Hampshire Wedding Flowers – How your wedding flowers can be inspired by British Flowers Week
British Flowers Week was founded by New Covent Garden Market in 2013. This annual June celebration acknowledges UK home grown flowers, foliages and plants. Similarly, it’s a great, week-long opportunity to champion the whole of the British floriculture industry. These seven days highlight growers, wholesalers and florists. Best of all though, it gives you the perfect opportunity to be inspired to use British Flowers for your wedding.
Sourcing My Wedding Flowers
This is a question that I am often asked by couples when planning wedding flower decorations. Luckily, I have several sources. So where I buy my flowers from, often depends on the look that I want to achieve with my floral displays. London’s premier flower market is New Covent Garden and has been my flower market of choice since I started working in flowers. Here I can buy international and UK grown flowers.
In addition to the flower market I also buy my flowers directly from the Dutch Auctions and have them delivered overnight to my flower studio. This option gives me access to a huge collection of flowers with an almost impossible range of varieties to choose from. However, two of my favourite options also include buying flowers through an exclusive English only flower wholesaler, based in Cornwall.
The other really exciting option is for me is to source my flowers through local artisan flower growers. These by nature are smaller and independent flower farmers. Naturally, this is the option that really gives the greatest provenance. My very own cutting garden is probably my all time favourite and here I often cut small quantities of flowers and foliages for my wedding orders. Using my cutting garden materials, I can really elevate individuality, particularly to the bridal bouquets. So with these varied sources I can happily access year round UK home grown flowers and foliages.
British Flowers v International Flowers
It can be argued, that British flowers are better than international flowers. This may or maynot be the case. However, they are certainly truly seasonal and in my opinion, seasonal is always best. The UK flower and plant industry has been growing and growing and today I would say is the strongest it has been for many, many years. Our nationally grown flowers are often outside or poly tunnel grown and occasionally may grow towards the light, giving the stems a slight bend. This doesn’t make them better or worse than their overseas counterparts BUT it definitely gives them much more charm and character. What wonderful attributes for your wedding flowers!
Are British Flowers Eco friendly?
A resounding YES is the only answer to this question! Firstly British flowers and foliages are often grown on small farms and follow organic growing principles. Secondly, farm, flower to florist generally involves less transportation reducing carbon footprint. Then thirdly, less packaging and certainly less use of plastic. So three very clear ticks in that box! British flowers week champions our UK flower growers and florists, who bring these outstanding beauties to you and make them available for your big day decorations.
What British Flowers are available for Wedding Flowers?
Probably loads more than you might think and I would say loads more that I am going to list here. I think that might be for another blog, another time! However to give you a little taster of what you might find available for your wedding flowers please read on.
January / February / March – Narcissi, snowdrops, ranunculus, hellebores & tulips
April / May / June – Peonies, lilac, foxgloves, sweet peas & roses
July / August / September – Scabious,sunflowers, dahlias, cosmos, hydrangea & lilies
October / November / December – Chrysanths, rosehips, cymbidium orchids, heather, evergreen foliages, mossy twigs & catkins
What themes do British flowers suit?
The perfect wedding flower themes to use British flowers are without doubt an English Country Garden look. If you are getting married at a country venue or having a marquee in the garden you might like to use your garden or rural setting as a backdrop and continue with this look when it comes to the bouquets and centrepieces.
A BoHo or Just Picked from the Meadow are also great themes to use UK flowers and foliages.
In summary if you would like your wedding flowers to have an informal and natural looking feel, you’ll certainly nail it by incorporating beautiful British flowers. Keep a look out on blogs and social media throughout British Flowers Week and see how you might be inspired for your wedding flowers and decorations.
If you enjoyed reading this why not also read my blog on 5 Reasons to choose seasonal flowers https://www.louiseaveryflowers.com/hampshire-wedding-florist-5-reasons-to-choose-seasonal-wedding-flowers/ and I’d love to know what you think.
https://www.royalfloraholland.com/