How to choose your perfect wedding flowers

Rose floral display. Flowers by the Herefordshire Flower Studio. Photo by The Unscripted.

Wedding flowers are such an important part of the day, helping to bring a big day theme to life, adding colour and personality to your wedding, and transforming a venue in an instant. However, choosing your perfect wedding flowers isn’t quite as easy as simply settling on a type of flower and colour; there’s a lot to consider when picking the type of big day bloom s that are right for you and your wedding. At Hampton Court Castle we love meeting wedding florists and watching how they transform our beautiful venue for our couples. No idea where to start with your wedding flowers? Our step-by-step guide has all the advice you need on choosing your dream flowers, whatever style of wedding you have in mind.

Get inspired

Before you do anything, take your time to explore the different wedding floral trends and styles to get an idea of the kind of look you’d like for your day. Create a Pinterest board, screenshot and save Instagram posts, and look through real wedding blogs or galleries (ideally from your chosen venue) to put together some inspiration for your florist.

Bride holding a white rose bouquet. Flowers by The Fabulous Florist. Photo by David Liebst Photography

Consider your budget

Budget is always going to be the biggest consideration when choosing your wedding flowers. According to wedding website Hitched’s latest National Wedding Survey, the average spend on wedding flowers in the UK is £1,050, but of course individual budgets can vary massively. Once you’ve worked out your wedding budget, think about how much you’re able to/want to assign for flowers before you approach any florists.

Think about your venue

Your choice of venue is going to have an impact on the kind of wedding flowers you choose. For example, a barn venue lends itself well to hanging floral displays or swags, and cute, mismatched posies in vases for the wedding breakfast. If you’re leaning more towards a grand venue like a stately home or castle, oversized floral displays are a fantastic choice to make the most of the space. It really helps to find a florist who is used to working with your venue type or style. At Hampton Court Castle we can recommend some incredible local florists to bring your vision to life.

Central Courtyard. Flowers by the Herefordshire Flower Studio. Photo by The Unscripted

Book your florist early

Once you have your wedding date set and your venue booked, make booking your florist a priority. If you have your heart set on a particular florist, contact them as early as you can. Experienced wedding florists get booked up quickly, especially during peak wedding season (May to September). Ideally, you’d want to book in your florist at least six months before your wedding date – up to a year in advance if possible.

What flowers do you need?

Your florist will be able to go through the types of wedding flowers they usually offer, but most weddings include:

• Bridal bouquet: The bride’s bouquet needs to complement, not overwhelm her dress. As a general rule, the bigger the dress the bigger the bouquet, whereas more form-fitting wedding gowns work best with smaller bouquets. Consider what kind of bouquets you’re naturally drawn to. Think about the size, shape, texture and colours, as well as any particular flowers you love. Typically, bridesmaids will carry smaller, more simplified versions of the bride’s bouquet.
• Buttonholes: Buttonholes, or boutonnieres, are traditionally worn by the groom, best man, ushers, father of the bride, and father of the groom.
• Ceremony displays: These floral arrangements can be smaller displays lining the aisle, chair or pew decorations, larger displays at the top of the aisle, or even a floral arch.
• Table centrepieces: Flowers at the reception really help to bring a wedding theme together. Some couples prefer a single centrepiece for each table, while others like dressing tables with collections of smaller blooms displayed in small vases.

Groom and groomsmen wearing buttonholes. Flowers by Issy & Bella Floral Design. Photo by Elizabeth Jayne Photography

What’s in season

Opting for in-season wedding flowers really makes sense when planning your big day. Seasonal flowers are more affordable and a great sustainable choice as they won’t have been flown in from the other side of the world. A professional wedding florist will always be able to suggest in-season flowers as alternatives to any out-of-season blooms – for example, you may adore summer-blooming peonies, however ranunculus give the same fluffy texture for spring bouquets, while David Austin roses create a beautiful ruffled effect for autumn weddings.

Pick your colours

While all-white or rich red are classically popular colour schemes for weddings and wedding flowers, many big days now work around a colour palette rather than a singular colour. Think about the kind of shades and colours that capture the vibe of your wedding, whether that’s romantic baby blues, lavender and blush, or modern, vibrant oranges and hot pinks.

Wedding breakfast flowers. Flowers by May Rose Floral Design. Photo by Matt Brown Photography

Remember there are alternatives

If your budget doesn’t stretch to the kind of fresh wedding flowers of your dreams, there are alternatives to keep costs lower. Artificial flowers have had a glow up in recent years and now you can hire (or buy) a stunning range of realistic silk flowers for your wedding. They look so good no one would tell the difference, and they are a great sustainable choice, as well as making it easy to pick your favourite flowers whatever the season.

Searching for the perfect castle wedding venue?

Nothing delivers on grandeur and romance quite like a castle wedding venue, and Hampton Court Castle in Herefordshire is an absolute gem of a wedding venue for couples searching for a luxurious, exclusive-use setting for their big day. With chic indoor and outdoor ceremony spaces, magnificent architecture, idyllic grounds and stylish on-site accommodation for you and your guests, it has everything you need for an elegant wedding with the wow-factor. Our friendly team would love to show you around Hampton Court Castle so you can experience everything this venue has to offer in person. Just email weddings@hamptoncourtcastle.co.uk or click here to get in touch and arrange a viewing.