WEDD I N G
F L OWE R S
FR O M
DAWN & TOM | LEMONADE PICTURES
TWO
FLOWERS FOR YOUR DREAM WEDDING FROM THE G R E AT B R I T I S H F L O R I S T Let
us
take
the
chance
to
first
CONGRATULATIONS
ON
And
considering
thank
you
for
YOUR
of
all
say‌
ENGAGEMENT! the
Great
British
Florist for your wedding flowers. We look forward to with
helping our
make
your
blooms,
day
delivered
really to
beautiful
you
without
fuss or hassle. This book is packed full with beautiful ideas, real wedding and inspiration as well as useful tips on how to make sure your flowers look (and smell!) amazing. the
Flowers
wedding
are
often
planning
a
big
part
(including
of
budget),
so we have included our trade secrets on how to get
the
very
best
value
from
them,
without
compromising your ideas and dreams for your big day.
If you feel like you would like a little flowery chat,
feel
free
to
contact
us
(alex@greatbritishflorist.co.uk),
via
phone (01981 500930) or come and see us at
one of the fabulous Wedding Fayres that we will be exhibiting at, details of which can be found on our website
w w w. g r e a t b r i t i s h f l o r i s t . c o . u k / e v e n t - c a l e n d a r
THREE
HANNAH & THEO | CAMILLA ROSA PHOTOGRAPHY
FOUR
CONTENTS S I X W H Y C H O O S E T H E G R E AT B R I T I S H F L O R I S T SEVEN STEPH & ROB TEN SARAH & THOMAS T W E LV E L I Z & D A N SIXTEEN LAURA & JAMES SEVENTEEN PRO BRITISH BLOOMS EIGHTEEN WANT 100% BRITISH FLOWERS? TWENTY LAURA & DYLAN T W E N T Y- T W O O U R S T O R Y T W E N T Y- F O U R G R A C E & S A M T W E N T Y- E I G H T O U R T E A M THIRTY LAURA & ALEX T H I R T Y- F O U R C O M E V I S I T T H E F A R M T H I R T Y- S I X S A R A H & P H I L T H I R T Y- N I N E B U C K E T S O F B L O O M S FORTY SOPHIE & SAM F O R T Y- T W O E M M A & N I C K F O R T Y- F O U R A N O N L I N E F L O R I S T F O R T Y- S I X K A T Y & T I M F O R T Y- E I G H T A N O N L I N E F L O R I S T FIFTY HAND DELIVERY VS COURIER F I F T Y- T W O O U R H I R E D E P A R T M E N T F I F T Y- F O U R C O U N T D O W N C H E C K L I S T F I F T Y- S E V E N A M Y & S A M S I X T Y- T W O B E C K Y & A N D Y S I X T Y- F O U R T H E N E X T S T E P S S I X T Y- F O U R D Y L A N & D U N C A N S I X T Y- E I G H T C A T H E R I N E & N I C K
YOUR WEDDING FLOWERS
WHY CHOOSE T H E G R E AT B R I T I S H F L O R I S T We make beautiful arrangements that can look as if you have picked them on the way to your wedding, or we can craft a more structured design. You can either leave it to us to pick whatever is most beautiful in our floristry on the day, or we can match the flowers to your theme and colours, so that you get sustainable, green and gorgeous blooms that you fall in love with - it’s that simple! You can order from us in a few ways to suit you – choose what you would like online, or chat it through with us (face to face or via phone, email or Skype).
ARTISAN
BESPOKE
We understand how to turn your own ideas and plans into practical seasonal floweriness with grace, style and a hint of nostalgia.
If you’d like us to take care of all the flowers, including set up, we will be delighted to. We are here to help in whatever capacity you want us to.
DIY
N AT I O N W I D E
If you want to do your own flowers (or some of them, like bottles or jars at the venue) we can supply Buckets of Blooms which match your theme.
And yes - we deliver our fresh Wedding flowers to just about anywhere in England, Scotland and Wales! Via courier or handdelivery, it’s up to you.
