Unsure of who, what, where and how many? Don’t panic. Below is a list of who you’ll need wedding flowers for, the arrangements/items traditionally used, plus the parts of your wedding day you may need to buy flowers for.
Bride
These days there are many bouquet styles for the bride to choose from. Speak to your florist about a style to complement your dress and your figure.
As well as a bridal bouquet, individually wired hair flowers look stunning woven into both formal and relaxed hairstyles. Tiny spray-roses, frothy gypsophila, several scented stephanotis flowers or a single phalaenopsis orchid head all work well.
Bridesmaids
Bridesmaids usually carry a bouquet that’s a smaller version of the bride’s or contains some of the flowers in the bridal arrangement. You can also provide a contrast by using the same flowers in a different shade. Single stems, wrist corsages or pomanders are also popular choices. For more ideas check out these bridesmaid bouquet alternatives.
Flower Girls
Flower girls can either carry a basket or mini pomander of flowers, or a basket of petals to scatter in front of the bride as she makes her entrance. For very young children, a wired floral garland or a few flowers attached to an Alice band to wear in the hair keep tiny hands free.
Mothers
The mothers of the bride and groom traditionally wear a corsage that either matches the couple’s colour scheme, the bride’s bouquet or their own outfits.
Groom
Traditionally grooms wore two flowers in their left buttonhole, and the bloom tended to match one that featured in the bride’s bouquet. Groom buttonholes nowadays however vary enormously, so the style and flowers used is only limited to your imagination. A nice touch is to wrap the stem of the buttonhole with a fine ribbon in a colour featured in your overall scheme.
Best Man and Fathers
The best man and fathers of the bride and groom also traditionally wear a double bloom in their left buttonhole. This can be any flower of your choice, so long as it’s in keeping with the rest of the bridal flowers.
Ushers and Pageboy
Ushers wear a single bloom in their left buttonhole, and the pageboy’s buttonhole is usually a smaller version of the one worn by the best man.
Grandparents
You don’t have to supply your grandparents with flowers, but it’s a nice touch to make sure there’s a corsage or buttonhole for them to wear on the day.
Buttonhole and Corsage Flowers
When deciding on flowers for the buttonholes and corsages, consider using blooms that will withstand a day of partying and hugging. Roses, chrysanthemums, calla lilies and cymbidium orchids are all tough enough, whereas phalaenopsis orchid heads, hydrangea florets or sweet peas may look a little sad by the end of the day. If you’re set on using delicate flowers, consider having a spare available for the groom, particularly for the photos.
Floral Ceremony Arrangements
The choice of ceremony flowers is endless, and your florist can advise what will and won’t work after a site visit. Often pedestal arrangements (normally more than one) of mixed flowers and foliage are placed at the entrance to the ceremony venue. If you are having a civil ceremony, a long, low arrangement or two small vases filled with flowers looks lovely on the ceremony table. You can also have flowers on every pew end or row of chairs, and on windowsills.
Floral Reception Arrangements
Many couples reuse their ceremony flowers at their reception venue to save money. In addition it’s traditional to have wedding table arrangements. Depending on your style and budget, these can vary enormously from popular candle and flower oasis centrepieces, to grand candelabras covered with flowers, to terracotta pots filled with lavender and herbs. The top table arrangement can either be a long version of the other centrepieces which can stretch the length of the table, or several individual arrangements.
Wedding Cake Flowers
Many couples decorate their wedding cake with flowers featured either in the bride’s bouquet or in the table arrangements. A front facing, low arrangement made for the reception table at a civil ceremony can double up as an arrangement for the cake table later on.
Floral Gifts
It’s traditional to present the mothers of the bride and groom with a bouquet of flowers or potted orchid as a thank you for all their help and support planning the wedding.
Guest post by Gemma Beasley
Images from…
Bride with Hair Flowers Holding Bouquet: Paco and Betty
Bride and Bridesmaids: Mr & Mrs {Boutique Wedding Photography and Video}
Flower Girl: Sephory Photography
Mother of the Bride: David Walters Photography
Groom’s Buttonhole: Jonny Barratt Photography
Fathers: Andrew Thomas Photography
Pageboys: Aaron Collett Photography
Ceremony Aisle Flowers: Matt Pereira
Top Table Flowers: Photography by Stefanie
