2018 brides have been requesting other amazing installations from the hanging foliage or flower chandeliers from venue ceilings or marquees, to arrangements on hanging planks over top tables.  Another popular theme – which has its origins in the USA – are pampas grass archways – bit of an unusual foliage for a wedding you may think, but, if you scan Pinterest you’ll find some truly amazing arrangements with these grasses – giving a lovely soft fluffy effect.

The botanical theme continues with lots more ‘all foliage weddings’; from the bridal bouquet to the décor; this is most likely due to the popularity of outdoor wedding ceremonies, and this wedding theme of 2017 is not going anywhere, but just evolving.  There will just be tweaks and fresh interpretations.  Bouquets will be getting larger than ever, and cascading bouquets are making a strong comeback as well, with lots of seasonal blooms and plenty of foliage; this style being perfect for the bride wanting something loose and unstructured. 

Together with the foliage heavy bouquets, there will continue to be lots of lovely texture, which is always important to consider if you choose a mix of foliages of the same colour.

Flowers suitable for the ultra-violet theme for your wedding could be; deep purple calla lilies ‘Purple Heart’ or the darkest purple possible such as ‘Hot Chocolate’, purple lisianthus ‘Corelli’ or ‘Violet Vixen’, hydrangea with various purple tones like the plummy ‘Purple Prince’ or ‘Verena Classic’, vanda orchids ‘Blue Magic’ and more lilac tones of scabiosa ‘Clive Greaves’, lilac freesia ‘Blue Bayou’ or lilac roses such as ‘Ocean Song’ or ‘Purple Haze’ – any of these flowers work great with the silver tones of senecio, populus or cinerea eucalyptus.

As metallic continues to be popular, iridescent will also be growing in popularity; personally I can’t wait to see more of this colour, think pearlescent or oyster shell, it works on so many levels!

Words of wisdom from the beautiful bride Lizzie Seman.

Our wedding theme was a classic style wedding with blush pink and white Peonies. I love Lace and pearls and also wanted to incorporate them into the wedding day.

The wedding took place on 27th of March 2015 at Stock brook golf club in Essex. We travelled around Essex and Kent looking at a number of different venues, but we loved the warm feeling we got once we walked through the doors at Stock brook Golf Club.

The wedding took us fifteen months to plan and millions of lists!!!  I found the most stressful part was making sure you got everything done within your normal working day. “People would not believe how long it takes to plan a wedding”.

My dress was by Madeline Gardiner New York. On the day I chose Hair by Victoria Jarrett and make up by Sian Sayer to create the look I was looking for. I chose ‘Designer Flowers’ to create the bouquets and venue flowers.  I had looked at lots of images before I went to meet ‘Designer flowers’ at their studio.

With a little help I knew I wanted blush peonies for the Bridal bouquet finished off with ivory pearls and French lace. For the bridesmaids I chose ivory hydrangea bouquets. For the top table I chose a mixture of blush pink roses, hydrangeas and peonies which I loved. The stationery was by Lucy Lolas, and all the pictures below are from our photographer Derek Anson which I loved.

Little things made our wedding truly special like saying our vows to each other in front of all our friends and family.  Also one of my best friends surprised me with a touching speech to me and Ben written by my sister and brother-in-law, who are in Australia and couldn’t make the wedding, I also made personalised wine charms for all the lady guests, which seemed to go down well.

To all the new brides and grooms out there who might be reading this, my peace of advice would be,  not stress about the little things before the wedding because everything is perfect on the day and it will be the best day of your lives. xxxx

Photography by Derek Anson Photography derekanson.com

Dreamy Blush peonies, soft pink hydrangeas, double white peonys and beautiful big headed ranunculus.

These were Rebecca and Ashley Turrell’s chosen wedding flowers for their rustic wedding held in the amazing grounds of Blake Hall.

This is their story

Rebecca and Ashley met 9 years ago at work, where they become friends, before they started dating. After Ashley proposed to Rebecca, they both knew they were looking to hold their wedding in the Essex countryside. After looking at lots of barns in the area they fell in love with the friendly staff and amazing barn at Blake Hall.

Rebecca and Ashley chose ‘blush pink and ivory’ as their wedding theme and Rebecca wore a dress made by Alfred Sung, which had pearl and lace detailing. Rebecca’s bouquet was a posy of peonys, blush hydrangea and beautiful soft pink ranunculus.  The bridesmaids wore long dusky pink jump suits, instead of the more traditional long bridesmaid’s dresses and the bouquets of flowers were soft pink quicksand roses with gypsaphilia.

Blake Hall was dressed with fairy lights around the barn, while tall elegant pearl vases sat on each table. The guest table flowers were displays of blush hydrangeas, gypsaphilia, soft pink roses and tea roses, while the top table was covered in gypsophila and small globe votives where placed among the gyp.

Ashley and Rebecca’s day was a great success with many of their family and friends saying they had a wonderful day and loved the relaxed atmosphere. Rebecca and Ashley wish all new couples the best of luck with the wedding preparation and offer these words of advice:

“Take the whole day in your stride and enjoy it!!!!”.

Our first trend prediction for 2016 is glamour and glitz as it’s featured in a lot of the wedding magazines. At the London Flower Markets I have already seen a large stock of glitzy props to make your wedding stand out from the rest.

