Ask the experts: wedding flowers
Flowers have always been an important part of any wedding, but how do you choose the right blooms for you? We asked, Louise Hand from The Greenery to talk us through the top wedding flower trends for 2016.
The bridal bouquet, the floral focus of any wedding day, is often the deciding influence on all the other wedding flowers: buttonholes, bridesmaids’ bouquets, corsages and centrepieces. Even the most classic design is often still influenced by current trends.
Your flowers give you the opportunity to add an individual touch to your celebration and many brides try to incorporate blooms which have a personal meaning to them or another family member.
Your bouquet is a once in a lifetime accessory and many brides plan their whole wedding theme around that very special bunch of flowers. So, it’s important to get it right.
Classic white and greens
The timeless combination of white and green is still preferred by many brides, who want a simple, elegant feel to their bouquet. And all-white blooms, for example elegant calla lilies, placed in simple glass vases, create a polished centrepiece setup. White or ivory peonies, hydrangea, lily of the valley all look understated and refined when teamed with green. It’s a classy and contemporary look.
Keep it Natural
Brides are continuing to ask for natural-looking bouquets and the just-picked look is a popular as ever. With a mixture of hand-tied and trailing bouquets, brides are still looking for the English country garden style that works so beautifully with vintage or boho themes. Wild, woodland-inspired bouquets with lush ferns, greens and foraged branches, in particular, have become increasingly requested. We think sweet peas, garden roses and tulips look fantastic in these arrangements.
Get Leafy
Brides are looking for interesting and unusual foliage, eucalyptus, succulents and even air plants are really popular. But this doesn’t mean bouquets will be overpowered with greenery. There are a range of alternative options, with a selection of grey, purple and red foliage available. And potted trees, ferns, lavender sprigs and decorative leaves such as magnolia and begonia are no longer reserved for anchoring flower arrangements — these days they can become the focal point of the bouquet.
They can create a chic and organic look and they are also budget friendly. Keep it simple and let the leaves do the talking.
Single colour
More and more often we are being asked for a single colour arrangement. Using one colour creates intensity and impact and really emphasises the beauty of the individual flowers. So, whether it’s a sea of lilac, a blanket of pure white or an array of pretty pinks, many 2016 brides will be sticking with solo colour palettes when it comes to their wedding flowers.
Single flower
With so many different flowers on the market, it can be hard to narrow down exactly which ones you want. Those brides who feel overwhelmed by all the different options are instead just choosing their favourite flower. Using the same bloom, for example Sweet Avalanche roses, creates a really dramatic bouquet, and yet it’s quite understated and classic. Brides who end up with quite a few bridesmaids, because they can’t choose between their friends, often choose gypsophila bouquets because they work out to be quite economical and they look really streamlined and stylish.
Wearable floral accessories
We’re being asked for lots of delicate floral headpieces and subtle vines woven into wedding day hairstyles this year. Floral crowns, for both brides and bridesmaids are really popular, and instead of the dainty little flowers of last year, 2016 brides are asking for dahlias, peonies and roses. Wrist corsages are a popular alternative for mums, they look really pretty and mean that they don’t have to risk damaging their outfits with pins. And we’re being asked for clusters of flowers for the men, rather than traditional buttonholes.
Pretty pastels
Pastel colours are always popular when the weather starts to get warmer, and this extends to wedding flowers too! A soft and creamy colour palette starts in spring and stays with us right through until autumn. The look is enhanced by large open flowers, such as peonies and dahlias, in ice cream shades like peach, lemon and pink.
Step back in time
Vintage, or shabby chic, themes are still going strong and the amnesia rose is really the flower of 2016. It's unique lavender, beige and green colours tone superbly with many other flowers, but quite often, because of their unique beauty, amnesia roses are used in simple clusters with just foliage to accompany them. They are known for reliability with flower heads that always fully open and with a long vase life and all year round availability, it's no wonder that these extraordinary roses are constantly in demand.
The Greenery are one of our recommended wedding suppliers.
