What’s a wedding day without flowers? Kate Middleton reputedly had a bridal bouquet that cost over £1,000 and put Lily of the Valley blooms right back on trend.
So what lies ahead for floral décor in 2014? We asked some top florists and wedding designers for their thoughts on upcoming flower themes and trends.
Outdoors indoors
“Bring the outside inside,” advise floral designers Essential Couture. “No matter what venue you’re getting married in, we’re going to see a huge trend with couples wanting to create that outdoor feeling inside in 2014. This trend has been slowly growing since the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, when the couple had huge 20ft trees lining the aisle, transforming Westminster Abbey into an English country garden. It is going to be a key trend next year and our unique flower trees are really popular at the moment.”
Statement centrepieces
“Brides are getting more adventurous with their choice of wedding day flowers and décor – creating that wow factor is really important to couples now,” say Essential Couture. “They want their guests to be amazed from the moment they step into the wedding. With large statement table centrepiece trees, which can reach 9ft, it’s easy to create that instant dazzling effect.”
Lighten up
Keep in mind that lighting can be used to make your flowers look extra-special at night. “Technology is starting to play a key part when it comes to the flowers and décor,” say Essential Couture. “We’re getting asked to add specialist lighting to our floral displays, which can be remotely controlled to create amazing effects for when the lights go down and the dancing begins.”
“Creative lighting, be it with candles or different coloured lights, can create a dramatic effect with flowers,” agrees Fiona Pickles, director of Firenza Floral Design. “Lights add drama and and can be very cost-effective, especially for winter weddings with shorter, darker days.”
Pretty in pastel
Brides planning a vintage-themed wedding will be pleased to hear that the current vogue for beautiful pastel bouquets with a countryside feel is going nowhere for the new season. “Vintage flower bouquets are very popular right now thanks to the third season of Downton Abbey hitting our screens recently,” says The UK Academy of Wedding & Event Planners. “This series has had a huge effect on weddings in 2013 and is set to continue well into 2014.”
If you’re worried that your budget might not be able to stretch to Downton‘s lavish standards, why not consider silk flowers? Going faux is far more popular these days, as manufacturers up their game to create more and more realistic-looking blooms.
Classic roses are still a wedding favourite, but are being used in more innovative ways. “Rose petals in particular are making a big comeback and will be seen in many design elements within weddings from tabletops to floating cylinder vases,” says the Academy.
Blousy blooms
“Full ‘luxe’ style flowers such as peonies, blousy roses and hydrangeas are becoming more and more popular,” says Sabine Darrall of G Lily, who decorate weddings and events throughout the West Country as well as running a flower school. “I’m also noticing brides choosing cobalt blue for their blooms. Bouquets are getting bigger and I’m being asked for more floral headpieces.
“On the wedding tables brides are asking for collections of vases or containers with a single flower type – I think the jam jar trend is on the way out,” adds Sabine. You heard it here first!
English country garden style
One thing’s for sure – brides are more inspired by the great British countryside than ever. “Couples are becoming more creative, stepping away from tradition and expressing their personalities,” says Fiona. “There’s definitely a growing demand for the relaxed English country garden style, with a less structured feel.”
Garden-style bouquets aren’t just for spring and summer brides – if you’re getting married in the colder months, why not incorporate moss and branches to create natural-feeling flower arrangements? “We’re seeing more and more people taking inspiration from nature and bringing the outdoors in,” says Fiona. “Scented garden herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, lavender and mint, create an incredible aroma as soon as guests enter the room, which is always a great talking point as they guess the identity of the herbs!”
Kim Watson of The Flower House agrees. “I think the natural trend for flowers will continue into 2014, with wood, particularly birch, predominating as containers for table arrangements,” she says. “We’ll see lots of twigs, but perhaps not in such fussy arrangements, but rather more simple but bold designs.”
Mix and match
They say that variety is the spice of life, and this is particularly true for wedding flowers in 2014. “Brides’ bouquets are less of the structured rose domes we’re used to, and more a mix of large and small mismatched blooms with a gathered feel,” says Fiona.
For centrepieces, Fiona suggests using different sizes of vases, coupled together with freshly grown garden-style flowers, for an interesting and popular alternative to the more traditional one-vase centrepiece.
Trailing florals set to trend
According to Kim of The Flower House, soft greens and creams will be go-to colour choices for 2014 brides, with bouquet styles becoming looser. “The trend will definitely be towards more trailing designs rather than the massed, hand tied styles of previous years,” she says. “Soft flowing flowers such as clematis and jasmine suit this kind of bouquet beautifully. Succulents are also becoming popular and can make an unusual but striking display.”
With all these gorgeous wedding flower trends, brides-to-be will be spoiled for choice in 2014! If you’re still looking for inspiration, why not look at our Real Weddings section to see what floral décor other brides chose for their big day?
Lovely inspiration! RT: @wimagazine: Might be the most beautiful centrepieces ever from Essential Couture! http://t.co/Q7wBWC2QlZ
@wimagazine gorgeous centrepieces
Blooming gorgeous trends for 2014 wedding flowers: What’s a wedding day without flowers? Kate Mid… http://t.co/spIj8iNdVf #wedding #uk
Blooming gorgeous trends for 2014 wedding flowers: What’s a wedding day without flowers? Kate Middleton repute… http://t.co/AOxzuiNBVo
Im getting artificial,much cheaper and you get to keep them forever afterwards
Artifical all the way, can keep them after and i’ve been to weddings where the button hole heads have fallen off!! Not a good look xx
Where did you find your artificial flowers?
Great ideas! Blooming gorgeous trends for 2014 wedding flowers http://t.co/RN1Uo7FpHo
EBay 🙂 x
Kick starting this week with some PR coverage for our client @EssentialWed over on @wimagazine http://t.co/oXRIi6oaRC
Blooming gorgeous trends for 2014 wedding flowers featuring our client Essential Couture, sister company to… http://t.co/WXHMCkC9MZ
http://t.co/mK9Ocv3cSd http://t.co/H7yFJV7sxT
Blooming gorgeous trends for 2014 wedding flowers advice by @EssentialWed to @wimagazine http://t.co/B09C1IXLJR
Blooming gorgeous trends for 2014 wedding flowers http://t.co/gJef9IVuDJ http://t.co/AgLwyTdNww
Good to see one of our suppliers, Kim from The Flower House, offering her views on flower trends for 2014 in… http://t.co/Nd6ufmwuA6
Quoted again in @wimagazine talking flower trends & the return of the pastel bouquet due to Downton Abbey Series 3! http://t.co/BQBbvARRY7
RT @UKAWEP: Quoted again in @wimagazine talking flower trends & the return of the pastel bouquet due to Downton Abbey Series 3! http://t.co…
Love these floral centrepieces… gorgeous!
If you are planning a wedding for 2014, check out these wedding flower trends for a little inspiration!!!!!
Then… http://t.co/kXjLw5VL50
If you are planning a #wedding for 2014, check out these wedding #flower trends for a little inspiration!!!!! http://t.co/ZLcFFgcfmZ
Great article on Wedding Flower trends!
http://t.co/z2LXbAv00A
Weddings are always incomplete without fresh flowers. They add the much needed finesse and natural beauty to such a wonderful occasion. I loved the images of the centre pieces with complicated arrangements of flowers, they looked stunning. Just made me realize how much is possible with flowers. I never knew that technology for lighting and flowers could be wedded in to such a special arrangement. The flowers with the lighting’s look exquisite and so pretty. They are making the space come alive with expression and natural beauty. Flowers whenever and wherever used manage to add their charm and beauty to the space they are placed in.