How to choose bridal flowers for a wedding

Most brides would agree that choosing the flowers is one of the most enjoyable aspects of wedding planning.

It is important to select varieties and colours that will reflect the day’s overall tone; it’s no good going with flamboyant flowers when the bride is dressed in a smart tailored design.

Or opting for the minimalist look when the bridesmaids are dressed in yards and yards of taffeta and the mother of the bride outfits are all about romantic swathes of lace.

It’s worth keeping an eye on floristry magazine in the run up to the big day, as these will tell you about current trends in flower arranging and design. Here are four trends to watch out for, which could offer some floral inspiration.

Something old…

Vintage continues to be big news in design circles, thanks in no small part to the likes of Cath Kidston and Orla Kiely. Old-fashioned simplicity can manifest itself in hand-tied bouquest with trailing greenery, pastel colours and traditional, seasonal flower varieties. Turn to old photos for inspiration – what worked for Great Aunty Mabel could also look stunning for the 21st-century bride.

One of a kind

On the other hand, ultra modern looks can be striking too, making a bride stand out for the right reasons. Using a single colour for all the flowers, for example, will make a bold statement. This can even be co-ordinated to watch or complement the bridesmaids’ outfits and mother of the bride attire. This also works well with bridal dresses that are not the traditional cream, ivory or white. Ivory flowers against a purple dress, anyone?

An English country garden

Returning to inspirations from the past, charming countryside chic is a very popular trend in bridal flowers at the moment, with the return of willow, rushes, raffia and straw in bouquets, as well as wild flowers and greenery plucked from the herb bed. If you need to work to a stricter wedding budget than you would have liked, providing your own garden delights to crate or bulk up the bouquet could shave some pennies from the final bill.

Less is more

Brides of a smaller stature can sometimes appear overwhelmed by huge bouquets. Other brides who are proud of the detailing on the front of their dress might not like the idea of hiding behind lots of flowers. There’s definitely a place for smaller, discreet bouquets that would look as much at home in a vase as in the hands of a bride. This applies to corsages and buttonholes too – many mother of the bride dresses have attractive beading, embroidery or designs on them that should not be concealed by adding too large a floral addition to the lapel.

Whatever today’s brides choose in the way of flowers, they still remain very much at he heart of wedding décor. It’s obvious why. They make the bride feel like a princess for the day and turn a simple church, register office, ceremony or wedding breakfast venue into a magnificent sight.