From looking around my website, you may have noticed that I have a bit of a soft spot for flowers. Just look at my business name for example! I love everything about them.. from the colours and the shapes, down to their little quirks and how they grow. Much like cake, flowers are very much a fleeting piece of art which lasts only moments before they are gone forever. So I've handed my blog over to the wonderful Kelly at Cornwall Floral Design to talk about how wedding flowers have changed over the years and to give us a bit of an insight into the world of flowers through the eyes of an expert.
Flowers, like fashions, go through constant changes in trends. What’s ‘in’ this summer may
be ‘so out’ next summer, largely driven by the media and the catwalk.
As a florist of 25+ years, I have seen the roundabout of flower fashion come full circle.
Back in the day, large shower bouquets were the choice of most brides. Fully wired, heavy
but beautiful. Buttonholes were a plenty and church flowers a must! Then we moved onto posy bouquets. Victorian and Edwardian style bouquets were popular. Very compact but still wired in the early days.
Then along came Oasis! OMG what a game changer that was! A foam medium that can be used to hold flowers, whilst also keeping them hydrated. Think of it like a flower sponge! Oasis enabled florists to create lighter bouquets. Modern and contemporary styles. Crescent, cascade and waterfall were the buzz words in the florist magazines (yes, paper copies). By this point in time, flowers were becoming more readily available from all over the world, and all year round. No longer did Brides have to
carry seasonal flowers, the flower choice had expanded and the world’s flowers were a
plenty.
The late 90's brought us the Hand tie… A structure free bunch, designed in the hand,
working with balance and proportions to give a robust yet natural style. Still compact and
full, whilst being very symmetrical and tidy, and this was the start of what we do now.
Over the last few years we have seen the Hand tie bouquet being used in all manner of
ways. From loose and natural, to front facing. Filled with foliage or soft and wild blooms. Using fresh flowers, dried flowers, local flowers or spring flowers, the variations of the Hand tie are endless, with the current key words being vintage, summery, boho, romantic and whimsical. As a florist I am loving this trend, but then to be honest, I have loved every style throughout the years.
Shower bouquets are definitely still very popular for wedding flowers. But we have seen them
become more elegant and less heavy over the years, using lots more foliage and delicate
flowers. In the early days, the flowers used in a Shower bouquet were very much dictated by the time of year and the budget available. The larger budgets saw more roses, orchids and lily of the valley (providing the wedding was in May!), whereas a smaller budget would be more carnations, rosemary and honeysuckle. In more recent years, with flowers more readily available from countries such as Columbia, Kenya and Equador, and the seasons being extended thanks to the use of heated greenhouses, we no longer have to stick to a limited choice dictated by the season (unless it's Spring Flowers- you can't use them in July!) Shower Bouquets have definitely become smaller over the years, with the budget being focused more on venue flowers than solely on the wedding bouquet.
With the world becoming a lot more eco conscious, fashions are moving more towards Hand ties. With many florists beginning to phase out single use Oasis and lean more towards natural or more eco friendly mediums, such as moss, chicken wire and raffia.
So, what will 2024’s trend be? I think more compact style Hand ties will be very popular, with lots of neutral tones, think roses, peonies and ranunculus. Maybe a few shower bouquets here and there. But what do I know…I’m still waiting for big hair and shell suits to make a comeback.
A big thank you to Gemma for letting me take over her blog and giving me a chance to reminisce about the last 25+ years. If you would like to see more prettiness and look at booking us for your big day, head over to my website here where you can find all things Cornwall Floral Design.
Hope to hear from you soon!