Flowers

Let Your Love Grow

Q: What do the following flowers have in common: roses, orchids, and violets?

A: They all represent sentiments: love, beauty and faithfulness.

This could be handy when it comes to choosing your wedding flowers, because you will be faced with a seemingly limitless choice. Gone are the days of the ubiquitous pastel carnations and roses surrounded by clouds of gypsophila. Now, you can choose from everything from bouquets all of the same flower and exciting exotics to pretty, more informal arrangements. This season, roses remain popular, as do cala lilies and big fluffy peony roses. Orchids are also a popular choice, especially the delicate but impressive phalaenopsis.

If the idea of choosing flowers by meaning doesn’t appeal, there are several more factors to consider. Perhaps first and foremost is your dress. It’s important to choose a bouquet with a suitable shape, size and colour to suit your dress and figure, so it makes sense to do this once the dress has been decided upon. Hand-tied bouquets are still popular, but many florists report a growing interest in more delicate shower bouquets, wispy and trailing and less formally structured.

Your choice will also be determined to some extent by the season in which you are marrying. Although quick global transport makes it easier now to obtain many out-of-season flowers, these may, by virtue of the growing conditions and miles travelled, be more expensive. Eco-friendly brides may also prefer to choose flowers in season and available locally, which have a smaller carbon footprint.

Your bridesmaids will also require bouquets, often with some similarity to yours. These might match their dresses, or it may be easier to find shades to contrast. Your groom and his attendants will wear buttonholes, perhaps of carnations, roses or heather (‘good luck’ in the language of flowers!).

Traditionally, the bride’s and groom’s mothers are both presented with a bouquet by the groom during his speech. Flowers also play a large part in the décor at weddings. You will need large displays if you are marrying in church, and you may be able to bring these to the reception venue. These, as well as the bouquets, will feature ....