I don’t think I will ever, ever tire of a flower crown, a bold statement I know but if you take a look at today’s beautiful bohemian hellebore wedding inspiration and the to-die-for spring flower crown I think you would agree that regardless of fashion trends they are pretty timeless.
Today’s inspiration shoot was lovingly curated by Beamsley Blooms and shot by Phase 2 Photography to showcase the possibilities of using seasonal British flowers for Spring brides and grooms, offering a stunning alternative to the more traditional Spring associated blooms. Clare from Phase 2 Photography explains, “The aim of the shoot was to let the pure, natural beauty of the flowers speak for themselves and give brides an idea of what can be achieved with these stunning flowers.”
Susanne from Beamsley Blooms goes on to give us a little more information about the inspiration behind the shoot for us…
I love roses, but garden grown and in season, not on Valentine’s Day. But what does a seasonal British Valentine’s bouquet look like? We asked Anne-Marie from Forage For to make us a Valentine’s floral creation – she is quite renown for her stunning floral designs.
So from one corner of Suffolk in a walled garden, this is what was seasonal this year – and it’s worth noting that this has been a particularly unusual year, with unseasonable weather resulting in quite an array of flowers.
Angela who runs Petal and Twig, on of our TNWC recommended florists, sent me these photos of a winter bouquet she recently designed. Made completely from garden flowers and foliage it is cleverly constructed on a handmade moss pad with a handle of dogwood.
The bouquet itself contains hellebores, succulents, variegated Euonymous, variegated Box, ferns, Skimmia (both pink and green berried varieties), Mahonia Japonica flower sprays, Spirea, Magnolia twigs and buds, and ivy. I think it’s a really unusual and beautiful example of a winter wedding bouquet that celebrates the season.
Angela also created this posy of Paperwhite Narcissi (one of my favourite winter flowers) from the Channel Islands surrounded by two types of ivy. The green ivy leaves each wrap an individual stem of narcissi to protect their delicate heads and ensure they all face ‘up’. The bouquet is finished with a piece of antique cotton lace, a brown satin ribbon, and vintage pearls.
Valentine’s Day and red roses go hand in hand – or at least, that’s what we’ve been told. But if you’re looking for flowers that are actually in season in the UK in February, the classic bouquet of red roses just isn’t it.
Most supermarket and high street bouquets come from far-flung places like Kenya and South America, clocking up huge air miles before they even land in your hands.
So, what should a seasonal Valentine’s bouquet look like? And what are the best options if you want flowers that are both beautiful and genuinely sustainable? I asked British flower farmers and florists from across the UK to share their thoughts – and their alternatives to imported blooms.
It’s British Flowers Week 2024 and I am hoping to inspire you throughout this week to choose seasonal British flowers for your wedding – whatever the season (yes, even Winter!).
Today I’ll be showcasing the best of British flowers for a Winter Wedding. For the purpose of this feature, Winter is considered December, January and Febraury.
All of the wedding bouquets and floral arrangements you see created from British flowers.
Winter in the UK might seem like a tricky time of year for a beautiful wedding bouquet of British grown flowers, but I hope this post will show you its not! You just need to expand your notion of what makes a wedding bouquet a wedding bouquet (tip: it doesn’t mean roses, peonies and dahlias).
So be inspired by this variety of seasonal British winter wedding flowers – from bouquets and buttonholes of exquisite dried flowers, grasses and seedheads, to lush winter bouquets featuring hellebores, anemones, early blossoms and interesting foliage and berries.
Don’t forget to check out the Wedding Flowers category of our eco wedding directory to find our recommended suppliers.
Why should you choose seasonal British winter wedding flowers?
Tread lightly on the planet – flowers are grown mainly outdoors without need for additional light and heat; no chemicals needed to extend the flowers life once cut; and the flower farmers care and enrich the soil and land they grow on.
Reduce flower miles – flowers grown in the UK travel much shorter distances than those coming from abroad by boat or plane, some coming from as far as South America, Africa and Asia.
Character and charm – British flower farmers grow small quantities of lots of different varieties, and sometimes that aren’t uniformly straight, but this gives interest and uniqueness to the arrangements they create.
Buy local – support your local economy and community!
Bring the outdoors in – seasonal flowers really capture a moment in the British seasonal year and for a wedding I think that’s pretty special.