Designer Flowers Essex second prediction for 2016 is lots of soft pinks, pale peach and corals. I must say this is one of our favourite colour combinations too.

Designer Flowers’ third prediction for 2016 is a more rustic and less formal approach to wedding flowers, with odd shaped jars/vases/bottles and even each bridal party member having a different flower as their buttonhole.

One of Designer Flowers Essex old favourite styles which is still set to shine for 2016 is vintage. This style has been around for a few years now and is also known as shabby chic and new vintage. We find our brides still love the simple but striking look.

Good luck designing the wedding of your dreams

Let your wedding venue influence the flower design

If you are getting married in a grand stately home, work with the rooms and don’t try to overpower the room with grand designs and colours. The room may have a lot of décor and character already so instead work with the colours and choose simpler flowers and colours.

Plan a budget for your wedding flowers

A budget for your wedding flowers will play a big part when it comes to deciding what is achievable for your wedding. Don’t waste time looking at £5000 worth of flowers on websites when your budget is £1000. Most wedding experts advise to set aside 10% of your overall budget for flowers. Let your florist know your budget as they will want to help

Flowers are not just bouquets and buttonholes

Look at areas of interest at your church/venue/reception. Decorate these areas to make your wedding unique and stand out. For example, not all churches can have a beautiful arch of flowers or have big windows you can dress with flowers. Some venues will have beams to dress, others may have a sweeping driveway or a simple fountain you can float flower heads on.

Ask to see a mock-up of your bouquet or table display

If you are struggling to imagine how your floral arrangements will look, ask for a sample to be prepared. Or you can even ask to see colours of single flowers so you know the colours will work on the big day.

Allow plenty of time at your wedding venue(s) for your flowers to be set up

By giving your florist sufficient time to prepare your wedding venue, they will be able to ensure the displays are looking their best when you arrive. If you are getting married outside on a summers day, make sure the flowers will be placed just before the guests arrive so they are not sitting in the blistering heat for most of the morning.

Jenna and James story – 27th July 2012

At just 18 and 19, James and Jenna met while working in Next as Saturday shop assistants. They instantly fell head over heels in love as young sweethearts.  As their romance blossomed, James’ confidence grew and so he decided to pop the question in September 2010. After nearly two years of planning and preparation, Jenna and James got married on 27th July 2012 at Gaynes Park.

Jenna and James chose all white flowers.  For Jenna’s bouquet we decided to use white roses and white hydrangea.  The bridesmaids had simple white hydrangea bouquets, while the buttonholes where classic white roses. In the venue Designer Flowers dressed the orangery with white gypsophila and white hydrangea arches.  We covered the beams in gypsophila garlands, while the guest tables in the Mill Barn had both flowers combined in a large modern arrangement, finished off with hanging glass ball tea-lights.  Designer flowers also placed white roses on the chairs and white lanterns around the venues gardens.

Jenna and James picked Gaynes Park because it felt like they where getting married outdoors, but they also had the reassurance of the Orangery if it rained. Their wedding day went to plan and they enjoyed the planning and experience of a big white wedding.

Jenna and James are now living happily ever after in Essex with their little boy Tate. x

Photographs by im-art

“Three Coins”

Alastair knew it was love at first sight when he met Ashleigh at Southampton University.  By 2012 he had decided to whisk Ashleigh off to Rome for a weekend break where he romantically proposed in front of the famous Trevi Fountain.

As the saying goes

You must throw three coins into the fountain: the first guarantees your return to Rome, the second leads to a new romance, while the third lead to marriage!

Ashleigh agreed to become the new Mrs. Sheppard and once back in the UK, they started to plan for their big day.

Ashleigh and Alastair looked at 6 venues in total, but instantly fell in love with Gaynes Park.  They proceeded to set a date and then went on to visit Gaynes Park numerous times before the big day to ensure every little detail was just as they had imagined.

Ashleigh wore a Paloma Blanca dress which she purchased in Tunbridge Wells, while Alastair’s suit was from Jack Bunnies in Barking.

Ashleigh and Alistair’s colour theme was dusky pink and sage green, inspired by the sage green bridesmaid’s dresses that Ashleigh had fallen in love with.  Combining Ashleigh’s ideas with Designer Flowers’ expertise, it was not long before we found the perfect shades of roses and hydrangea to complete the look.

Ashleigh used the light and open space of the orangery at Gaynes Park to create the weddings of her dreams we brought in a Perspex/ clear  table which we added a heart of flowers to the inside of the transparent table made with roses, and antique hydrangea, while scattering crystals inside the table to finish the look. On the wall we hung a vintage dusky pink and green heart and also added hearts to the back of the bride and grooms chairs. Designer flowers also hung pomanders on Sheppard’s crocks down the isle.

In the mill barn we dressed the tables with silver candelabra with a ball of flowers placed inside the candelabra arms made with memory lane roses, dill, avalanche roses and antique hydrangeas, and seasonal foliage.

Ashleigh enjoyed the wedding and her words of advice for all you brides to be would be “Enjoy every minute of planning the wedding it lasts a lot longer than the day itself! On the day it goes so quickly so make sure you take a moment (with your new husband!) to step back and take it all in and don’t forget that everyone is there for the two of you!”

Photographs by Expression Photography