SIX
STEPH & ROB | CHARLOTTE MOODY PHOTOGRAPHY
SEVEN
STEPH & ROB | CHARLOTTE MOODY PHOTOGRAPHY
EIGHT
STEPH & ROB | CHARLOTTE MOODY PHOTOGRAPHY
NINE
S A R A H & T H O M A S | M A R K TAT T E R S A L L P H O T O G R A P H Y
TEN
S A R A H & T H O M A S | M A R K TAT T E R S A L L P H O T O G R A P H Y
ELEVEN
LIZ & DAN | O&C PHOTOGRAPHY
O&C PHOTOGRAPHY T W E LV E
LIZ & DAN | O&C PHOTOGRAPHY
THIRTEEN
LIZ & DAN | O&C PHOTOGRAPHY
FOURTEEN
LIZ & DAN | O&C PHOTOGRAPHY
FIFTEEN
J A M E S & L A U R A | R O B FA R R E L L P H O T O G R A P H Y
SIXTEEN
PRO BRITISH BLOOMS W H AT D O E S T H I S M E A N ?
At the moment around 90% of the flowers sold in the UK are produced elsewhere, and this is despite us being a nation of gardeners and horticulturalists (after all, there is only one Chelsea Flower Show!). We are on a mission to redress this balance as much as we can, so when you choose to use us as your florist we will ensure that wherever possible we will use UK Grown Flowers and Foliage. You can have a Wish List for particular stems - for example, say your Grandma loved Roses or Freesias and it would mean the world to you to be able to include them on your special day but they aren’t quite in season to be grown in the UK; if this is the case we will use mixed provenance blooms where necessary and as much UK grown as possible. At The Great British Florist we promise to always make sure that you know how many locally grown flowers have been used in your wedding arrangements, so that you can see how much you are helping the growth and use of British grown blooms! By the way, it is always worth keeping in mind that Mother Nature really does rule the flower world and although we can source a variety of different stems, there is no way of guaranteeing all stem types all year round. For example, UK grown Peonies are usually available June - July but we can often stretch this with Peonies grown a little further afield, but cannot promise them all year round. Whatever the challenge, because farmers I feel we can promise that comprehensive) selection of flowers have blooms and colours to match
of our own flowers and our flower we always have the most amazing (and possible, and this means that we always your ideas that are absolutely stunning!
SEVENTEEN
AMY & GRAHAM | RUSSELL LEWIS PHOTOGRAPHY
EIGHTEEN
WANT 100% BRITISH FLOWERS? NO PROBS!
We are the florists to go to! If you want to reduce your flower miles as much as possible and go the extra mile to encourage British fields of flowers we can, of course supply 100% British Flowers for your wedding, and all year round. This will mean you will choose the theme then leave it to us to pick whatever is most beautiful in our floristry on the day. Of course you can have a wish list and a hates list but Mother Nature will have the ultimate decisions here, and if we cannot include a particular stem we will use it as inspiration for another equally beautiful bloom that matches your theme. Please note you need to have complete colour flexibility with this option and be happy for our florists to pick the best of British blooms when putting together your wedding flowers.
NINTEEN
L A U R A & D Y L A N | E M I L I E M AY P H O T O G R A P H Y
TWENTY
L A U R A & D Y L A N | E M I L I E M AY P H O T O G R A P H Y
T W E N T Y- O N E
OH HOW WE’VE GROWN...
OUR STORY We have been involved with British Flowers for about 10 years now – a decade of delight! We started with selling Bouquets through our online gardening business - Wiggly Wigglers, deciding to include flowers as we have always loved flowers. We watched with horror at how our own English Flower Farms declined over the past 30 years due to buying habits (chain and supermarkets overtaking independent florists) and of course the recession. When the recession hit our family farm and business with full force, we looked at the areas that we enjoyed and that could do really well, as well as survive the economic climate, and it turned out the top two things were based on bird food and flowers! So We improved our birdfood and wildlife range at Wiggly Wigglers...
We knew we also wanted to focus more on flowers, and so the wiggly florist evolved into The Great British Florist. Since Setting The Great British Florist up a few years ago we are proud to have become regional winners for wedding flowers in the National Wedding Awards - voted for by real Brides.
