Wedding Flowers in Cornwall and Devon

words Christine Jensen

Flowers. We weave them into weddings for a fruitful celebration, framing our memories with beauty, abundance, generosity... everything a marriage should be. But what if we're not an expert in all things floral? How do we choose the perfect flowers for our wedding day? To root out the secrets behind selecting and styling gorgeous wedding flowers, I put on some sensible footwear and dived into the green world of the South West's expert florists. I even got up unfeasibly early to take in the sights and sounds of a pre-dawn New Covent Garden Market. (You're welcome!). And here, six themes emerged as I dug deeper into flora...



Colour me beautiful
Though we may not know our achillea from our eryngium, most brides tend to know pretty early on if their wedding day will feature pale pink, mustard yellow or ocean blue. Everyone has to start from the beginning, and colour, it seems, is a good place to commence. Combine colour with the wedding date (or at least the season) and you have a solid base from which to start selecting your blooms.

If you're struggling with styles, perhaps your own history can influence you: daisies from childhood; the scent of jasmine from that first holiday together; or your mother's favourite rose? Philippa Kay of A Recipe for Flowers (recipeforflowers.co.uk) carefully calls out the historical meanings of the flowers she arranges. Apparently, garden rosemary symbolises remembrance; Cornish lavender means longevity; the wax flower stands for riches; and astilbe for love at first sight. There is something powerful about surrounding ourselves, decorating our celebration, and carrying beautiful symbols of faithfulness, devotion and blessing. Kate Middleton chose her wedding flowers (and trees!) on the basis of their meaning: Solomon's seal (the confirmation of love), azaleas (femininity), lilacs (first love), maple (humility), and hornbeam (resilience).

"As a florist, I often work backwards with clients as they find it easy to define what they don't like and my intuition will 90% of the time lead me to something they will love," says Kate Bainbridge of Simply Flowers (simplyflowersdevon.com). "After that, it's all about interpretation and forming a good relationship with the couple. Weddings are such an emotive event, it's important to get it right!" If you're unsure of your flower options, but sure of your florist, trust them!



Filler foliage
Leaves can make all the difference. By leaves, I mean: sprigs, palms, ferns, grasses, things like goat willow and eucalyptus (in its thin and thick forms), and scent-heavy herbs like sage, lemon balm and mint. Then there are brambles, berries and succulents.

"Foliage is great for creating a wild, natural look for your wedding. So many different styles and textures and smells. Don't think of foliage as just green filler though, foliage-only bouquets are very on-trend at the moment," advises Emma Hewlett of Emma Hewlett Flowers (emmahewlett.co.uk).

Walking through row upon row of eye-catching foliage, it's evident that green is the new white. Foliage creates shape, structure and form, in greens, mottled, textured, speckled, drippy (that's a technical term), soft and architectural. It should be noted that foliage is not free, and can be similarly priced to some flowers. With an eye for pattern, tone and variety, and the guiding hand of the arranger, foliage will go far this year.

Texture matters
The feel of a wedding can often be enhanced by the texture of floral design. An aisle edged with bubbles of gentle gypsophila, or a tablescape incorporating pussy willow, lichen-covered twigs or lambs' ear, will send a very different style message to that of a bouquet of glossy, stiff anthuriums or arcs of beargrass. Rough, waxy, furry, soft, frilly, papery - each has a story to tell.

"When considering the bride's bouquet, it's vital to think about texture. If she has chosen to wear lace, you don't want the flowers to be in competition with the dress. It needs to be offset beautifully by the choice of flower, foliage and texture," suggests Helen Edwards of The Velvet Daisy (thevelvetdaisy.co.uk).



Consider costs
Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, International Women's Day, and even the odd fashion show in Moscow will drive prices of particular flowers at particular times. A David Austin rose, for example, can range from a few pence on one week to a few pounds the next. Sadly, the laws of supply and demand affect nature too.

"Our brides understand that their flowers add such incredible beauty to their wedding. For us, it's worth every one of the 50 to 60 hours we spend planning the look, discussing the details, sourcing the flowers, creating, delivering and setting up their unique arrangements," says Anna Sawle of Wedding Flowers in Cornwall (weddingflowersincornwall.co.uk).

When researching flowers for the bridal party, the church and the reception, wise brides investigate the costs of those dream designs, knowing it's not simply the flowers that are being sourced, but the time and expertise of a trustworthy gifted florist. If only Pinterest had a price tag on each picture, we would all have a better understanding of the value of beautifully arranged flowers.

"The wedding bouquet and groom's buttonhole especially, will be in every photo taken of the bride and groom. Therefore it's very important to allow for these to be just how you want them," advises Erica Tippett of Bleujen Florist (www.bleujenflorist.com).



Let it grow
It's not often we think about where our wedding flowers come from, but even before the door of New Covent Garden Market was open, a wall of fresh green scent was an evocative sensory reminder of the countryside. Surrounded by thousands of blooming stems, there's an acute awareness that before they're in bouquets, each flower and leaf has taken time to grow in dirt and sunshine on hills and fields all over the globe, from Ecuador to Exeter and Sri Lanka to Sennen.

In a digital age, there's distance from the fact that flowers grow in response to the climate, not the number of pins an image receives on Pinterest! Life in the great outdoors means colour and tones cannot be matched to a Pantone chart, or indeed, an Instagram filter. (Truth be told, some of those virtual flowers bear little resemblance to the flower in front of the camera!). Wedding blogs are fantastic for inspiration, but can give the impression that any flower can be had at any point in the year (unhelpfully without a price indicator, too). What your flower expert wants you to know is that flowers grow in specific seasons.

"In the UK we get cherry blossom and tulips in the spring, and sunflowers and stocks in the summer," comments Helen Edwards of The Velvet Daisy (www.thevelvetdaisy.co.uk). "Just like strawberries, you can buy flowers out of season, but they're not at their best. Peonies simply won't open for a British January wedding."

Helen should know: for a decade her elegant artistry has been sought by smart London hotels, celebrities, and the students she has inspired. But having seen the light, Helen moved to back to the country. "I grew up surrounded by open fields and farmlands, by amazing British blossom and foliage which had rhythm and season. There's only so long that you can live without birdsong. I needed to be inspired by wild nature and create beautiful things from the heart of Devon." No arguments here!



The blooming South West
The South West is blossoming with experienced and talented green-fingered artists. "It's a massive privilege to be in the heart of the county, surrounded by influential landscapes, amazing growers and stunning venues. It's a huge source of inspiration," comments Kate of Simply Flowers.

Working together, the flower network of the South West managed the disruption of summer 2015 deliveries with style. (Who knew that politics in Calais would affect peonies in Cullompton?). When flower deliveries simply didn't come through to the UK, relationships that had been built up over years of floral service did. Alternatives were organised, extra miles were run, and couples experienced the skill and creativity of passionate and dedicated florists.

"We love the journey with our brides, from the first meeting to last minute problems being solved - all for that moment on the wedding morning, seeing their reactions, setting up the venue and making sure everything is perfect for their wedding day," says Erica of Bleujen Florist.

It's no wonder the South West is the preferred destination of so many couples. "From coastal beach weddings to grand estates, I love the fact that so many people from outside the South West are coming here to get married - that says a lot about what we have to offer," concludes Emma of Emma Hewlett Flowers.

For a list of fabulous floral businesses check out our wedding flower suppliers in our wedding directory

Copyright Wed Magazine 2016