From the bride's bouquet to the wedding reception centrepieces, flowers play an important role in any wedding, helping to set the theme and add the perfect finishing touches to both your wedding day ensemble and décor. And when it comes to celebrity weddings, it appears there is no such thing as too many flowers!
Flower walls, elaborate arches and dramatic installations have all featured in the weddings of stars from Kim Kardashian to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, sparking a trend among brides and grooms hoping to create a beautiful floral backdrop to their own wedding days. However, the cost of those pristine white roses and pretty peonies can soon stack up. Find out how to get celebrity-inspired wedding flowers on a budget from these expert tips from floristry and events planners Louise Rose Flowers…
The OTT bride's bouquet
© Photo: InstagramMiley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth transformed their Nashville home into a stunning wedding venue for their intimate nuptials in December, with an elaborate floral arch and huge wildflower bouquet that complemented the bride's bespoke Vivienne Westwood gown to perfection.
MORE: The best wedding flowers for each season
Want to recreate the look? Louise says: "Gain a good basic knowledge of the techniques and styles of bouquets. A hand-tied bouquet filled with seasonal blooms will probably cost around half the price of an intricately wired piece filled with exotic or rare flowers. I would say that if you choose anywhere to blow the budget, make it here. The bouquet will be in most of your photographs and with you all day, and two to three expensive flowers mixed with fillers and foliage will go a long way. Why not ask your venue or florist for some extra vases to display the bridal party flowers next to your cake or on the top table after the ceremony and photographs?"
The fabulous floral centrepieces
© Photo: TwitterPrincess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank incorporated autumnal florals and foliage into their wedding day, both outside St. George's Chapel and inside Windsor Castle, where they hosted their reception. But you don't need to spend a fortune to recreate their regal floral displays – you could even just invest in one multi-use centrepiece that can be moved from your ceremony to reception venues.
"We usually recommend that our couples go for one main epic feature, such as a large centerpiece in the middle of the room, surrounded by smaller table settings. This gives an illusion of grandeur without blowing the budget on every table," Louise recommends. "Installations that can be moved from one place to another are also great, such as a ceremony arrangement then moved to the top table or reception entrance will give you double the impact. It's also a good idea to ensure that everything flows well, using the same colour way and flower variety, this naturally makes the eyes travel around the room, creating fullness and flow. Mixing heights on tables offers more variety too."
RELATED: Your ultimate guide to choosing your wedding flowers from Pippa Middleton's florist
You could even utilise centrepieces that can be planted afterwards as a memento of your wedding day for years to come. "Lots of our couples are asking for 'foliage only' displays at the moment, or why not try using real trees? This enables you to give them as gifts to the wedding party afterwards or plant in your garden to enjoy forever. You could also use single flower bud vases, grouped together with candles, this idea uses only a handful of blooms and minimal time and effort for your florist."
The flower arch
© Photo: HELLO!It isn't a celebrity wedding without a flower arch! As seen at the weddings of everyone from Millie Mackintosh to Declan Donnelly and Pippa Middleton, it's no wonder brides are clamouring to incorporate one into their big day. While you could attempt a DIY flower arch, Louise has some clever tips to cut costs while still creating a spectacular backdrop to your nuptials.
"The key here is to use larger headed flowers such as hydrangeas, dahlias and peonies, mixed with less pricey filler flowers. Lots of greenery can also help to build width and height at a lower cost. Balloons and paper pom-poms could be added as a low-cost quirky filler to really make a trend-driven statement," Louise says.
MORE: The 2019 wedding flower trends you need to know
"Why not ask your florist if you can incorporate foliage from your garden in the same way that Harry and Meghan did at Windsor castle? Most would be happy to help you to keep costs down. Freestanding arches are also great as they can be made up a couple of days in advance, with fresh flowers added at the last minute, then moved afterwards."
The flower crown
© Photo: InstagramJoe Wicks' bride Rosie Jones accessorised her ethereal long-sleeved wedding dress with a fresh floral crown made using pastel-coloured roses. But you don’t need to spend a fortune to recreate the look. "This is probably the only time that we might suggest artificial flowers. The heat from your body and being worn all day means that flower crowns are quite often put under a lot of stress," Louise says. "Deciding to use artificial flowers also means that you can buy in advance and try on with your dress and veil if you are having one, and use for overseas weddings. If artificial isn't for you, try hardy varieties of flowers such as roses, gypsophila and foliage from the eucalyptus family."
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