T W E N T Y- T W O
H E AT H E R & S A N - D I R E C T O R S O U R FA R M
T W E N T Y- T H R E E
GRACE & SAM | GEMMA WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY
T W E N T Y- F O U R
GRACE & SAM | GEMMA WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY
T W E N T Y- F I V E
GRACE & SAM | GEMMA WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY
T W E N T Y- S I X
GRACE & SAM | GEMMA WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY
T W E N T Y- S E V E N
“ I M U S T H AV E F L O W E R S , A LW AY S A N D A LW AY S ” - M O N E T
OUR CHEERY CONFIDENT FLOWER TEAM We have a specialist wedding team within the business who focus on design, detail and delight… Whatever style your wedding and however simple or bespoke you want the designs our team is here to help.
CLIENT MANAGER
Your first port of call will be Alex, who oversees each wedding. She’s approachable and creative, - and has a wealth of experience to put your ideas and inspiration into practise. Need help with the budgeting? Not sure what you want on the top table? Alex is there to hold your hand through it all. T W E N T Y- E I G H T
FA B U L O U S F L O R I S T S
DESIGNERS & MAKERS
Kat and Lauren lead the team of florists. Expressive and personable they are true artisans who love to work the flowers to reflect you and your special day. They are as at home when making a flower arch on location as they are making a bespoke buttonhole on the farm.
T W E N T Y- N I N E
L A U R A & A L E X | J A R E K L E PA K P H O T O G R A P H Y
THIRTY
L A U R A & A L E X | J A R E K L E PA K P H O T O G R A P H Y
T H I R T Y- O N E
L A U R A & A L E X | J A R E K L E PA K P H O T O G R A P H Y
T H I R T Y- T W O
L A U R A & A L E X | J A R E K L E PA K P H O T O G R A P H Y
T H I R T Y- T H R E E
C O M E A N D H AV E A C U P PA & A C H AT V I S I T O U R FA R M & F L O R I S T RY
We know how important it is to match the flower design to reflect your ideas, and we are well aware that not everyone is up to speed on their Dahlias and Delphs. But we can sort out all that online – it will be no problem at all. Here at GBF we love a smattering of technology to help with the process... If you want to share your inspiration and ideas through Pinterest, Facebook or Skype we can ensure we “get inside your head” to translate those thoughts into a real floral reflection of what it is you are looking for. If, on the other hand, you would enjoy a cheery hour or so to talk through your big day, Alex will be delighted to set up a meeting here on our farm. Yes, there are many cows, the drive is bumpy and Marjory the terrier will greet you with a woof! (or two) !! but you can also then talk through the detail face to face and decide if you want classic, indulgent, nostalgia or natural wedding flowers…
Our meeting room is bijou, but you will be able to see the floristry (they may even be making some wedding arrangements), and enjoy a cup of tea and a chat. There’s no charge and there’s no pressure. We simply want you to have whatever is best for you on your special day.
T H I R T Y- F O U R
T H I R T Y- F I V E
SARAH & PHIL | SIAN OWEN PHOTOGRAPHY
T H I R T Y- S I X
SARAH & PHIL | SIAN OWEN PHOTOGRAPHY
T H I R T Y- S E V E N
SARAH & PHIL | SIAN OWEN PHOTOGRAPHY
T H I R T Y- E I G H T
DIY AND OUR BUCKETS OF BLOOMS A M AT C H M A D E I N H E A V E N
A bucket of British Blooms is a perfect choice for when you’d love to make your own designs. One bucket is enough to do approximately 10-12 jam jar sized arrangements or 3-4 small posies. A fantastic selection of blooms and foliage will be included for fantastic value and can be popped together to match your theme or to be totally different – it’s completely up to you! You choose the colours and include a wish list and we pick the flower to match.
T H I R T Y- N I N E
SOPHIE & SAM | COLIN NICHOLLS PHOTOGRAPHY
FORTY
SOPHIE & SAM | COLIN NICHOLLS PHOTOGRAPHY
F O R T Y- O N E
E M M A & N I C K | M A R TA M AY P H O T O G R A P H Y
F O R T Y- T W O
E M M A & N I C K | M A R TA M AY P H O T O G R A P H Y
F O R T Y- T H R E E
AN ONLINE FLORIST W H AT D O E S T H I S M E A N ?
