Looking for inspiration for your bridal bouquet and wedding flowers? Olivia Simpson hears how four Scottish newlyweds sourced and sorted their wedding florist
Nathalie Graham and Lucy Drinkwater married at The Rhynd, 11th June 2022, with flowers by The Greenshed Flower Studio
“We found the Greenshed Flower Studio after seeing photos on social media,” remembers Nathalie. “It had that natural style we liked and we wanted to use a local supplier – and that’s what Helen, the owner, is. She knows one of my close friends, and we all went to university together, which was another lovely link.”
Nathalie and Lucy originally wanted a neutral and green palette, but had a rethink after a second visit to their venue. “We realised the garden was very green so we decided to have more colour in our bouquets and archway,” says Lucy. “We’d already chosen our bridesmaids’ dresses/jumpsuits by this point, and Helen was able to bring lots of complementary tones into our flowers.”
Thoughtful touches from Helen ensured the flowers really stood out. “As a two-bride wedding, we loved the way she ensured our bouquets worked well together but weren’t identical,” notes Lucy. “Our guests gave us lots of compliments on them!”
The Greenshed’s service was top notch, with Helen and an assistant delivering the bouquets to each bride and their bridesmaids at separate locations. “There are so many things to consider on your wedding day, so it was great to have confidence that the flowers and decor around the venue were under control. We would happily recommend Helen to everyone!”
Samantha Duncan and Craig Blair married at GG’s Yard, 9th July 2022, with flowers by Blossom + Bloom
Like many modern brides, Samantha used Instagram to help her plan her wedding to Craig at GG’s Yard in Dumfriesshire. “It was a really useful way to find suppliers,” she tells us. “I searched for tagged photographs of our venue, which is about two hours away from where we live, and found suppliers I liked that way.”
Samantha’s Pinterest board was full of bouquets that incorporated both dried and fresh flowers, and when she came across Blossom + Bloom’s work, she knew owner Lyndsay could give her the look she was after. “Lyndsay was great,” confirms Samantha. “She was laid-back but on the ball, which was ideal. We emailed back and forth and I went to her shop twice to get a better idea of styles and to see some of her flowers in person. Lyndsay made suggestions and was really good at combining all the parts I liked from different pictures. She understood my vision, and in the end my flowers turned out even nicer than I had imagined.”
Lyndsay delivered and set up all the flowers and props needed to display them on the couple’s big day. “It was all stress-free and so lovely to see everything come together, from the inspiration pictures to the arrangements on the day.”
Pippa Valente and Ross Davidson married at Carlowrie Castle on 26th March 2022 with flowers by The Flower Study
It was Pippa and Ross’s venue decor company who recommended using Suzy at the Flower Study, taking the hassle out of searching for a florist. “We had a Zoom call (this was during Covid) which allowed us to discuss colour schemes and so on,” explains Pippa. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted, but I knew what I didn’t like, and that seemed to be helpful! Suzy then sent moodboards with colour schemes and different flowers that we could use. This was really great, as it allowed me to see all sorts of ideas and flowers I hadn’t thought of using.”
The final look was unstructured and pared-back, with lots of seasonal flowers in light greens, creams and subtle pinks. “For the bridesmaid bouquets, we decided on gypsophila with subtle pink flowers to tie in with my bouquet,” says Pippa. “I left the buttonholes and cake flowers up to Suzy, who made sure they worked beautifully with my bouquet.”
In fact, Pippa loved her bouquet so much she had it preserved and framed as a keepsake. “It was a pleasure having Suzy doing my flowers and I would 100% recommend her,” she smiles. “We were still exchanging emails after the wedding too!”
Elizabeth Stevens and Jon Farnworth married at Achnagairn Castle on 16th July 2022 with flowers by The Flower Company Inverness
Elizabeth and Jon came across the Flower Company Inverness on Instagram. They loved florist Emma Brady’s style and were reassured by the fact she had previously provided flowers for their venue – the couple are based in the south of England and needed suppliers with good local knowledge.
“Our theme was ‘enchanted woodland’ so we wanted lots of greenery, gypsophila and wisteria,” explains Elizabeth. “We sent Emma some photos based on this and she came up with some great suggestions as to how we could achieve a similar look using fresh white dendrobium orchids that were in season and delicate pink avalanche roses for a touch of soft colour.” The venue flowers were similar in style, with a mantelpiece arrangement acting as a focal point and locally sourced ivy draped over the balcony.
“Emma’s team were amazing and sorted everything for us,” smiles Elizabeth. “They set up the balcony and arch on Friday, then returned the following morning to set up the top table, the mantelpiece and the foliage to go round the candelabras on the tables. The buttonholes and bouquets were delivered to our suites where we were getting ready. Emma took that time to show me pictures of the ballroom all set up to make sure I was happy with everything. It was exactly what we’d hoped for.”