Nothing makes your venue or marquee feel more wedding day ready than decorating it with beautiful flowers. With so many choices deciding on arrangements and styling can be overwhelming. Don't try to spread flowers everywhere, quality over quantity! Focus on the areas your guests will spend the most time and break down into three groups: 

1. Personal flowers - bouquets and buttonholes 

2. Ceremony flowers 

3. Reception flowers

A show stopping design is always worth the spend - think broken arch or dramatic hanging installation that will have your guests talking about your wedding for years to come.


With the help of Fabulous Flowers, Corky and Prince and Flourish, together we will help you find your favourite flowers, suggest seasonal colour palettes and guide you on the areas to focus your attention on to create flower heaven!  


Set the Scene with Aisle Flowers and Archways

Pretty aisle flowers can set the overall mood and style for your wedding day. You want that moment, when you start your walk into married life, to be one to remember. Think of these flowers as scenery, they can also create photo opportunities. Don't forget your aisle flowers can be repurposed and used as part of your reception. 


Archways or flower columns are a great way to draw the eye to the aisle (and to the bride and groom!) use a colour combo that pops to give a modern, sculptural look. 

Fi at Corky and Prince predicts broken archways will be replaced with floral ‘nests’ - imagine standing in a semi-circular meadow of flowers for your ‘I do’s’, dreamy! 


Flower meadows are a beautiful choice for couples wanting to make a statement and easy to repurpose for the reception. 


Grand entrance, rather than decorating the entire aisle, dress the beginning of your aisle with arrangements either side, candles and lanterns can also be added in groups of three. 


Focus on the chairs using chair or pew ends. Fresh or dried flowers can be tied to the chairs or jars attached. I have had one couple that had flower arrangements in welly boots.

Seasonal Colour Palette and Flower Suggestions 

Whatever time of year you decide to tie the knot, your florist will let you know which flowers are in bloom. To create the right background setting, stick to seasonal. 


Spring

  • Lights - cotton white, pale lemons, greens
  • Warms - spring blues, purples, lavenders
  • Seasonal flowers - daffodil, tulip, ranunculus, cherry blossom, peony, Lily of the Valley, iris, poppies 


Summer 

  • Elegant neutrals - whites, vanilla, parchment pinks
  • Summer garden pastels - blush, apricot, powder blue, lemon, lilac
  • Ice cream pastels - stronger saturated pastels in blue, lavender, pink
  • Seasonal flowers - sweet pea, garden roses, hydrangea, cosmo, delphinium, foxglove, sunflowers 


Autumn

  • Earth tones - terracotta's, caramels, dusky pinks, ochres, coral
  • Vibrant - deep reds, golds, sage greens, burnt orange
  • Seasonal flowers - dahlias, hypericum, carthamus, physalis, amaranthus


Winter 

  • Deep and blush pinks with pops of lipstick red
  • Whites with gold accents
  • Seasonal flowers - roses, anemones, berries, holly, amaryllis, hypericum
Blooms, Bouquets and Buttonholes

Being a key accessory, you’ll definitely want your bouquet to stand out, without overshadowing your dress! Your florist may ask to see a photo of your dress so they can advise you on the right blooms. A lace or heavily embroidered dress needs large smooth shaped flowers to contrast with the fabrics - peonies, large roses or orchids work well. A contemporary sleek dress would suit a single variety bouquet or a more garden inspired design with delicate dancing smaller flowers such as sweet peas. Remember to follow your heart, rather than the latest trend. If you’ve always dreamed of a cascade bouquet or love yellow, make that your shape or colour of choice. After all, it’s the one day of your life where you get to pretty much decide on whatever you like!


Flowers are for fellas too! If there’s a groom or grooms at your wedding, then they typically are first in line for a buttonhole. Following that the best man/men, any ushers, page boys, and fathers of the bride and groom usually receive one. After that it's anyone's game. Would you like your brother to have one? Maybe your grandparents, close friends, cousins or your dog! 

I love the latest trend for pocket boutonnieres, sometimes called pocket square buttonholes - a full mini arrangement popping out of breast pockets gives a stylish look.

Cascades and Showstopper Centrepieces

For the reception the options are endless - cascading floral arrangements with tall, taper candles or a runner of delicate bud vases both make stunning table centrepieces. 

Want to add a bit of height to the room? Do it with blooms and a mix of tall and short. Work with your florist to create dramatic floral displays that tower over lower pieces. 

Flower installations always create a talking point. Whether you put a flower cloud over your tables, in your marquee or a dramatic hanging masterpiece at the entrance of your venue. Installations can be done in so many different ways.

Meet the experts 

This blog post was made possible by the experience and knowledge of the very best florists in Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds


Fabulous Flowers 

https://www.fabulousflowers.biz/weddings.htm

The Fabulous Flower team creates luxurious weddings and events. Based in Oxford 


Corky and Prince 

https://www.corkyandprince.com/

Floral storytelling for the wildly in love. Based in Fairford, Gloucestershire 


Flourish

https://www.flourishflorals.co.uk/

Highly experienced duo specialising in garden style weddings, using the very best blooms from local growers. Based in Cropredy on the Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Cotswold borders