An Abundance of Floral Wedding Inspiration with Sarah Pepper
Spring is definitely here, folks. There’s that familiar scent in the air, the hazy sunshine in the morning and the hint of wintery crispness still in the air that remind us it’s not quite shorts weather yet.
Flowers at a wedding are often taken for granted. We all expect to see them so how can we create truly breathtaking and memorable decorations, bouquets and finishing touches?
One of our favourite florists, Sarah Pepper, joins us on the blog today to give us some hints and tips on mastering the art of floral fantasticness! Her talent is limitless and we absolutely love her creations.
Whether your style is rustic chic, contemporary or minimalist, it can be lovely to incorporate some locally grown blooms into your bouquet to reflect the season and environment.
Spring is a wonderful time to use scented blooms such as delicate lily of the valley, narcissus, lilac, peonies and bluebells for a burst of colour and glorious perfume.
The Great Barn has such an incredible atmosphere and strong architectural features so think about whether you’d like low table centerpieces which invite your guests to lean across their table – or perhaps you’d like to create tall features for ultimate Wow factor as your guests enter the Barn.
You might also like to consider ‘re-cycling’ your bouquets into pretty vases or jugs for some of the tables, or maybe use your glass aisle lanterns in the center of a voluptuous ring of flowers and foliage.
If you’re thinking of having flowers on your Registrar’s table you may like to also use this decoration on your long top table – it’s a great way to ‘spread the joy and maximise your budget!
Large, one-off ‘WOW’ pieces do use a chunk of your budget but they can ‘earn their keep’ by highlighting significant areas (for example, where you stand to exchange your vows, your top table area and entrance), and these provide great areas for photographs. If these pieces are freestanding they can also give you the option to move them around and make maximum use of them at different times during your celebrations.
Gorgeous buttonholes come in all shapes and sizes. They don’t have to be comprised of a single flower; clusters of narcissi, gyp, herbs or hyacinth pips can make a wonderfully scented buttonhole.
Perhaps you might like to give your Groom a significant flower from your bouquet and then theme his Groomsmen’s buttonholes to match your bridesmaids bouquets.
Don’t forget to ask ‘the Mums’ if they’d like a corsage, in other words ‘a girly buttonhole’ (which is usually worn upside down on the right lapel, traditionally chaps tend to wear their buttonholes upright on the left lapel).
Fresh petal and herb confetti is great for your guests to throw. It looks really beautiful in your pictures and is better for the environment. We’ve filled cones of confetti and hung them on Church pews (so they double up as a decoration), and we’ve laden baskets & bowls and lined aisles with a carpet of petals – the look and the scent is divine.
Let’s not forget our beautiful West Barn. Small glass bottles, jugs or vases in clusters can add scent and your colour palette to the low tables and shelves in this tranquil space.
And finally, whether you plan to ‘go naked’, host a Bake Off style cake competition, or simply serve a traditional cake – you may like to add your signature flowers to the cake or cake table. If you’re planning for a formal cake cutting photo then this area will be in the spotlight and shouldn’t be overlooked!
