I can hardly believe that Christmas is so near now!  This year has gone by in such a whirlwind for me what with having little Tilly at the end of the summer, and I imagine all of your brides- and grooms-to-be who are getting hitched next summer will be feeling like it’s not long now once the New Year is upon us.

Today I have another lovely treat from one of our recommended wedding suppliers.  This guest post has been put together by Joanne of Fletcher & Foley (a fab Manchester based florist) using the same selection of flowers and foliage, but in three quite different styles: Rustic, Vintage, and ‘Wedstival’.  I love the selection of old pots Joanne’s used for the vintage styling, but I most like her use of colour for the ‘Wedstival’ theme, perfect for all of you inspired by summer festivals for your wedding day.

Over to Joanne…

Get the look

Getting the styling right for your wedding can be a daunting prospect.  So much to think of.  In fact writing this blog I’m a little worried myself  as to where to start.  Ok, let’s start with a little inspiration, and this can come from anywhere.  Without rambling too much, a visit from my mother-in-law means a whole heap of glossy magazines will be left behind.  A trend piece in Vogue.  It screams autumn.

Using key words may help.  For this little project I’m going to break it down into three wedding trends.  Rustic, Vintage and Wedstival.

See what we’re doing here?  Building up a picture of the overall feel for the big day by taking it slowly. Not getting bogged down in too much detail. No micro managing. Giving yourself a break so you can enjoy it.

The flowers

From a florist’s viewpoint, it doesn’t matter if you know nothing about flowers.  Give us some idea of colour and seasonality or if you prefer a particular flower and let us do the work.  Or even just tell us what you don’t like. That can often guide us in the right direction too.

I used the following flowers and foliage for the three wedding themes: Amaranthus, Dahlia, Free Spirit and Coffee Break Roses, Sedum, Hydrangea, Elder Berries, Nigella (Love in the Mist), Rosemary, Aster, Cornflower, Eryngium, Hawthorn, Scabious Seed Head, Mokara orchid, Rowan, and Virginia Creeper.

Look 1 – Rustic

Top tip, ask around.  I mentioned to a customer that I was writing this blog and mentioned the themes.  Half an hour later she pops in with three handmade Moira English Stoneware jugs by Hillstonia.

To be honest they were the kind of thing you probably wouldn’t give a second glance, but another tip is be open minded.  The strangest containers can look stunning filled with the right blooms and styling.

Look 2 – Vintage

Is it fair to say vintage is starting to suffer from overkill?  Perhaps, but it’s popular for a reason.  To my mind it lends itself very well for a wedding – bottom line is it’s pretty.  Try to avoid faux vintage.

What does vintage actually mean?  Representing the high quality of a past time: vintage cars; vintage movies, etc.  Old fashioned or obsolete.  And being the best of its kind.  All worth bearing in mind.

For all these reasons I’ve gone for Victorian jars and bottles, all manner of containers for cream, pastes, jellies and oils.  One per table would bring your theme through, and not of course forgetting something that is personal to you – so all of these are from Manchester/Lancashire.

Look 3 – Wedstival

This one is gaining popularity, but it can be harder to nail.  Festivals exude colour and fun, they’re about downtime, laid back, pure unadulterated enjoyment.  And flags.  There’s always a flag.  I made cute ribbon flags on skewers to bring in more colour.  Looking back at the inspiration page it’s darker and muted so I’ve brought that element in through the glassware.  Red, brown, blue.

Another tip is to have some element of continuity that runs through your styling.  This doesn’t mean if you’ve chosen purple, for example, you will have napkins, balloons, dresses, cars, bunting, lipstick…overkill.

Mismatched stuff looks great, but too much and it can be a bit of dogs dinner.  Mismatched with say one red container on each table will tie it together.  Ask around, friends and neighbours have all manner of interesting containers.  You know what you like, don’t be afraid to say you don’t like something and be bold, play around have fun.  That’s what it’s all about.

Fletcher & Foley is a recommended supplier of The Natural Wedding Company. Based in Manchester, English grown and seasonal flowers are Fletch & Foley’s thing. They get excited by flowering mint, scented stocks, delphiniums and wild flowers. Always pretty, never twee. Visit www.fletcherandfoley.co.uk for more details or contact them at fletcherandfoleyflowers@yahoo.co.uk.