Unlike most florists, we specialise in online flowers with a personal service. This means we can be as technical as you wish – Facetime, Skype, Pinterest, online chat… mixed with a proper approachable personal service! By the way I’m Alex, I’m getting married in 2018 (exciting!) and I am very keen to invite you to have a chat (face to face at the farm or online – or indeed via the telephone apparatus) Email me (alex@greatbritishflorist.co.uk) and lets chat flowery loveliness! If you like the idea of ordering online and keeping things simple for your wedding this is absolutely fine. You can order your complete wedding party and venue flowers to arrive anywhere in the UK (highlands and islands excepted) and all details can be found on our website.
F O R T Y- F O U R
F O R T Y- F I V E
K AT Y & T I M | G E M M A W I L L I A M S P H O T O G R A P H Y
F O R T Y- S I X
K AT Y & T I M | G E M M A W I L L I A M S P H O T O G R A P H Y
F O R T Y- S E V E N
K AT Y & T I M | G E M M A W I L L I A M S P H O T O G R A P H Y
F O R T Y- E I G H T
K AT Y & T I M | G E M M A W I L L I A M S P H O T O G R A P H Y
F O R T Y- N I N E
P E R F E C T LY P A C K A G E D | C O L I N N I C H O L L S P H O T O G R A P H Y
FIFTY
HAND DELIVERY VS COURIER W H AT D O E S T H I S M E A N ?
You can choose hand delivery (ÂŁ19 upwards) where we will deliver our flowers personally, a fantastic option for those more delicate items (such as pedestals and milk churns) You can also pay a bit more to have us dress parts of your venue with your flowers.
Or courier delivery (ÂŁ35.00) which will arrive to you the day before your wedding. They are insured, tracked, and guaranteed to reach you in tip top condition and we include simple instructions of how to look after them ready for the big day.
F I F T Y- O N E
O U R H I R E D E PA R T M E N T
F I F T Y- T W O
OUR HIRE D E PA R T M E N T Sometimes things need just that little finishing touch, and here at the Great British Florist we have lots of those! From simple vases to milk churns – our range is incredible! It’s always worth asking what we have as if we do not have something we may be able to get it in especially for your wedding! All the choice at half of the cost - hiring items is a great alternative to having to buy all of your props for the day and we can deliver the items as well as collect. All of impact and beauty with none of the hassle!
F I F T Y- T H R E E
T he G reat B ritish F lorist T ask and T ip L ist
12 PLUS
:
with good food, good drink, good
MONTHS TO go / JUST ENGAGED *GBF Tip! Whilst a mid-week wedding is a lovely idea avoid a Tuesday Wedding unless you are having a hand delivery, as otherwise flowers may have to be with a courier over a weekend and this is not best for those lovely blooms! *GBF Tip! When planning, allow between 5-10% of your overall budget for flowers. We have worked with a whole range of budgets – including NO budget at all! Usually wedding flowers from us cost between £250 and £2500.
Celebrate your engagement company and good flowers! Order a posy to get a taste of our beautiful flowers (or even better, get someone to buy them for you!).
:
Find a venue and set a date; all starting to feel a little real now!
:
Agree on an approximate flower budget
:
Once you’ve booked the venue start thinking about the theme and feel you want for your day… it’s Pintrest time!
6 TO 12 MONTHS
TO
go
*GBF Tip! Provenance is really important to us and we use as many British Grown stems as we can. In fact all our posies and bouquets will include British Flowers.! However if you feel there are certain colours and/ or flowers you would like to have, we can bring in stems from a little further afield to top up your British blooms
:
Start gathering flower inspiration and try to keep within your theme. If you’re trying to figure out an overall theme and finding it difficult than try thinking about colours to start you off. If you generally love pastel shades you know you will love this sort of thing for your wedding...
*GBF Tip! Using pinterest is the easiest option for this and then you can share it with us to use as a mood board. We also love swatches, random materials and any other nik-naks you would like for us to use as inspiration!
:
Decide on how important provenance is to you. If you want all local flowers then choose our 100% British Blooms option. You will need flexibility here on colour choice, as not every shade of every colour is available all year round.
3 TO 6 MONTHS
TO
:
“Save the Date” which means even
go
*GBF Tip! Have a look in your wardrobe – if everything is black you may well like simple designs – think classic colours perhaps as your first stop. If you love floral prints it could well be time to go mad with every colour flower imaginable – Mother Nature often knows best...
Book your flowers – we offer a if you are not sure what flowers you want you can save the date with us and sort the detail out when you are ready.
