Weddings
Spring
brings Tulips, Narcissi, Hyacinths, Muscari and Lily of the Valley. Lots of fresh and fragrant bulb type flowers, which means that your bouquets and table decorations could reflect this. Planted terracotta pots with hessian ribbon tie or jam jars or jugs filled with simple Narcissi/Paperwhites or Tulips can look fab. Often more stylish to use all one spring flower rather than to mix them together. Soft delicate pink combinations of Roses and gorgeous Peony (a florists and Bridal favourite) are available from around April-June and Stocks, Ranunculus, Lilac and Antirrhinum (Snapdragon) also give a lovely Spring feel.
Summer
brings Scabiosa, Sweet Peas, Larkspur, Delphinium, Nigella and Cornflower. Lots of pink, blue and lilac combinations. Very natural country garden options are popular with added Daisies (Chrysanthemums, which need to be used carefully so as not to appear clumpy), Ammi (Cow Parsley) and herbs such as Rosemary. We’d recommend leaving out large headed Roses which tend to work as a focal flower and mix smaller heads if you want the “just picked” look. It’s also a time to consider hotter colours such as vibrant pinks and purples, along with blues or sunny yellow combinations. A very popular choice at the moment is mixing all colours together – done well this can look amazing, but it is important to get the right balance, as a bouquet can look awful, particularly in photographs, if not put together properly. Sunflowers tend to be popular in mid to late summer along with Lavender and Hydrangea. Jars or Jugs of flowers are great for tables and have a real vintage feel. More classic arrangements in oasis can be prepared in any container or vase to suit your own personal taste.
Autumn
brings stronger, hot pink, fiery orange, red and gold colour combinations, creating a warm and dramatic look, with Thistle, Sedum, autumnal foliage and berries. The Dahlia is definitely making a comeback with its vivid and varied choice of colours. Plants make lovely table arrangements all year round, but in late summer and autumn there is nothing nicer than simple planted pots of Hydrangea or Lavender – great to give as gifts afterwards too.
Winter
Weddings – always gorgeous, with lovely selections of dark, lush reds and purples; Roses, Lisianthus and Veronica with berries and foliage such as Skimmia. Or the alternative ‘Winter Wonderland’ - all white and silvery ‘Snow Queen’ effect; large headed ivory Avalanche Roses with Lisianthus, Freesia, Thistle and Eucalyptus. White Hydrangea and either red or white Amaryllis are also popular at Christmas time along with tall stems of Ilex Berry. Use candles in the centre of your arrangements and Ivy trails on mantels which can be interspersed with candles too. You need to check what the venue will permit and it may be that you need to consider Hurricane Vases for safety which can be surrounded by lovely winter foliage and large headed Roses.
Bridal & Bridesmaids Bouquets
Decide on the style and shape of your Bouquet ie; Overarm, a Teardrop/Shower – wired trailing bouquet (usually in a holder), or a bouquet tied by its natural stems (hand-tied). The Bridesmaids Bouquets, whilst complimenting, should either be smaller, a different shape or contain alternative flowers ie; all Roses or less Roses than the Bridal. Tiny Bridesmaids like to carry flowers too and a mini hand-tied bouquet usually works best, although we can provide baskets, wands, pomanders, hoops etc.
Hair Flowers
These may be individually wired eg; tiny Spray Roses or larger focal flowers such as Orchids. Circlets are becoming very popular again and can look stunning. Once you’ve discussed with your hairdresser we can provide appropriate flowers for you and/or your Bridesmaids. You may need to consider delivery times or collecting earlier to suit your hair appointment.
Buttonholes
These days Roses, Germini (mini Gerbera), Orchids or delicate sprays of flowers and herbs are the most popular choice, but standard Carnations, which have been out of fashion for some years, are making a comeback with retro and vintage looks. Rather than buying for all the guests, most people these days provide buttonholes for the main wedding party. This usually includes the Groom, Best Man, Ushers, Page Boys, Dads and sometimes Grandfathers and Brothers. You should ensure that the Groom's buttonhole is extra special and compliments the Bridal bouquet. A sprig of Lavender, Rosemary or a Thistle and twist of Bear Grass can make all the difference. We have started offering clips on our Buttonholes in recent years, to avoid ‘the drooping buttonhole effect’ which generally occurs when the pin isn’t pushed high enough into the neck of the flower. A clip simplifies things and essentially acts like a badge which makes it easier for your guests to put on.
