GoHen spoke to some of the best wedding professionals in the business for tips to help make your big day the dream wedding you’ve always wanted.
Wedding Flowers
Katherine Craft – Florist in the Forest
Born from the passion of Katherine Craft and based in the stunning surroundings of Broadwater Forrest on the Kent/Sussex border, Florist in the Forest is a Regional Wedding Award winning florist.
What is your top tip for couples choosing flowers for their wedding?
Once you have chosen your venue, go back and look at it again with flowers in mind or better still meet your florist there. Often on the first visit, couples aren’t thinking about flowers, but instead whether the venue is large enough, has separate reception or ceremony areas, photo opportunities, etc, so once you have decided this is the venue for you, go back and look at the key areas that could be decorated and how you could maximise your flowers.
Are there focal areas at the entrance or for the drinks reception that could have a large statement arrangement that could then be moved for your wedding breakfast or evening reception, or will your ceremony take place in the same room where your wedding breakfast will be held and therefore flowers can be used again, how could you re-use your pew ends after your ceremony to decorate tables, chairs or even curtain tie backs!
How much should people budget for wedding flowers?
How long is a piece of string! Be honest with your florist about your budget and they will be able to advise how your money is best spent. If you only have £800 to spend or less then you won’t be able to decorate every corner of your venue with huge arrangements but you could use the table arrangements before your reception to decorate the ceremony room or move them around later in the evening, when the tables are cleared for the dancing! Empty vases are also a good idea to dot around ready to place the bridal and bridesmaid’s bouquets in, particularly if you are having a lot of bridesmaids.
£1500 – £2000 will start to enable you to think about a few wow factor arrangements as well as decorating the tables and all the bridal flowers.
£2000 + enables you to start thinking about decorating the church or ceremony area, as well as your venue or having larger arrangements on the tables, for example candelabras or fuller vases with lots of candlelight.
Your florist should always be able to make suggestions based on your budget, whether it is maximising the use of the arrangements or alternative flower choices.
What is the current trend in wedding floral design?
More and more couples are choosing venues with the option of outside ceremonies and therefore arches are becoming very popular for creating a focal area for the ceremony to take place in front of.
Fuller blowsy bouquets are popular with the emphasis on relaxed, country style flowers and foliage.
What is the one thing you’ve seen at a wedding that has really struck you as a great idea?
Creating a focal area at the entrance always looks effective with table plans, crates of flowers or a vintage bike with a basket filled with flowers. Floral garlands around table plans are another lovely idea. Another current trend, I have noticed has been the Great British Bake Off, where guests all bring different homemade cakes and then everyone votes for their favourite! A cake display area is then created, using furniture and drawers can be filled with flowers spilling out.