:
Want a little help and guidance? Book in for a consultation! We can chat over a good cup of tea and help transform your ideas in to a reality. Too busy to pop to the farm? Let’s Skype at a time that suits you!
:
Set up TWO Wedding Flower Boards on Pinterest. One is for all your ideas and one is your top three of each design – bouquets, buttonholes and so on. We will use your top threes as a mood board when we put together your designs. It will be difficult cutting down those images but we believe in you!
1 TO 3 MONTHS
TO
:
quantities of each type of
go
*GBF Tip! Don’t forget your Grandad in the buttonhole quantity – he usually wants one, even if he doesn’t say.
arrangement. :
H I A
AFTER
E G Y THE
Work out the logistics of where you want the delivery – where will you be the day before or morning
*GBF Tip! We can deliver to more than one place but when possible keep it as simple as you can and make sure you have somewhere cool to keep them.
T B D
Decide on the final designs and
of your wedding?
:
Enjoy and savour every moment – and don’t forget to make a mental note of the scent of your flowers – this will stay with you forever and bring back the memories of the day.
:
B I G D AY
:
Still have some wedding flowers? Contact us for some tips and help on how to preserve them. Send your lovely florists photos! We love seeing our blooms in ‘the real world’!
‘Happiness radiates like the fragrance from a flower and draws all good things towards you.’ M aharishi M aheash Y ogi
F I F T Y- S I X
AMY & SAM | THERESA FUREY PHOTOGRAPHY
F I F T Y- S E V E N
AMY & SAM | THERESA FUREY PHOTOGRAPHY
F I F T Y- E I G H T
AMY & SAM | THERESA FUREY PHOTOGRAPHY
F I F T Y- N I N E
AMY & SAM | THERESA FUREY PHOTOGRAPHY
SIXTY
AMY & SAM | THERESA FUREY PHOTOGRAPHY
S I X T Y- O N E
B E C K Y & A N D Y | PA U L W I L L E T T S P H O T O G R A P H Y
S I X T Y- T W O
B E C K Y & A N D Y | PA U L W I L L E T T S P H O T O G R A P H Y
S I X T Y- T H R E E
D Y L A N & D U N C A N | R O B TA R R E N P H O T O G R A P H Y
W H AT A R E T H E N E X T S T E P S ? YOUR FLOWERY JOURNEY
GET IN TOUCH Have some questions? Just give us a call at the farm on 01981 500930
 or email Alex - alex@greatbritishflorist.co.uk who will be happy to help Fill Out a Wedding Enquiry Form Fill out the form here; www.greatbritishflorist.co.uk/planning-your-wedding-flowers and not we will be in contact shortly to discuss everything flowery! You will also receive weekly inspirational emails to help along with the planning process! S I X T Y- F O U R
D Y L A N & D U N C A N | R O B TA R R E N P H O T O G R A P H Y
Keep Updated and Get Inspired! Follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/greatbritishflorist/) Instagram (@greatbritishflorist), Pintrest (pinterest.com/britishflorist/) and subscribe to our Youtube channel (bit.ly/2gXeywS) for fab updates and inspirational tips and tricks! Arrange a meeting Meet with Alex on the Farm in person, or even over Skype! Email her on alex@greatbritishflorist.co.uk to arrange an appointment or call us on 01981 500930. PIN YOUR IDEAS Create a Pinterest board and pin all of your flowery ideas for your wedding theme, indivisual blooms you may like and any other ideas. S I X T Y- F I V E
D Y L A N & D U N C A N | R O B TA R R E N P H O T O G R A P H Y
S I X T Y- S I X
D Y L A N & D U N C A N | R O B TA R R E N P H O T O G R A P H Y
S I X T Y- S E V E N
C AT H E R I N E & N I C K | G E M M A W I L L I A M S P H O T O G R A P H Y
S I X T Y- E I G H T
C AT H E R I N E & N I C K | G E M M A W I L L I A M S P H O T O G R A P H Y
S I X T Y- N I N E
C AT H E R I N E & N I C K | G E M M A W I L L I A M S P H O T O G R A P H Y
SEVENTY
C AT H E R I N E & N I C K | G E M M A W I L L I A M S P H O T O G R A P H Y
S E V E N T Y- O N E