Corsages
These should be offered to the Mother of Bride and Mother of the Groom and sometimes Grandmothers and Sisters. The most popular is a delicate wired spray in a neutral colour, to include small flowers such as mini (Spray) Roses, Lisianthus and Freesia buds. Or Ladies may choose an Orchid or Germini (mini Gerbera) or single Rose in a bright colour. Corsages can easily be adapted for wrists with ribbon tie or to attach to a handbag if it’s more suitable. Whatever the preference, it is always possible to either complement or co-ordinate with an outfit, but it is a good idea to try to keep the general colour and style within the overall floral theme.
Your Tables
So you’ve chosen your colour scheme, the style and flowers for your bouquets and buttonholes? Now it’s time to think about the tables. Firstly what shape are they? You need to choose arrangements to suit either narrow, long or all round tables. What is the look and theme for the day and how would you like to extend that to the venue? Although it’s a good thing for everything to be in keeping, you should avoid having anything too similar in content to the bouquets – they should complement not replicate. Better to have arrangements below or above eye level, though very tall arrangements are really only suitable for the centre of round tables.
So, and often most importantly, have you worked out your budget? Once you have an idea of the amount you will need to spend on the main Bridal flowers you need to allocate an amount for the tables. This can be anything between £10 to £100 plus, per table. Most people spend in the region of £25 to £50, but if your budget doesn’t stretch to that, don’t hesitate to ask for simple ideas for less. A popular option over the last year or so is to specify the amount you wish to spend and we will purchase as much cut flower as possible up to value to suit your look. Then you and your guests can have a bit of fun preparing your containers beforehand. You may have collected a simple assortment of jars or bottles, or look out for old jugs or Rose bowls. Whatever you choose, you don’t need any floristry skill to do this, in fact, sometimes the less the better, so that you can achieve that very natural “just picked” look which really suits the current vintage style. Whatever you do, avoid little plastic oasis dishes with a few carnations and if the venue tells you the table decorations are included in the price always ask for specific details of what you are getting! They will deduct an appropriate amount if you insist on using your own florist to ensure that your theme is followed throughout the day.
Top Table Arrangement
This sits in front of the Bride and Groom and is vitally important. It will be photographed by guests throughout the reception and speeches and everyone is looking directly at it! You can have what we call a long and low arrangement which is very narrow, so as not to take up too much space, and usually trails over the front of the table. Alternatively, narrow painted troughs or glass oblong vases packed tightly with flower can be a cheaper option and are very effective.
Cake Tops
We will need to know the size required, if it’s just a topper or flowers for all layers. The cake maker will advise you what would be best suited. Remember that you can place your Bridal Bouquet on the Cake Table during the Reception.
Flowers as a "Thank You"
For Mothers or other helpers/friends, a bouquet is always a beautiful and special gift to give at a presentation. Our hand-tied bouquets are aqua-wrapped (stems in a water bag) which is concealed in a box and finished with fabric ribbon or raffia tie. It’s a good idea to have them in Wedding colours as they work well as extra arrangements at the venue once presented!
Items to Hire
We can provide additional items such as Bay Trees, Wedding Arch, tall Lily Vases, Fish bowls, Rose bowls and Tank Vases, Jug, Jars and other ceramics – please don’t hesitate to ask.
General Advice
The options for flowers, colour combinations and styles are limitless – so it’s really down to you to decide what you like and don’t like. We will need to find out about the mood of your Wedding, the season and the environment, your budget and most importantly your own personal taste. The more information you can provide about your vision for your day, the easier it is for us to interpret. Whether it’s vintage retro, natural country, stylish contemporary, classic traditional or something completely different, we at TWIGS can provide.
We completely understand how important every detail of your Wedding is to you and will share your excitement – we promise all the attention you deserve when planning the flowers for your special day.
Advice on booking
Please reserve your date early (£50 deposit) to avoid disappointment, as we do get quite booked up. Once we have met for a consultation we will provide a detailed quotation, or if you live away we are more than happy to liaise with you by email or telephone.