Creating A Unique Wedding Using Flowers
Image: Ultramarine / Photographer Joanna Bongard
If you wish to add a little of your own personality to your wedding, then flowers are an ideal way to do it. Gemma Therese Pearce guides us through the many ways you can work with your florist to create a unique wedding day using flowers.
by Gemma Therese Pearce, Founder of Ultramarine Flowers
Using colour to create impact
Considering colour when choosing your wedding flowers can inspire feelings of joy, hope and happiness. Colour can elevate and even establish a theme by echoing throughout the wedding decor; popping up on table settings, buttonholes and bridal accessories. It can transform a venue and uplift the atmosphere. Being confident about your colour choices unifies a theme, creates eye catching aesthetics and adds a personal touch to your wedding day.
Gradient floral arrangements deliver understated drama. Using one colour of blooms in varying shades work well if you favour a muted, subtle palette or if you love bold, striking flowers. Simply choose a favourite colour or a colour rich in flower variety during your wedding season. Placing trust in your florist’s creativity and giving them the freedom to choose from an abundance of seasonal blooms will mean the overall look will be incredible.
Cheerful, sunny, golden tones of yellow tulips, buttery narcissi and ruffled layers of ranunculus are uplifting, hopeful and feel authentic to the springtime. Whereas bright ‘lagoon’ dahlias, ‘picotee pink’ cosmos and delicate, starry astrantia feel romantic, spirited and lively. Both create atmosphere and by using varying shades of a single colour, the beauty, textures and shapes of the flowers become a focal point. These details really add the wow factor to your day.
Whether you choose blush pinks, taupes, and dove greys in calming hues for a more classic, traditional style or vibrant reds and vivid pink tones, single colour bouquets and arrangements are striking, modern yet timeless feel.
Image: Ultramarine
Constance Spry Style Arrangements
Floral designer Constance Spry was a visionary of her time, working from her shop ‘Flower Decoration’, she supplied flowers to 1930s hedonists in high society. She wrote thirteen books, created the coronation flowers for Queen Elizabeth II and arranged crowd stopping window displays. Ultimately she made flowers an art form with her revolutionary floral style.
One thing Spry is best known for is her unique use of incorporating organic material within her floral design. Inspired by 17th and 18th century Dutch paintings, Spry’s unconventional approach to arrangements included fruit, vegetables, foraged weeds and wildflowers, seed heads, branches and grasses. This untraditional concept can be adopted for a modern day wedding.
You may not want to go as far as using toadstools, artichokes and ornamental kale leaves. However, imagine long tablescapes where rich, red berries, sculptural twigs, jewel toned pomegranates, trailing grapes and cheerful yellow fennel flower are composed with sweetly scented sweet peas and antique roses creating romantic, characterful and unique centerpieces.
Spry took the vessels for her arrangements almost as seriously as the flowers themselves. A fan of large giant urns, oversized arrangements she was known to avoid using her client’s traditional cut glass. Spry designed boat shaped wall vases that became a craze in the 1930s. These wall vases work perfectly above fireplaces and ideal for couples looking for maximalist displays. Ask your florist to source Spry style vases to create lively, dramatic arrangements. Unafraid of experimenting this ‘anything goes’ approach is perfect for the bold bride looking to make a statement.
Dried Flowers
Dried flowers for the home have been growing in popularity over the past couple of years but they can really make an impact on your wedding day too. They can be used whatever the season, are long lasting and available in a variety of shapes, colours and sizes. Dried materials often give a more relaxed, free spirited vibe to your wedding day whilst still feeling luxe. Dried flower bridal bouquets with their natural, authentic beauty can become everlasting keepsakes.
Ask your florist to source flowers that dry well such as bountiful hydrangeas perfect for bridal bouquets, delicate wax flower for flower crowns and sunny yellow achillea for pops of colour along your tablescape. Tall, feathery pampas grass and geometric fan palms work really well in larger hanging installations and large pedestal vases.
In fact dried flowers and grasses compliment a subtle colour palette with a bohemian feel. However flowers such as papery strawflowers, vivid, yellow achillea and bright, rich larkspur still retain their vibrant colour palettes when dried. Combining dried and fresh materials is another way to create unique flower designs. The mix of soft, blousy petals, fluffy grasses and dried papery textures look striking, dramatic and feel considered. Just make sure to give your florist plenty of notice in case they start drying flowers a few seasons ahead of your big day.
Image: Ultramarine / Photographer Tom Hartford
Flower Symbolism
Otherwise known as floriography, it was practised by Victorians as a way of sending secret messages that they couldn’t otherwise communicate. Flower dictionaries boomed during this time with books such as ‘The Language of Flowers’ appearing in many households. During this period red roses became the symbol of love and passion, forget me nots symbolised true love and peonies signified a happy marriage or prosperity. However, most flowers had more than one interpretation and you don’t need to stick to these traditional flower meanings when it comes to your special day.
Incorporating flower symbolism is a great opportunity to add the personal touch to your flower arrangements and be playful. It could be as simple as the first flowers your partner bought you, flowers that grew in the garden of your first home together or simply a childhood favourite.
Image: Ultramarine / Photographer Joanna Bongard
The addition of specially selected blooms to your bridal bouquets has an extra special meaning shared just between the two of you. Using pressed flowers as decorative motifs on your name cards for seating arrangements adds sentiment and if you’re truly a flower fan (and there are just too many blooms to choose from) why not name each table after your favourite flowers?
Flowers are endlessly romantic and using flower symbolism as an aesthetic choice inspires dreamy, nostalgia and the attention to detail that will elevate your wedding decor.
Dramatic Statement Pieces
A dramatic floral statement is a great addition to a wedding ceremony or wedding party and works whatever the setting. Rustic barns, traditional churches, contemporary spaces, old country manors and outdoor marquees all have the scope to have extravagant and bold statement flowers. Whilst designing your florals keep your exterior or interior setting in mind so you can simultaneously accentuate the beauty of your surroundings with the beauty of your blooms.
Meadow walkways are a great way to create impact as soon as your guests arrive. Tall, oversized, frilly meadows lining the entrance to a breakout space feel special and add anticipation of what’s to come. Using meadows to adorn staircases is a pretty way to bring the outside indoors while bringing your venue to life. By highlighting the twirling shape of the staircase you will add drama as the flowers ascend in height.
Image: Ultramarine / Photographer Joanna Bongard
Living flower walls and hanging flower curtains both work as the perfect backdrop to your wedding day. This space ends up a riot of colour, setting the tone for a very special event. In addition it works perfectly for your photographer, selfie opportunities and capturing the day via instagram. Mantelpiece flowers cascading across and down to the floor as well as filling the fireplace feels extravagant, yet still totally in keeping with a grand manor house location.
For fun, frivolous florals ask your florist for floral spheres hanging above the dance floor instead of disco balls. Hanging installations work in a variety of settings, feeling just at home in the form of a flower cloud floating above guests during a sit down meal as on the dance floor. Using flowers in abundance looks luxurious and extravagant flower installations create an interesting talking point amongst guests. The idea is the bigger the better but if maximalism scares you, place an emphasis on a neutral colour palette and lush foliage for a timeless feel.
You can find Ultramarine online and on Instagram @Ultramarineflowers
Disclaimer: The people and models in the images featured are not associated with The Vendeur and do not endorse it or the products shown. This post may contain affiliate links. Prices correct at time of publishing.
