Your North East Wedding - Sep/Oct 2019 (Issue 34)

SUMMER TRENDS What are the flower trends for summer? “The flower trends for summer 2019 brides continue to be wild-styled, natural-looking bouquets in dusky pale pink or neutral white and cream,” says Zoe Overton from Sunderland’s Zoe The Wedding Florist. “Large focal flowers are a popular choice in the style of loose natural wild bouquets, moving away from neat compact hand-tied, which is becoming less common. Lots of different foliage is also a popular choice, giving various textures and some fantastic scents. Another extremely popular trend is the use of lots of gypsophila, creating a vintage effect.” What are the most affordable flowers for summer? “The most affordable flower is certainly gypsophila and is very much on-trend! It’s an excellent choice if you want value for money, as one stem can be a lot cheaper than a single rose. Because gypsophila – also known as baby’s breath – is so full and bushy, it creates a lot of impact, so it is an excellent choice to use in large displays such as staircases and arches.” What are the most expensive flowers for summer? “An expensive summer flower is a peony rose, which has become a popular choice over recent years. They are quite a temperamental flower as they don’t always open when you want them to – or they tend to bloom too fast. They’re only available for a few months in the early summer, but a good alternative is to use a large garden rose such as the variety O’hara, which are very full and large once open.” What’s the best wedding bouquet you’ve made? “I love everything I make and take a huge amount of pride in my work. However, one that stands out was a hand-tied bouquet of all orange, with touches of dark plum. The bouquet contained calla lilies, roses, leuca- dendron, hypericum and twisted willow.” If you could give one piece of wedding flowers advice to brides and grooms what would it be? “Book your florist early! Remember, a florist or even a team of florists can only take a limited amount of bookings each day. Floral displays, especially button- holes cannot be made too far in advance, and there’s a lot of organisation and planning that goes into the delivery and set-up of wedding flowers. Secure your booking – then you can always finalise what you want nearer the time!” To book Zoe for your wedding flowers visit zoethewed- dingflorist.co.uk AUTUMN TRENDS What are the flower trends for autumn? “Lavender, cotton and wheat mixed with fresh flowers like berzelia and brunia make for an interesting combination,” says Gineth Bee Yen Loftus from Durham’s Rosy Posy Flowers. “Adding some lovely shades of light purple succulents can further enhance the overall effect and make the arrangement really special. Other grasses, such as pampas, appear to be set for a resurgence and look fantastic in floral wedding arches, hoops and chandeliers. Top these off with calla lilies or Chinese lanterns in rich orange, pink roses and burgundy quercus leaves for a really head-turning and autumnal look.” What are the most affordable flowers for autumn? “Chrysanthemums are available all year, and you can get them in different autumnal hues of bronze and orange to suit the season. For diehard peony fans, carnations can be arranged in clusters to look like the ruffles of peonies, which are not available at that time of year. Get your money’s worth by using gypsophila to bulk up your bouquet or your arrangements, reducing the requirement for more expensive blooms.” What are the most expensive flowers for autumn? “Orchids add an exotic touch to any arrangement, but being tropical flowers that are imported, they are obviously pricey. Affordable floral alternatives are alstroemeria, which are available year-round and in all colours except shades of blue and green. They have similar markings to orchids, so the exotic effect is retained, but the costs are lower. Another thing to consider is that orchids bruise easily, so extra stems may need to be ordered.” What’s the best wedding bouquet you’ve ever made? “My best friend’s wedding bouquet! It was my first major piece of work, and despite the added pressure of it being for someone so close to me, it was wonderful to be able to make her happy. It was a beautiful bouquet of white hydrangea, pink roses, purple freesia, wax flower and eryngium, a type of ornamental thistle, to reflect the Scottish heritage of the groom’s family.” If you could give one piece of wedding flowers advice to brides and grooms what would it be? “Try to coordinate the flowers with the dresses to achieve the desired contrast or complementary palette. Also, if getting inspiration from social media, it’s worth noting that artificial flowers are sometimes used – and the colour and formation may not be the same when using real blooms. This is definitely something you will have to discuss with your florist when choosing your blooms.” To book Gineth for your wedding flowers visit facebook.com/rosyposyflowers.uk 2tonephotography.co.uk focalpointphotography.co.uk focalpointphotography.co.uk focalpointphotography.co.uk 54