Four brides chat about their wedding flower choices, their respective florists and what was important to them in terms of style and approach
To A Mountain Daisy
It was a case of the bigger the better for Louise Henderson [above] who married Fraser McGarva on 28th December 2019 at Mabie House Hotel, Dumfries. She turned to the Dumfries and Galloway florist to help her in her quest
“I wasn’t going to have much decor at my wedding, and my dress was plain crepe, so I was keen to make up for this with an oversized bouquet; plus, I knew it would suit the forest scenery that surrounds Mabie House Hotel.
“My colours were mainly green foliage and white flowers. I knew I wanted to incorporate eucalyptus but I was also happy for Lucy at To A Mountain Daisy to use whatever she thought would suit. Our wedding was just after Christmas, and, even though I’m not very knowledgeable when it comes to flowers, I knew the options would be limited, so I was pretty open to any suggestions from my florist.
“Lucy was fantastic: she instantly understood what I wanted and I felt completely comfortable leaving it in her hands. Scent didn’t matter – I just wanted the bouquets for me and my bridesmaids to be big!
“As well as this, Lucy made a pin for my mum, a corsage for my sister-in-law and buttonholes for my husband and his groomsmen. We went on our honeymoon straight after, and I wish I’d dried out the flowers properly so I could’ve kept them. Otherwise I wouldn’t change a thing!”
Fleur and Blume
The Clydebank florist provided flowers and decor for sustainably minded Audrey Walker and John McGovern’s wedding on 12th October 2019 at St Stephen’s Catholic Church, Clydebank, and Boclair House Hotel, Bearsden
“Initially, we weren’t going to have real flowers – they just didn’t really matter to us. But as the day got closer, we realised that without them it might feel like something was missing.
“Sustainability is important to us, and it was very clear from the start that Ashley at Fleur & Blume works hard to source her blooms ethically, with as little environmental impact as possible, which made her an ideal candidate for us.
“I wanted the flowers to complement the detail of my dress, the grandness of the church and the ‘Old Hollywood’ vibe of Boclair House, so we went for thistles, white garden roses and burgundy astilbe, which matched the bridesmaid dresses perfectly. St Stephen’s is very big and flowers could easily get lost, so I chose garlands made from plush foliage and posies for the pew ends, as well as scattered flowers inspired by the bouquet.
“The final result was fantastic – Ashley captured my ideas better than I could ever have imagined. We put some of the arrangements on loved ones’ graves, and I’m looking at turning my bridal bunch into an ornament or paperweight.”
Boyes Botanics
When Mary Welsh and Jerry Tsang got married at Hartree Estates on 19th October 2019, they wanted the colours to reflect the time of the year. The Edinburgh botanical studio was only too happy to help
“When Jerry and I got engaged, it was autumn. We loved the colours of the landscape around our venue at that time of year, so we decided this should be the season we’d get married in. We were after something quite rustic for the flowers and I preferred something more free-form than a traditional bouquet. Our ceremony was to be in a tipi and we were keen to have a floral focus in place of the usual altar.
“Kirsty at Boyes Botanics had run a flower crown workshop for my hen do so she knew exactly what I was into. She took my vague descriptions and ran with them, coming up with a variety of arrangements that matched exactly what I had envisioned. We were also eager to include local blooms, and, as my parents have a farm nearby, Kirsty bravely came foraging for foliage in their garden and woodlands. She also designed the asymmetric archway for the ceremony, with smaller moss-based arrangements elsewhere to draw your eyes to the arch.
“I cried when I saw the marquee all set up – it was really special to have so many elements from my family’s farm, and I also loved that everything was foam-free and as sustainable as possible.”
Trudi Todd Flowers
Selina Johnston worked with the Stirlingshire florist to create her classic vision for her wedding to John Leask on 22nd December 2019 at Carlowrie Castle, near Edinburgh
“We chose a classic look for our wedding and the flowers played a big part in that. Trudi and I designed the decor together, focusing on floral arrangements.
“My first meeting with Trudi was in the summer, when, to be honest, I was choosing my flowers on their appearance only, not considering scent or sustainability. I was keen to have peony roses, but Trudi told me they’re not in season in December, and suggested other options.
“When I returned in November, my ideas had completely changed. Instead, we kept the blooms seasonal, with an ivory colour scheme to suit the crisp, winter feel, with eucalyptus, ivory roses and white berries, along with thistles for the men. After the event, I gave the table-arrangement flowers to loved ones, who were delighted they could use them for their Christmas decor!
“Trudi also helped us stick to our budget, as her advice and knowledge were really helpful. She worked with my vision and between us we created a beautiful day.”