48 Bloomin’ lovely JACQUI OWEN, JACQUI O www.jacquio.co.uk | @jacquioflorals We’re engaged! Now what? Flowers are the fragrant focal point of your wedding, setting the tone from romantic and whimsical to modern and elegant. Start by gathering inspiration, thinking about your venue, colour palette, and any personal touches you’d like to include. I guide couples in creating arrangements that not only enhance the aesthetic but evoke memories and personal meaning, whether through a cherished flower or a symbol of your love. Your wedding flowers should reflect your personalities. Are you free-spirited and spontaneous or neat and orderly? By identifying your style, we’ll craft designs that feel authentic to you. Think outside the vase, incorporating flowers that hold special significance, such as your fiancé’s favourite roses or your grandmother’s hydrangeas. Use Instagram, Pinterest, and style boards to bring your vision to life. When should I book my wedding flowers? As early as possible, ideally eight to 12 months before your wedding. Flowers are more than just decorative elements; they’re an essential part of the atmosphere and emotion of your day. Booking early allows you time to explore your style, discuss seasonal blooms, and personalise every detail to reflect you with your florist. What’s your top planning tip? Be authentic and confident in reflecting your personality through your florals. Choose flowers that hold personal meaning. Embrace seasonal flowers – they’re fresh, sustainable, and evoke the time of year you’re getting married. Simplify your design: fewer larger focal pieces often make a greater impact than numerous smaller ones. Lastly, always be transparent about your budget. If a quote feels too high, ask for adjustments or alternative ideas. I recommend creating a must-have list (e.g. bridal bouquet) and a nice-to-have list (e.g. welcome flowers) to prioritise what matters most. www.morganowenweddings.co.uk https://kapturedbylindsey.co.uk “We do” SARAH BOALCH, CEREMONIES WITH PERSONALITY www.ceremonieswithpersonality.com @ceremonieswithpersonality We’re engaged, now what? The most important thing to remember, is that you get to decide what to include on your wedding day. Focus on the things you can’t imagine celebrating without. The best place to start is to make a list of all the things you definitely want to include, followed by a list of things that would be nice to include if possible. This will help you prioritise your budget. My biggest piece of advice is to prioritise your ceremony and before you go any further, have a think about what this part of your day will look like and who you’d like to perform it. Maybe you love the idea of including your faith in your ceremony, so a church would be a great place to start your married life. Perhaps you aren’t religious so you decide a registrar is the best choice for you. But, what if I told you there’s a third option? If you’d love your ceremony to be creative, inspired, unique, a true reflection of your personalities and the life you have created together so far, then a wedding celebrant is definitely worth considering. Just imagine a ceremony that not only tells your story but allows you to include family and friends, create keepsakes during the nuptials and sets the perfect relaxed, fun tone for the rest of your big day. It’s all possible with the help of a celebrant. As you can imagine, celebrants’ diaries fill up fast. So, it’s worth making this decision early on to avoid any disappointment. How do we choose where to hold our ceremony? Consider these things: What you love to do together, your favourite place, and what your dream wedding looks like. If you love posh city breaks, fine dining, Champagne receptions and have dreams of a Great Gatsbyesque big day full of glitz and glam, its unlikely you’d be happy throwing on some wellies and saying “I do” in a barn conversion in the middle of nowhere. That’s much more likely if you’re a couple who loves glamping holidays, the great outdoors, and exploring the countryside. There’s no one-size-fits-all wedding venue or wedding style, so asking yourself a few simple questions like these will help you narrow down what is and isn’t important to you. What’s your top planning tip? The most important thing to remember is that it’s your ceremony. There’s no right or wrong way of planning it as long as what you choose means something to you. Make sure it’s a true reflection of who you are and your hopes for the future as a married couple. Not only will this match your relationship, it will also be more authentic and memorable. So, when well-wishers offer their advice, thank them for their input, but don’t be afraid to follow up with something like: “I think we will go with our original idea.” You don’t need to explain yourself or your choices, your wedding day is your next exciting chapter, so the only people who get to decide how it will look is the two of you.
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