The Best Flowers For Summer Weddings
Traditional
What to pick:
Astrid Haynez, Wild At Heart: “Look out, in particular, for the garden rose, preferably David Austin or VIP varieties. The pale, sugary colours are the ultimate choice for a classic bridal bouquet. They’re timeless and, as a florist, a pleasure to work with. Perfect for anyone planning a grand, quintessentially British wedding but, as the name suggests, they also work well in a garden setting.”
Charlotte Wood, Wildwood London: “Summer flowers include peonies, David Austin garden roses, nigella, ammi, sanguisorba and foliages such as eucalyptus, jasmine and rose foliage; we often style the centrepieces in clear glass footed vases with a vintage nod.”
Philippa Craddock: “Traditional flower designs always evoke country gardens full of blousy roses, towering foxgloves, cottage hollyhocks and over blown peonies. Elegant, generous designs with plenty of movement and life.”
How to style them:
Astrid: “For something striking yet formal, display these roses in vintage urns and set them on top of a mantle piece, around a fireplace or in an entranceway at your venue. If you’re keen to keep things a little less structured, collect pretty vintage teacups and pots, line them along the dining table and keep arrangements loose – this kind of display feels relaxed but just as charming.”
Charlotte: “Floral arches have become a popular choice and are often requested in churches and receptions. Think about whether there is a sentimental flower or foliage you would like to include within the wedding flowers or even attach a locket with an image of a loved one onto the ribbon of the bridal bouquet.”
Philippa: “Large swathes of greenery placed down the tables, suspended designs from the ceiling and oversized bridal bouquets, full of seasonal blooms, as if just hand-picked from the garden, and loosely brought together, finished with a raw silk ribbon.”
Contemporary
What to pick:
Astrid: “Exotic, shiny green stems like banana leaves, philodendron and monstera leaves. This is definitely a look for more informal events and is particularly great for a city wedding. There’s something unusual about bringing exotic plant life into an urban setting.”
Charlotte: “Dried flowers are still a huge trend which won’t disappear any time soon. Dried palms, roses, honesty lunaria, and lavender are all gorgeous elements to mix into wedding designs. Try weaving in lace for added texture and individuality, too. The upside of using dried flowers is that they are an everlasting memory of your big day – be it the buttonhole or the bridal bouquet, you can repurpose designs after the wedding day.”
Philippa: “Contemporary is always a little tricky as it can mean so many different things to different people. The word contemporary in floristry leans towards petite, airy designs. Arrangements with a minimal number of flower varieties – you can apply whatever flowers you like to that rule.”
How to style them:
Astrid: “A lot of brides have been choosing greenery in lieu of colourful florals for their bouquets lately. They feel modern and a little different, and they can be just as striking when multiple shapes and species are used in one arrangement. Working with a variety of leaves in different shapes and sizes will bring texture and interest to a single-colour arrangement. For table displays, vases in varying heights add to the eclectic appeal.”
Charlotte: “We love to create large hanging clouds for weddings, which are often used as an Instagrammable backdrop or suspended above a breakfast set up. The look works particularly well at venues with a lot of outdoor space, and also bring an element of surprise to the rustic nature of a barn.”
Philippa: “Try runners placed either side of the aisle, created purely with a mass of cow parsley and intricate, detailed posies of flowers for the bridal party – such as a neat, delicate hand gathered bunches of fragrant sweet peas. Pure, elegant and simple.”
Rustic
What to pick:
Astrid: Dahlias come in such a vast array of colours and shapes that they allow brides and florists to really get creative. There’s a lot of choice to be had within this species.”
Charlotte: “For a recent rustic wedding, we combined peonies, sweetpeas, astrantia, roses, and delphiniums for the bridal bouquet. The wedding was at Petersham Nurseries – the most perfect rustic-meets-chic space.”
Philippa: “Go for cornflowers, penstemon, poppies and grasses, all crafted into beautiful, wild, bohemian designs.”
How to style them:
Astrid: “For a bridal posey, mix a range of colours and shapes. For standing displays, use retro jam jars and a selection of different vintage-inspired glassware to hold loose displays.”
Charlotte: “Adorn the tables with an array of textured terracotta, metal, and crackled glaze vase and pots overflowing with seasonal blooms, foliage, and trailing ferns.”
Philippa: “Each design should be slightly different – step away from perfection and into something more organic in shape and movement. The props to hold the flowers will have a significant impact, so go for a mix of antique glassware, hand blown vases in a variety of mottled colours, each filled with a different variety of blooms – you could even have the bridal party wearing flower crowns created from wild meadow flowers.”
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