There are a million things to think about ahead of your wedding day. While your flowers will likely be one of the last things to arrive on the big day, they need to be ordered early on.

But where do you start?

Here’s our guide for picking perfect wedding flowers, for brides, grooms mother of the bride and groom or anyone else helping with wedding planning.

 

1. Speak to a florist before you do anything else

Even if you’re planning to keep things really simple or do your wedding flowers yourself, a florist is an excellent source of information. Discuss your ideas and find out how much they will cost, and ask for their expert advice on colours, blooms and arrangements. If nothing else, you’ll get some brilliant inspiration.

If the prices you’re given are a little steep, speak to one or two other florists to compare. Remember that even if it seems like you’ll save a fortune going down the DIY route, there isn’t much that can beat a professional florist. It could end up creating stress you just don’t need ahead of your wedding, as well as being time-consuming.

 

2. Set a budget and your priorities

How much you have to spend on wedding flowers will determine what kinds of arrangements you have on the day. On average, couples spend between £1,000 and £1,500 on wedding flowers, but you can get beautiful, simple arrangements for less.

You need to be honest and realistic about what you can afford, categorising your ideas as ‘must-haves’ and ‘nice-to-haves’. Speak to your florist (being upfront about your budget) and maybe they can come up with creative ways to include some of those ‘nice-to-haves’.

3. Keep your venue in mind

If you’re getting married or having your reception in a cavernous castle or stately home with high ceilings, you’ll need more impressive floral displays to fill the space. Otherwise, your decorations will look out of proportion. It’s the same for a smaller, more intimate space, when dramatic table decorations would be far too dominant. Make sure to ask the venue about your ideas with regards to floral arrangements, as there may be some things like hanging arrangements that they won’t allow.

 

4. What flowers will you need?

Not many of us have ever planned a wedding before, so it can be tough to know exactly what you’ll need. What flowers you have at your wedding is up to you, but most wedding flower checklists include:

• The bridal bouquet, plus flowers for the bride’s hair if she’d like some
• Bouquets for the bridesmaids and maid of honour
• A basket of petals or blooms, plus a flower headpiece, for the flower girl (if you’re having one)
• Boutonnière (button hole decorations) for the groom, best man, father of the bride, father of the groom and groomsmen
• Corsage for the mother of the bride and mother of the groom
• Altar, chair and central floral arrangements for the wedding venue
• Centrepieces for each table and decorations for buffet or other tables
• Cake decorations

Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list, nor is there any reason why you have to include any or all of these things. It’s your day, so it’s up to you.

 

5. Always go seasonal

Unless you have an exotic or out-of-season bloom that you just couldn’t get married without, it’s usually better to choose seasonal flowers. They are fresher, look better and brighter, and they’re cheaper as they don’t need to travel as far.

6. Visit a flower market or large florist

When you’re planning your wedding flowers, you won’t necessarily know what you want right away. What you’ll need is inspiration, and lots of it. The best way to start is at a flower market or florist, where you can see all of those beautiful blooms in person. If you’re starting wedding planning at least a year in advance, make sure to visit at the same time of year as your wedding day so you can see what’s in season.

 

7. Choose colours that complement your colour scheme, rather than matching it exactly

If you have a colour palette in mind for the big day, let your florist know and together you can play with shades and tones that compliment it prettily. This a more creative way to add tone and texture to floral displays, rather than matching it exactly and ending up with a rather flat one or two-colour palette for the day.

 

8. Popular flowers to consider

Everyone wants their wedding to be unique, and yours will be. However, there are some types of flowers that just really work at weddings, for a number of reasons. Consider including some of the most popular picks for wedding flowers, including full-bodied romantic roses (they come in many different colours), baby’s breath for that delicate lace effect and statement-making hydrangeas.

Peonies are the prettiest choices for English summer weddings, while tulips are bright and cheerful in spring. If you like to make a statement or try something new, consider colourful gerberas, sunflowers or anemones – or why not add some succulents to your bridal bouquet?

 

9. Don’t be afraid to personalise

This is your wedding, so what could be lovelier than choosing flowers that mean something to you and your partner? Go for your favourite flowers and colours, and personalise the bride’s bouquet or the groom’s boutonnière with something that means something to you or your family. For example, flowers from around the world which represent both of your family’s heritage or a flower from the park where you went on your first date.

 

10. Don’t forget about allergies

The last thing the bride or groom wants is a fit of the sneezes during their big day. Just because you have allergies though, it doesn’t mean you can’t have beautiful flowers at your wedding. Speak to your florist about avoiding high-pollen species, and about planning the arrangements so the flowers aren’t too close to you at any one time.

 

To help you factor flowers into your wedding planning, take a look at our super helpful Compton House of Fashion wedding checklist.