From a delicate sprig of lavender on a table place setting, to a show stopping ceremony arch or glorious flower chandelier, we love the power of flowers to enchant and delight. But choosing which ones to go for can certainly be overwhelming when first faced with the challenge.
One question we get asked is, “what do people usually go for”?
For some couples, having the most popular wedding flowers in their arrangements is a must, while others like to take inspiration from them and work with our lead designer to come up with something truly bespoke. We will ask you the all important questions during our consultation to find exactly what you’re looking for, but today, we’re bringing you our guide to beloved wedding flowers to give you some ideas as you get started …
Roses
If you have read previous posts from us or scrolled through our gallery, it will come as no surprise that Roses have made it into the “Most Popular Wedding Flowers” blog post. We ADORE them, but it’s not about us… our clients are crazy about them too! The classic red rose is a symbol of love and romance meaning it’s the epitome of a wedding, but there are so many different varieties you can choose from. Here are just a few our clients love:
White O’Hara Roses
The White O’Hara Rose (our all-time favourite for its delightfully pure and aesthetic appearance) takes a more traditional garden Rose shape. It is a large, romantic French Rose and although the name suggests that it’s white, it actually has pinkish petals that give it a blush tone - incredibly feminine and flattering. The several layers of petals open fully into quarters and give off a strong, fruity fragrance which we are positive why it’s in demand.
Avalanche Roses
The Avalanche Rose is often nicknamed “The Queen of Roses” for the oversized head, multi-layered petals and sturdy, tall-cut stem. It’s ideal for bouquets, centrepieces, venue decor and all-Rose arrangements. Coming in white, champagne, peach, pale pink, dark pink and soft green; the pale pink Rose looks like dreamy porcelain with a slightly darker centre and a hint of green around the outer petals which fades as it opens - seriously chic! Also loved are the Sweet Avalanche Rose (soft, pastel pink with that same subtle hint of green) and the Pearl Avalanche Rose (warm salmon/champagne colour with herbaceous foliage) - both represent longing, mystery, glamour and gratitude.
David Austin Garden Roses
David Austin Roses are a lovely example of old-meets-new where traditional garden Roses are bred with modern Roses to create highly fragrant flowers. That being said, one of the most popular - the Juliet Garden Rose - has the lightest fragrance of all of the David Austin cut Roses - reminiscent of Snowdrops and Daffodils. The pale peach buds open to reveal deeper inner tones, neatly arranged and nestled in folds within its heart. It’s a beautifully, deep-cupped rosette, producing large, elegant blooms with strong stems and high petal counts. Another favourite is the saucer-shaped Prince Jardiniere Garden Rose which comes in a very pale pink shade with a strong, sweet scent and swirly, velvety petals.
(Bombastic) Spray Roses
Spray roses are miniature standard roses, with the Bombastic Spray Rose being the smallest of them all. Petite with their intricate features make them perfect for corsages, centrepieces, as an accent, combined with opulent foliage or bunched together to form a much bigger arrangement. If you want to include something that represents remembrance, brings an intensely sweet scent and lots of clusters on a single stem, the Spray Rose would be quintessential.
Hydrangea
What do you get if we say you can choose from light aqua, aqua, light blue, blue, dark blue, lavender, purple, dark purple, blue-violet, lilac, light pink, pink, hot pink, magenta, red, yellow, fall yellow, orange, peach, black, green, Christmas green and lemon green? Stressed. (Just kidding, we can help you to decide exactly what you want!) Actually, you get the breathtaking, lacy, star-shaped flowers of Hydrangea. Packed closely together in a pom-pom shape, the delicate heads have an abundance of petals in a big, rounded flower cluster making it a common centrepiece preference in particular.
Peonies
The Peony is a classic. Timeless and versatile, it’s in season from April to late June, with the most luxurious, lush, full-rounded heads. It may look delicate but it’s one tough cookie! There are so many colours to choose from, with each having its own unique meaning but symbolising good fortune and a happy marriage. Select from white, multi (pink with cream tones), fuchsia pink, rosy mauve, coral, copper-orange, red, mahogany-black, lavender, green and bright yellow for a fragrant and incredibly romantic display; especially in arches, on hoops and as part of hanging installations.
