Spring is officially here and with so many colourful blooms on offer, expert wedding florist Fiona Pickles from Firenza Floral Design, knows a thing or two when it comes to choosing the perfect wedding flowers.
With her expert knowledge and awareness of seasonal availability, not to mention a champion for locally grown flowers, the award winning florist takes the business of choosing perfect arrangements in her stride.
Fiona says: "Spring is all about fresh new beginnings and optimism and it is my favourite time of year for flowers, they are all so beautiful. Choose lots of fresh, local and readily available blooming flowers."
"Seasonal availability and the abundance of colour on offer makes Spring the perfect choice to suit a wide range of styles, from a soft, muted and romantic look to a vibrant and bright theme.
"Growing my own flowers means a lot of options are open to me that aren't available at the flower markets, such as beautiful pale lemon cowslips, ever-so delicate forget-me-nots, honeysuckle, stately dicentra (little white or red heart shaped flowers), and aquilegia (grannie's bonnets), to name a few."
There are so many different flowers to choose from and to help you decide, Fiona shares her tips on some common Spring time flowers as well as a couple of her own favourites, as reflected in her inspirational styles, perfect for a Spring wedding:
Tulips are a popular Spring flower and perfect for weddings as they come in a huge variety of colours, making it easy to fit in with themes. They look great mixed into a bouquet or grouped together on their own.
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Narcissi (daffodils) are the flowers that signal the beginning of Spring. As well as the familiar bold and cheery yellow daffodil, with a beautiful open bloom there are also some beautiful muted narcissi in buttermilk (cheerfulness) and even white varieties (paperwhites). They work beautifully in bridal bouquets giving a delicate almost frilly effect, as well as adding a beautiful scent. They make wonderful table centrepieces and can be potted up as favours for guests.
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Cherry blossom is available in pink (usually pale) and white and are fabulous for table centrepieces - they work equally as well in an informal "jug style" display as well as in tall, dramatic statement pieces
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Ranunculus like gorgeous mini peonies, they come in a wide range of colours and are one of my absolute favourites. A bouquet of just a single colour ranunculus is so delicate and striking. Equally they work well mixed with other spring flowers.
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Hyacinth come in many colours and have the added bonus of being highly scented (although it may be best to avoid for people with allergies) and are very versatile in all styles of design.
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Anemone are so delicate and many have a beautiful dark blue/purple, almost black centre, so even the pale colours become a fabulous choice to tie in with darker coloured bridesmaid dresses in a very subtle way. As well as a large range of whites and pale pastel colours, they do come in strong colours such as vibrant magenta and red.
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Hellebore is a beautifully delicate flower which ranges from white, pale green through to a more acid green, to shades of mauve and purple right up to a beautifully moody dark purple. A hellebore head with twigs and herbs makes for a striking buttonhole.
Spring flowering clematis is a pretty climbing flower that works when trailing over a candelabra or around vases for a stunning centrepiece. They also work really well in garlands.
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Bluebells provide a vibrant blue in late spring and when combined with a fresh zingy lime green offers a beautiful bright option whilst retaining a natural look.
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Lilac stunning heads of lilac or white flowers offer a delicate scent. They add a beautiful extra dimension to bridal bouquets. A bouquet of lilac on its own is really stunning.
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Viburnum opulus (guelder rose, snowball) is a versatile spring flower in a vivid acid green, which fades to almost white as it ages. They work brilliantly in large pedestal displays and go with every colour of spring flower available.
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Snakeshead fritillary are a native British flower and grow wild in grass meadows, they come in either the usual mauve checkerboard effect or a white variety of the same. They are so delicate and make a beautiful addition to a mixed spring flower display.
Fiona offers consultations at her beautiful studio and workshop in West Yorkshire. For more information visit www.firenzafloraldesign.co.uk or ring 01422 835540.
I'm running to the florists now, all this floral prettiness has made me want to have some more flowers in my home.
Teresa x
