes.

To maintain a consistent look and feel, we selected the same flowers and foliage for the fireplace, tall centrepieces and urns. Featuring the delicate, romantic cream Vendela Rose, abundant pom-pom shaped Hydrangea, extra-large, ivory cut Four Seasons Rose, smaller clusters surrounded by larger rings which come from the Guelder Rose, ruffled rich white blossoms of Bowl Of Cream Peony, the petite favourite of ours - the Bombastic Spray Rose, the graceful and sweetly scented Stocks and the small, oval-pointed leaves of Hornbeam. Finished with the exquisite, green-frilled Solomon Seal which bring ivory, bell-shaped hanging flowers and fantastic foliage. Our low centrepieces were also made up of these blooms, complete with blissful Sweet Peas which look like beautiful butterflies.

For the bride’s and bridal party’s flowers, we used our one-true-love, the large French White O’Hara Rose. It’s such a delightfully pure and aesthetic flower which is highly fragrant, more traditional in shape and has several soft layers of petals, each with a touch of pink, giving it a blush tone. Alongside this came another favourite of ours - the rosette-shaped Ranunculus which ALWAYS attracts attention with paper-thin petals, long stems and 3D effect. We also opted for Vendela Roses and Sweet Peas as seen in our larger arrangements, complemented by the shaded blossoms of what’s referred to as ‘a pincushion flower’, Scabiosa, the glossy-green leathery leaves of eucalyptus and fragrant evergreen, needle-like leaves of Rosemary. Finally, we used the strong and sweetly scented Jasmin to keep the fragrance in the air into the evening and the white spires and succulent leaves of Senecio.

We were huge fans of this project and delighted to be part of Vikki and Jonathan’s big day. It really was everything you would imagine a timeless luxury London wedding to be.

If you would like to find out more about how we can help you to create your dream wedding, event or photoshoot through floral design, then why not get in touch today? You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

 

Flowers: Miriam Faith | Photographer: Gyan Gurung Photography | Venue: Home House

Discover the gallery below….

Naomi Neoh Lookbook Photoshoot

Whilst we LOVE working on weddings and events, we’re always honoured to be asked to design for lookbooks too. We are delighted to share our floral creations from the editorial shoot for the latest collection of luxury bridal wear by designer, Naomi Neoh…

What we especially like about Naomi Neoh’s brand is that it caters for all body shapes. She recognised that modern, romantic wedding dresses needed to be made more accessible to real women - just like those who make up her team across the UK and Europe. Each team member brings a diverse taste in designs and culture, along with a passion for fabrics, resulting in beautifully cut, contemporary collections. Even more amazing, every gown is tried on by the team, helping Naomi to envision her creations on real brides! Her newest range, named ‘Enchanted April’ is available at Mirror Mirror Couture - a London-based boutique which also holds many of her true classics. Combine Naomi’s simple or edgier dresses with Mirror Mirror’s design workroom where any style changes, fittings and alterations can be made for the perfect wedding dress shopping experience.

This Naomi Neoh lookbook which was going to be for Mirror Mirror, saw us invited in to create two bouquets to enrich her gorgeous gowns. Our lead designer, Miriam, carefully crafted a large hand-tied bridal bouquet with blush ribbon and a medium hand-tied bouquet with green ribbon…

Making up the medium bouquet was the rich creamy-white, double blossoms of Bowl of Cream Peony (the epitomy of sophistication!), delicate luminescent blossoms of Scabiosa, soft blush white petals of the Majolika Spray Rose, star-shaped Hellebores, dense white clusters from the Guelder Rose and tubular waxy white flowers of Jasmin. This was all completed with unique shapes and sizes of Fern and white, four-petalled Sweet Rocket.

The large bouquet also included all of the aforementioned flowers but was finished with oval and pointed leaves of Hornbeam, rich-green, tear-shaped leaves of Ruscus, distinctive (yet light and airy) cottage garden Aquilegia and our all-time favourite, White O’Hara Rose - the traditional rose shape with a tint of blush on the petals.

With several blooms on each stem, lush foliage, special symbolisms and complementing fragrances, these bouquets were to die for (if we do say so ourselves)! Of course, for a British designer, wherever possible, we sourced British blooms. Each flower and foliage selection was also made to reflect everything Naomi stands for - happiness, romance, modernism, purity, luxury and elegance. We’re really proud of the end result!

If you would like to find out more about how we can help you to create your dream wedding, event or photoshoot through floral design, then why not get in touch today? You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

 

Flowers: Miriam Faith | Photographer and Styling: Zosia Zacharia | Dresses: Naomi Neoh for the bridal boutique Mirror Mirror Couture | Model: Farrah Lia | Make up and Hair: Natalie Kamal Make up and Hair

Discover the gallery below...

Nicki Macfarlane Lookbook Photoshoot

Today we’re taking you to a beautiful British beach for a photoshoot showcasing one of our favourite floral designs and some of the stunning dresses by Royal-Appointed children’s occasionwear designer, Nicki Macfarlane…

We adore working with a variety of vendors but we were particularly blown away when asked to create a floral backdrop for Nicki Macfarlane. If you haven’t previously heard the name, Nicki designed the four bridesmaid dresses for The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - Kate Middleton and Prince William’s wedding, so it is truly an honour for us to work with her!

Nicki creates exquisite occasion outfits for boys and girls in a range of different styles and colour palettes. Designing for babies right through to aged fourteen, her garments are just perfect for weddings, parties, Eid, Christenings and First Holy Communions. Any item designed by Nicki Macfarlane is sure to become a treasured family heirloom.

For this shoot, we headed to the beach at the lovely Sussex village of Camber - a popular coastal resort with miles of sandy shorelines. With an already stunning backdrop of an enchanting house set right beside the beach, we created a birch pole arch and surrounded it in glorious bright-coloured blooms using various sizes and textures. It was a pure joy to make!

Firstly we selected large, blowsy pink Peonies to epitomise elegance and complement the dresses. Soft clusters of purple Hydrangea in varying stages of bloom also made a star appearance - perfectly contrasting the luxurious combination of standard size and spray British Roses. The arch was finished off with the graceful, ruffled blooms of Stocks. We wanted our design to be indicative of happiness, warmth and affection, whilst also being eye-catching. Our creation was there to enhance the gorgeous flower girl and bridesmaid dresses, making everything about the shots feel magical and in the moment.

We’re sure you’ll agree that the photos are incredibly pretty and have captured the divine details so well! It was our absolute privilege to be involved.

If you would like to find out more about how we can help you to create your dream wedding, event or photoshoot through floral design, then why not get in touch today? You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

 

Flowers: Miriam Faith | Children’s Occasionwear Designer: Nicki Macfarlane | Photographer: Michaela Greene | Venue: Camber Sands

Discover the gallery below...