Your wedding décor flowers will probably be the single biggest floral purchase you ever make; but boy, will it be worth it! They’ll wow both you and your guests, transform your venue and whether they’re romantic, boho-chic or classic sophistication, wedding flowers set the theme for the whole day – they’ll also look drop-dead gorgeous in photographs which will last a lifetime.
The costs of wedding flowers can vary enormously depending on what you choose – and before looking at a budget, I always ask couples what’s important to them? Do they want to make a statement, are they more subdued, or somewhere in between? And no matter what your investment, we all want to make the most of our budget. If you want your florals to have that head-turning impact, then my advice is to have one or two large statement pieces, rather than trying to spread fewer blooms over a larger area.
One way to ensure you can have luxury, but still be conscious of cost is by re-purposing many of your florals. Â
Re-purposing flowers means those show-stopper arrangements can be used in different areas and enjoyed through the day and into the evening. I’m all for repurposing – and absolutely love seeing the looks on a couple’s face during a consultation when I suggest this – rather than doubling up and spending more.
But this needs a degree of planning. Let your florist know that you’d like some ideas to repurpose your wedding flowers and they’ll give you loads of advice and help. If I’m your florist then relax; I'm on it!
The easiest arrangements to re-purpose are probably pew-ends; these can be as simple or elaborate as you fancy and really do create such a gorgeous, stylish walkway for your guests.
Then after the ceremony they can either be attached to the chairs of the top table, or put into little vases to sit on a windowsill or even to add to the table flowers.
And those floral décor pieces, lining the floor of the aisle or meadowboxes crammed with flowers under the welcome signs can easily be moved into the reception area for guest-tables, or again dotted around the venue as additional florals to add colour, scent and a touch of luxury. And all of these can be given to guests as keep sakes or taken home by the wedding party after the event.
Likewise milk-churns spilling over with blooms can easily be moved around the venue to get as much enjoyment from them as possible.
Meadowscapes & broken arches (my all-time favourites) are a wee bit more tricky to move and are best re-purposed when the ceremony and reception are in the same place, or at least within easy walking distance. Meadowscapes look amazing on the floor in front of the top-table whilst arches are the bees-knees placed behind the cake and then left in situ for the evening. A word of caution – I said these were slightly more tricky. Most florists offer a ‘turn-around’ service, where they’ll move all the florals and ensure they still look their best – especially if they’re in water and not floral foam; Sixteen  gallons of water sloshing about threatening to wreak havoc on hired kilts, new shoes and even the odd fascinator is no joke!
If you don’t opt for the turnaround service then make sure you work out the logistics with your florist beforehand – they’ll give you a plan and please do stick to it! And while, as I say it’s usually best to let your florist do this – you can turn it into a bit of a photo-op if you choose the D.I.Y route. One of my favourite pictures is of the grooms-men at a recent wedding I was lucky to work on, carrying a huge wooden arch from the outside ceremony, up a hill into the barn. They were all Australian and sturdy lads – which was just as well as that arch weighed an absolute ton. This had been worked out with the bride and groom beforehand and I was one hundred percent confident the guys had it covered. Â
However, no matter how sturdy your groomsmen are, I’d always advise leaving this to your florist if the ceremony and reception are at different venues and everything needs to be transported in a van.
Something I often get asked about is bridesmaid bouquets; can they be re-used? Of course they can! Again, it just takes a wee bit of planning beforehand. They can be put into vases after the ceremony and either added to the tables, or placed around the venue. Admittedly they’re not specifically designed as ‘vase bouquets’ and the stems may be either too short or too long for the vase in question, but your florist will not only advise what size of vase should be used, but will manage your expectations as to how they’ll look. I always deliver wedding party florals in either vases or jars of water and these work perfectly fine, rather than having those beautiful bridesmaid bouquets being stuffed under their chairs during the meal or left wilting on a sunny windowsill.  Â
Ultimately your florals should not only be as unique as you are, but also create the right atmosphere and be a reflection of your own personal style – so you’ll want to make the most of them and enjoy them for as long as you can!
Repurposing is not only being clever with your budget, but is more eco-friendly by making your florals go further, so it really is a win-win all round. Â
To find out if I’m available for your wedding simply click on the link below. https://www.willowandherb.co.uk/wedding-event-flowers
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Or to check out this years colour trends.