As well as being one of the leading Cheshire wedding venues, our estate includes 6 acres of formal and informal gardens. That’s why we are uniquely placed to offer some insights, ideas, hints and tips about a key part of any Cheshire bride’s big day! The bridal bouquet, as with the wedding dress is something some brides dream about for many years.
Create your perfect Cheshire wedding bouquet
The bridal bouquet is a statement item for the day, incorporating chosen colours, themes and details. Why not check out our Pinterest page for some wedding flower ideas that we love!
With so many flowers, colours and styles to choose from and with an endless directory of images on the internet, it can leave couples feeling very overwhelmed. Here at Abbeywood we have pinpointed a few aspects to consider when creating your perfect bouquet. Read our wedding bouquet tips to find out more.
Wedding bouquet tips – flower availability needs a flexible approach
Often brides bring with them preconceived ideas about how they want their bouquet to look and the overall style they want to achieve. This is a great starting point for discussion and can really help the florist understand what the bride envisages. At Abbeywood we try where possible to use flowers from our cutting garden supplemented if necessary.
Due to the time of year, sometimes it isn’t possible to use the exact flowers used in a bouquet that you have found online. We always try to offer alternatives if we feel certain flowers will not be in season or offer possible changes to the bouquet that will still insure the same overall look. Always be flexible to work with your florist and take onboard their ideas. This will help ensure your bouquet is beautiful and fresh and makes the most of the flowers available at the time of your wedding.
The British Flower Collective Website is really useful and will help give you an idea of what is in season.
Wedding bouquet tips – remember to budget
One of the most important wedding bouquet tips is to remember to budget. Whether you are just at the start of the wedding planning process or nearing the end, keeping a track of your budget is always a must. You may fall in love with a bouquet you found on Pinterest, but in reality that bouquet costs more than you want. We often have a discussion with couples as to roughly what their ideas will cost and what budget they were hoping to keep to. This allows us to suggest ideas that help maximise your budget or offer alternatives that you may not have thought about.
Your florist will have a wealth of experience and will know how to take your ideas and make them possible. We always try to meet couples budget, providing there is some flexibility of flower choice, size and style.
Wedding bouquet tips – a size to suit
Wedding bouquet tips often focus on the size and often people think the more flowers and bigger the bouquet the better, and for some this may be true. For many though the bridal bouquet needs to be in proportion to the bride and in keeping with her dress and wedding style. Remember you will be carrying your bouquet around for the majority of the first part of your day and you want it to be as easy to manage as possible.
The style you choose may impact on the size of your bouquet and in turn may impact on the volume of flowers and foliage needed. The size of your bouquet may therefore also impact on the cost of your Bouquet. At Abbeywood we try to work with your vision and can tailor the overall size to meet your budget or desired size/feel of the bouquet.
Type of Bouquet
From hand tied to tear drop, there are lots of different bouquet types out there. It is helpful it you are aware of the type of bouquet you want, so that when you florist suggests an idea you know exactly what that looks like. Here are some of the more well known bouquet types:
1. Hand Tied
Hand tied bouquets offer a natural posy shape to be created and often have a larger selection of flower content and foliage. They can be wrapped or left with their stems showing and work within any given budget.
2. Cascade
Cascade bouquets allow a rustic and sweeping shape to be created, often with some form of trail. They are often a lot larger in size and cover more of the brides body. Smaller versions of this are often referred to as teardrop, but these are often more compact and do not have as much tail.
3. Round
The clue is in the name, these bouquets are dome like in shape and because of this often use only one type of flower such as Roses. The flower content is larger and often there is no or minimal foliage.
4. Nosegay
Small, compact posies with only a few flowers. Usually the flowers chosen have a sweet smell. These are perfect if you want a more understated bouquet.
5. Pomander
A perfectly round sphere with flowers all over creating a ball. Often using often using the same flower or flowers with larger heads. Pomanders usually have a ribbon handle making them perfect to hang down the aisle or for flower girls to carry.
Wedding bouquet tips – keeping your bouquet looking its best
Some brides are able to get ready at their venue the morning of their wedding, others opt to get ready at home. Your bouquet should be delivered boxed in water and are usually kept in a cool area until you are ready to make your way to the ceremony. Some brides prefer their bouquet to be waiting for them at the venue if they are travelling a long distance, though you won’t have them for any photographs at home.
Usually we advise taking your flowers out of the water slightly before it’s time to go to the ceremony, so that you don’t end up with any wet patches on your dress. After the ceremony before you start your photographs you may want to ask the venue to place your bouquet in water, especially on a hot day. After your photographs, your bouquet can become a beautiful floral decoration on the top table or by the cake.
To throw or not to throw?
The tradition of throwing the bridal bouquet seems to have faded away in recent years, however for some brides it is an important part of their day and a great photo opportunity. Some brides prefer not to damage their bouquet as they want to keep it for a long as possible after the day or may be looking to have it dried and framed. We have however seen a rise in the ‘Throwing Bouquet’, a separate smaller bouquet designated only for the throwing, so the chosen lady can keep the bouquet as a memento. This additional charge is not necessary for many so opt to throw confetti as opposed to the bouquet.
After your wedding, with all the other venue flowers you may feel overwhelmed by all the flowers. Some couples give their flowers out as gifts to say thank you for helping in the run up to and on the day. For others their home becomes a living garden for a week or so. Another popular trend is to take the flowers to a local care home or residential area, to help brighten up someone else day, where they will be enjoyed by many all over again.
“Happiness held is the seed, Happiness shared is the Flower”
John Harrison
About leading Cheshire wedding venue Abbeywood Estate
A 45-acre family home nestling in the Delamere countryside, Abbeywood is the perfect Cheshire wedding venue. If you’re planning your perfect wedding day, getting all the little details right is so important. You need a great location, plenty of space, access to the right facilities and of course, a price that is good value.
Abbeywood is licensed for civil ceremonies with several beautifully appointed rooms available for your service, wedding breakfast and evening party. Exclusive use of all function spaces and stunning gardens with booking now being taken. We can accommodate the most intimate wedding to the most lavish!
A wedding at Abbeywood is a unique experience. Our personal attention will create a bespoke and memorable day for you and all your guests. We will work with you to make your dreams come true on the most special day of your life – that means getting every single detail right.
If you enjoyed this blog take a look at some of our others – packed full of information about our estate and top tips to help you plan a stunning Cheshire wedding!