Anemones
The Anemone is one of the easiest to recognise with the eye-catching black centre, graceful petals, medium to dark green foliage and tall, wiry stems. Available from Winter through to Spring, attainable in lilac-purple and shades of pink, white, red and blue, and without a scent, the Anemone flower each has its own meaning and symbolism just like the Peony. Our clients have worked with us to use it in everything from pew ends to posies and bouquets to backdrops.
Lisianthus
Representing respect, love, acceptance, appreciation and acknowledgement, Lisianthus is often a popular pick for this reason alone. It’s a large-stemmed, gentian-like, bell-shaped flower with oval-shaped, dark green leaves and four wide ruffled petals surrounding funnel-shaped corolla; making it so attractive in bud and in full bloom. Deep purple is the most sought-after colour, with it also coming in white, rose, green, blue-violet, champagne, cream and bi-colours. We often feature it in centrepieces, bouquets, corsages, buttonholes and boutonnieres. Our clients are as big fans of Lisianthus as we are, as it comes with several flowers, creating a full-finish without needing to bulk out the display with anything additional (which always helps to keep costs down).
Dahlias
If you’re all about having flowers that are sure to make a big impact from appearance alone, Dahlias are the one for you. Coming in a variety of colours (including different shades of red, pink, purple, rust, yellow and white; and excluding blue, black and green) but with little to no scent, their curved and pointed petals are a softer take on striking selections. Our clients are often fond of their symmetry and composites of central and surrounding florets.
Ranunculus
Mildly scented and cup-shaped, Ranunculus make up the perfect accent flower. Available in a large spectrum of colours, contributing layers of paper-thin, delicate petals with a sublimely silky texture and long, thin stems. Each white, cream, yellow, orange, red, purple or salmon bloom has a button centre which creates a 3D effect, meaning it makes a statement whether used alone or amongst other flowers. A great, budget-friendly commission of beautiful, pure shapes - it definitely brings charm to any floral design.
Tulips
Born in the Netherlands, it’s no surprise that our Lead Designer, Miriam, loves Tulips as much as our clients do! Part of the Lily family and symbolising imagination, dreaminess, a declaration of love and the perfect lover, Tulips bring a rich, vibrant colour and texture to any bouquet or arrangement; possible in white, cream, yellow, orange, pale pink to deep burgundy and near magenta to blue-violet. Each cup-shaped flower has six tepals (the outer parts of the flower) which comprise of three smooth, fringed or ruffled petals and three sepals (which enclose the petals).
Freesia
An alluring fragrance of fresh, sweet notes, wiry stems and trumpet-shaped flowers - Freesia symbolises innocence and friendship. Each stem produces 5-10 flowers and comes in shades of red, golden yellow, orange, white, pink, lavender, purple mauve and bi-colours.
Succulents
The best thing about succulents? They are available all year round! They also bring different shapes and textures to any floral design. The greenery wedding theme has become increasingly popular in recent years (even becoming the Pantone Colour of the Year 2017), with a nod to sustainability and a contemporary twist on luxury at a more affordable price. Succulents can be used on their own as a buttonhole/boutonniere, in a centrepiece or as stunning concluding touch to complement other choices in bouquets or table arrangements. We often use them alongside herbs, leaves, ferns, grasses and shrubs, adding a stylish finish with depth and movement to our client’s decor.
Lilacs
Despite the name, the Lilac Flower actually comes in a variety of colours including shades of pink, purple, blue and white. All are ideal for wedding flowers, with pink being a symbol of friendship and love, purple being a symbol of emotion and protection, blue being a symbol of a happy life and calmness, and white being a symbol of purity and innocence. Lilac is popular for its beauty, elegance and gorgeous fragrance - a varied scent from light, floral to warm, spicy tones. The flower itself represents confidence and grows in clusters to produce an abundant display. Each individual flower is pristine with dark, heart-shaped leaves - we can totally see why it’s a favourite of our clients!
We adore working with different ingredients in all of our work to create unforgettable memories and complement the celebratory atmosphere of your special occasion. Following our initial consultation, all of our clients also receive a complimentary trip with us to the London flower market to look at flowers, colours and textures and to help you explore every possibility. Whether you want the most popular flowers as featured above, the hottest trend right now, something meaningful to you, have already gathered inspiration or want to start from scratch, this is such a lovely opportunity for us to solidify your combinations and finalise the details of your perfect arrangement(s).
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.