Weddings can be lavish affairs and in the current economic and environmental climate there is an increasing trend towards opting for a more simple and personalised celebration. Smaller, intimate, ‘home-made’ weddings are definitely in at the moment. For many couples splurging a huge amount of money on extravagant table centrepieces that are only going to be seen for a few hours simply doesn’t feel right.
More and more of us are aware of the environmental impact of our purchases, and lets face it, the average wedding involves a lot of purchasing. As a result many brides are starting to seek out florists who are willing to source locally grown or ethically produced wedding flowers.
So with that in mind, here are our top tips for fabulous eco-chic wedding flowers:
Ask your wedding florist about seasonal UK grown flowers
If you are concerned about ‘flower miles’ ask your florist about UK grown flowers. Most florists will probably prefer to source their flowers from Holland. There are two very good reasons for this – quality and reliability. The quality and availability of UK grown flowers can be less reliable than that of flowers sourced from Holland and obviously your florist will want to ensure that the flowers you’ve chosen are available on the day and of ‘wedding quality’.
The range of UK grown flowers available is also quite limited, particularly in the winter months. If your heart is set on a particular out of season flower then it is likely that your florist will be able to source it from Holland.
However, if you are getting married in the spring or summer and are reasonably flexible about your choice of flowers it should be possible to source UK grown seasonal flowers. Lisianthus, Narcissi, Alstromeria, Delphiniums, Roses, Sweet Peas and Freesia are all available from UK growers during their natural growing season. Seasonal flowers are usually much cheaper than flowers imported out of season so you’ll be helping to keep costs down too.
Fairtrade wedding flowers
Despite concern about ‘flower miles’, ironically it is often more environmentally friendly to import flowers grown abroad in their natural conditions in Africa or South America and then freighted to Britain than it is to buy flowers grown under glass in Europe using substantial amounts of heating and lighting. Think about Fairtrade flowers grown in developing countries as an alternative to locally grown blooms.
Use natural confetti
Many venues no longer allow paper confetti to be thrown during ceremonies. Natural rose petals are a beautiful 100% biodegradable option.
Give your wedding flowers away
Choose centrepieces that can be given away as gifts or favours to your guests or alternatively arrange for your flowers to be delivered to a local home for the elderly where others will be able to enjoy them after your wedding.
Eliminate unnecessary waste
Ask your florist to design a bouquet that does not contain any unnecessary waste that isn’t biodegradable. A traditional shower bouquet will contain lots of elaborate wiring and floristry tape, whereas a simple hand-tied bouquet should be fully biodegradable.
Flower seed favours
Offset your carbon footprint by giving your guests flower seeds as a reminder of your day.
Use beautiful vases and fewer flowers
By using beautiful vases and a skilled floral designer it’s possible to create displays of stunning impact with just a few flowers. Choose a florist with a good selection of vases for hire in a style that will suits your wedding theme.
Choose planted centrepieces
Use plants instead of cut flowers for table centrepieces. Then afterwards give them away as gifts or take them home and plant them in your garden. Bulbs such as Narcissi or Muscari are perfect for this or try herbs like Lavender or Rosemary.
Photo credits: White Muscari – Flower Council of Holland, Orchids – Martha Stewart Weddings
Thanks to Helen Powell, wedding and event florist from Lilac and Lily, for submitting this article to the English wedding website. I love all these ideas, especially recycling the flowers at a home for the elderly (or a hospice, perhaps).
Helen has a wonderful blog of her own at www.lilacandlily.com/blog – I highly recommend a visit, it’s full of wedding flower inspiration and a beautiful little part of the interweb!