Because you’re a flower lover – this is about a love for flowers that look AND smell divine, something you will struggle to find in the commercial flower supply chain.
Important things to remember about seasonal British winter wedding flowers
Each of the bouquets and arrangements featured comes from a flower farmer or florist from all over the UK. It’s important to remember that different places will have different flowers available in season – what’s growing in Cornwall in summer will be different to what’s growing in Scotland.
There are also seasonal variations year to year depending on the weather. When choosing British flowers you need to release some of your expectations and be open to going with whatever is blooming best when you get married.
Choose seasonal British flowers for your Spring Wedding
It’s British Flowers Week 2024 and I am hoping to inspire you throughout this week to choose seasonal British flowers for your wedding – whatever the season (yes, even Winter!).
I’ll be doing a feature on each season, starting today with Spring Weddings. For the purpose of this feature, Spring is consider March, April and May.
All of the wedding bouquets and floral arrangements you see created from British flowers. What’s apparent to me is just how diverse a seasonal Spring wedding bouquet can look, it’s not just got to be pastel shades.
Don’t forget to check out the Wedding Flowers category of our eco wedding directory to find our recommended suppliers.
Why should you choose seasonal British spring wedding flowers?
Tread lightly on the planet – flowers are grown mainly outdoors without need for additional light and heat; no chemicals needed to extend the flowers life once cut; and the flower farmers care and enrich the soil and land they grow on.
Reduce flower miles – flowers grown in the UK travel much shorter distances than those coming from abroad by boat or plane, some coming from as far as South America, Africa and Asia.
Character and charm – British flower farmers grow small quantities of lots of different varieties, and sometimes that aren’t uniformly straight, but this gives interest and uniqueness to the arrangements they create.
Buy local – support your local economy and community!
Bring the outdoors in – seasonal flowers really capture a moment in the British seasonal year and for a wedding I think that’s pretty special.
Because you’re a flower lover – this is about a love for flowers that look AND smell divine, something you will struggle to find in the commercial flower supply chain.
Important things to remember about seasonal British spring wedding flowers
Each of the bouquets and arrangements featured comes from a flower farmer or florist from all over the UK. It’s important to remember that different places will have different flowers available in season – what’s growing in Cornwall in spring will be different to what’s growing in Scotland.
There are also seasonal variations year to year depending on the weather. When choosing British flowers you need to release some of your expectations and be open to going with whatever is blooming best when you get married.
This photoshoot is inspired by an eco luxe elopement wedding held against the stunning backdrop of River Cottage. The photoshoot team wanted to embrace as much as possible the ethos of being eco whilst staying in harmony with the wedding venue. It also features a number of our TNWC Recommended Suppliers – you’ll find all the details at the bottom of the post.
As Laura, photographer at Freeformimage Photography, told us, “A wedding a River Cottage will always inspire and enchant.”
This spring photoshoot is full of natural organic wedding inspiration with hints of peach, pale blue and copper. The team were inspired by vintage reclamation and the organic and natural colours and textures of oxidised copper. From the exquisite handpainted botanical cakes to the vintage wedding dresses (the rose pink one!) and touches of foraged blossom, this photoshoot is brimming with inspiration.
Back in the spring I attended a spring blossom flower crown workshop run by my friend Rachel of Catkin Flowers. It was held in the beautiful surroundings of Doddington Hall in Lincolnshire, which is where Rachel has her base growing flowers in the old walled garden – it truly is as beautiful as it sounds.
A group of us had great fun creating our own unique flower crowns with spring flowers that Rachel had gathered for us, in particular a variety of blossoms from the spectacular cherry and crab apples that were blooming outside.
After the workshop Rachel put together a mini shoot in the gardens of Doddington Hall and I was invited to go along, and even got roped in for a few pictures – who could say no beneath that stunning tree dripping with pink blossom?
Wimbledon has a special place in my heart as it was the place where I was born and spent the first few years of my life, so when this beautiful country house spring shoot landed in my inbox I was especially excited to share it with you.
This recently renovated south London country house wedding venue is set within the stunning Morden Hall Park, which is run by the National Trust. The park contains a variety of natural landscapes, including parkland, a river, meadow and marshland – an idyllic backdrop for this spring wedding shoot.
Photographer Eva Tarnok told me that they wanted to reflect the elegance of this historic venue, but also to showcase the natural beauty surrounding it – I think they did a great job.
Samantha
