The New Floral

While most brides begin imagining their wedding dress long before they’ve set the date, or even met the man, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of simply matching the flowers to the bridesmaid dresses rather than thinking imaginatively.Flowers should ideally frame your event, whether it’s a wedding or otherwise, as they’re what will transform the venue into your own personal location, designed exactly to your taste with the help of a professional florist. To help you get started, we’ve rounded up a few of the top floral trends for 2011, which used together, or alone, can add polish and creativity to the day.

The bud of the moment has got to be cherry blossom, which flowers oh-too-briefly from late March to mid-April, but more than makes up for its short lifespan with its delicate, exotic beauty. Grouped together in stunning shades of ivory to blush pink, cherry blossom bears a striking contrast between its fragile petals and the graphic wood branches, creating a very sophisticated arrangement for any event. 


If you’re using glass vases, a little goes a long way when your florist adds a few drops of food colouring to the water. As well as keeping your flowers fresh, water that’s been dyed to compliment your choice of flowers will add an extra, unexpected element to creative centrepieces.

For brides, arm sheaf bouquets are making a comeback thanks to their long, elaborate shape. Cradled by the bride in her arm, they were originally inspired by the presentation bouquets given to actresses after a performance. Arm sheaves can be traditional, with flowers at one end and the stems showing at the other, or they can be designed with flowers at both ends for a more extravagant style. Long-stemmed roses, calla lilies, delphiniums, orchids and larkspur are perfect for this kind of bouquet, making full use of their long, slender shapes.

Inspired by the Countryside

Spring has always been the most popular season for weddings, and luckily for brides-to-be the flowers that bloom as the English winter lifts offer some really beautiful choices for the ceremony, especially if you’re after a classic, countryside-inspired look.

Tulips are having something of a comeback – on their own they make an elegant, stylist statement, or they can work well in a mixed bouquet. Given the huge range of colours they come in, tulips are also incredibly versatile. They can droop a little faster than other varieties if they’re not properly conditioned, but Quintessentially Flowers will ensure that every bud lasts perfectly throughout the day.

Other traditional British flowers that are perfect for weddings include fragrant lilac, sweet bluebells and the classic hyacinth, which usually comes in shades of white, pink and blue but rarer varieties range from red and orange to navy, adding a splash of dramatic colour to any arrangement.

Lily of the Valley is another popular choice. In either ivory or pastel pink its delicate petals have long symbolised purity, just like the traditional white dress, as well as having a beautiful fragrance. The only drawback here is that Lily of the Valley tends to only appear for a few weeks in late spring, usually around April, before disappearing again for the rest of the year.

If you’re still not entirely decided, or are planning ahead for a wedding next spring, talk to your florist about using some of these blooms in your bouquet; if you are planning a wedding within the UK one of the wonderful things about these flowers is that they’ll be grown locally in the British countryside and won’t have to be imported.

Myrtle for Middleton

As the most anticipated wedding of 2011 draws closer, Kate Middleton’s still managing to keep most of the details secret – we don’t know who’s designing her dress, how many tiers high the cake will be or the colours in her bouquet. But we do know one of the flowers she’ll be carrying.  

Royal sources have confirmed that while Wills and Kate are taking a modern approach to their royal nuptials, there is one tradition she won’t be breaking. Every royal bride since Queen Victoria has walked down the aisle with a sprig of myrtle in her bouquet, all cut from the same tree in Victoria’s private garden, which she grew from the flower that was in her own bridal bouquet.

  

Myrtle has always been a great choice for wedding arrangements - its name means ‘the herb of love’ in ancient Greek and the flower was closely linked to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Myrtle’s also known for its aphrodisiac scent and with its simple alabaster petals can be the perfect backdrop to other, more dramatic flowers in your bouquet.

If you don’t want to be a copy-Kate but like the idea of a sharing a family tradition on your big day, why not turn to your parents’ wedding album for inspiration? Your mum might have styled her wedding a little too seventies or eighties for your taste, but a bud from her bouquet could easily be reinvented with a twist for a more modern wedding. With the help of an expert florist any blossom can be worked into your floral arrangements to make them more personal. 

If you start your own tradition now you might see the same flower in your daughter or granddaughter’s bouquet one day, proving it’s not just princesses-to-be who have a special family flower...

Wedding Flowers

Recently Engaged? 

Preparing for a wedding will prove to be one of the most stressful times in your life.  It’s also a time of great joy and celebration.  

That celebration should ultimately be a reflection of the couple and their tastes, not a collection of their friends and family’s style.

One thing that is of the utmost importance is that your wedding day is about YOU!  Brides are easily bogged down with concerns of pleasing others.  

It’s only a distraction in the grand scheme of things.  If those who you’ve invited are critical of the choices you’ve made, you may want to consider just how good of friends they really are.

An important aspect of wedding floral design is the venue.  If the venue proves to have stunning views on its own, overly complicated centerpieces are probably not the best idea. Make sure you always complement your surroundings. 

From initial concept to final preparations, we will plan every single detail based specifically on your tastes or preferences to ensure your event looks as spectacular as you feel.  Quintessentially Flowers can also work in tandem with other events company to make sure that your event is truly unforgettable. 

Quintessentially Flowers Wedding

Quintessentially Weddings provides you with a truly exceptional wedding planning service.


We work with couples of all denominations to organise religious ceremonies, church blessings, civil weddings, civil partnerships or when renewing vows.

From intimate candle lit gatherings to lavish stately occasions, we are on hand and at your disposal to take each step with you. We are there to source and scour, to plan and design and to make sure each and every element is addressed in plenty of time.


We have access to an unrivalled list of suppliers and a whole host of additional benefits. We literally come straight to your door with armfuls of creative ideas, endless experience and superb rates with the best in the business.
We pride ourselves on first class flexible thinking and exemplary budget management so as to leave you completely stress free and able to fully enjoy both the preparation and the big day.


We can provide the following services::
Venue finding & negotiation
Invitations & rsvp
Ceremony co-ordination
Event design
Flowers & decor
Wedding attire
Catering
Drinks
Entertainment
Transportation
Accommodation
Gift Registry
Honeymoons


Let Quintessentially Flowers be your wedding florist, we specialize in weddings and have the best team of professionals waiting to cater to your needs. We do everything from table arrangements, bouquets, decorations, we can make your wedding a fantasy come true our only limit is your imagination.

We know this is your special day and the start of a new adventure, so we are here to make it as smooth and stress-free as possible.


“We wanted to thank you again for managing every aspect of our wedding day so brilliantly. Not only did the venues look breathtakingly beautiful, but everything ran so seamlessly and efficiently that we were able to fully enjoy every minute of our wedding day. It was a more amazing day than we could even have hoped for, so thanks again to you and the team for working incredibly hard to make everything so perfect for us. “
Louise & Philip


“Quintessentially Events is in a class of its own."




Our team of professionals are waiting to make your dreams come true one this very special day, we want to help you make this day as memorable as possible. Contact us today about how we can help you with all your Wedding Flower needs.




Please contact jenna@quintessentiallyflowers.com for all you Wedding Flower needs