Unsure of who, what, where and how many? Don’t panic – my guide will make planning wedding flowers a breeze.
Bride
These days there are a number of bouquet styles for the bride to choose from – from a shower arrangement to a single bloom, a pomander, wrist corsage or hand-tied bouquet. Speak to your florist about a style to complement your dress and your figure. Individually wired hair flowers look stunning woven into both formal and relaxed hair styles. Tiny spray-roses, frothy gypsophelia, several scented stephanotis flowers or a single phalaenopsis orchid head all work well.
Bridesmaids
Bridesmaids usually carry a bouquet that’s a smaller version of the bride’s or that contains some of the flowers in the bridal arrangement. Single stems, wrist corsages or pomanders are also popular choices. You can also provide a contrast with the same flowers in a different shade.
Flower Girls
Flower girls can either carry a basket or mini pomander of flowers, or a basket of rose petals which they can scatter in front of the bride as she makes her entrance. For very little-ones, a wired floral garland or few flowers attached to an alice-band to wear in the hair keep tiny hands free.
Groom
Traditionally the groom wears two flowers in his left buttonhole, and the bloom tends to match one that features in the bride’s bouquet. A nice touch is to wrap the stem of the buttonhole with a fine ribbon in a colour featured in your overall scheme.
Best Man / Fathers
The best man and fathers of the bride and groom also wear a double bloom in their left buttonhole, but this can be any flower of your choice so long as it’s in keeping with the rest of the bridal flowers.
Ushers / Pageboy
Ushers wear a single bloom in their left buttonholes. A pageboy’s buttonhole is usually a smaller version of the one worn by the best man.
Mothers
The mothers of the bride and groom traditionally wear a corsage that either matches the couple’s colour scheme, the bride’s bouquet or their own outfits.
Grandparents
You don’t have to supply your grandparents with flowers but it’s a really nice touch to make sure there’s a corsage or buttonhole for them to wear on the day.
When deciding on flowers for the buttonholes and corsages, consider using blooms that will withstand a day of partying and hugging! Roses, chrysanthemums, calla lilies and cymbidium orchids are all tough enough, whereas phalaenopsis orchid heads, hydrangea florets or sweet peas may look a little sad by the end of the day. If you’re set on using delicate flowers, consider having a spare available for the groom, particularly for the photos.
Ceremony Arrangements
The choice is endless, and your florist will be able to advise what will work and what won’t after a site visit. Typically though, pedestal arrangements (normally more than one) of mixed flowers and foliage are placed at the entrance to the ceremony venue. If you are having a civil ceremony, a long, low arrangement or two small vases filled with flowers looks lovely on the ceremony table. You can also have flowers on every pew end or row of chairs, and on windowsills.
Reception Arrangements
Many couples arrange for their ceremony pedestals and so on to be moved to their reception venue to save money. In addition it’s traditional to have table arrangements. Depending on your style and budget, these can vary enormously from the more usual candle and flower oasis centrepieces to grand candelabras covered with flowers to terracotta pots filled with lavender and herbs. The top table arrangement can either be a long version of the other centrepieces which can stretch the length of the table, or several individual arrangements.
Cake
Many couples now choose to decorate their cake with flowers featured either in the bride’s bouquet or in the table arrangements. A front facing, low arrangement made for the reception table at a civil ceremony can double up as an arrangement for the cake table later on.
Gifts
It’s traditional to present the mothers of the bride and groom with a bouquet of flowers or potted orchid as a thank you for all their help and support planning the wedding.
Article by Floral Design Expert Gemma Beasley
Images Courtesy of In the Pink Flowers
