What are statement flowers and what do we mean by the word statement?
Statement flowers. What do we mean by the word statement? I’m sure you’ve seen this kind of word plastered all over instagram. This blog post will walk you through all the designs florists class as statement pieces.
These are also called investment florals or designs. Investments are the flowers that do all the hard work.
Statement flowers include; Arches, fireplaces, staircases, hanging designs and any other large scale flowers such as urns and pedestals.
Arches
Arches are a really popular design for statement flowers. These can be full on big and impactful to broken designs of pillars or smaller scale sprays of flowers attached to pre made arches.
They work really well for church entrances and ceremony backdrops.
Whats more they are so versatile they can be made in any colours, flowers and styles. Neat and compact to wild and elaborate. They suit all styles of weddings and all venues. They really are a go to statement flower design for any wedding.
Arch frames can be custom made as well, if you have an awkward space frames can be made any size to suit. Bespoke custom frames are more expensive but anything is possible in the world of flowers so just ask. It could be the make or break with the whole florals.
Fireplaces
So many beautiful venues have stunning fireplaces. If there is a possibility to decorate this space then i say go for it. Nothing scream luxury statement flowers more than fireplace designs.
They have a lot of versatility, from simple arrangements that can still be show stopping to full on flowers cascading from the mantlepiece to the floor. Fireplaces can be found in the ceremony areas, welcome entrances and in wedding breakfast rooms. They make the perfect backdrops for statement flowers. Big, impactful and memorable designs that guests will remember for years to come.
Statement flowers are normally the biggest impact designs for the wedding. Although they can be moved we often leave them set in place for guests to have their own photo’s with.
Staircases
We all love staircase photo’s, The first shots of the bride walking down the stairs or a big group shot with the couple surrounded by family and friends. They can only be made better with gorgeous flowers.
This can be a florals on the bottom step to full on banister garlands and flowers. No design is wrong and there is something to suit every design and venue.
Some staircase lend themselves better to floor flowers and some are not wide enough and work better with different designs. No design is wrong but your florist will know what will work best for your venue.
Hanging Designs
Hanging designs work great in marquees or where ground floor space is limited. Structures can be discreetly placed for venues that cant support or don’t have the correct hanging implements in place.
These designs tend to be more free form. Any shape and style is possible. Hoops flowers work great in marquees above the bar.
Ladders and long designs work great along the long length of the marquees between the two poles, They can give lots of drama and impact.
Hanging designs work great with just foliages, Of course we adore adding lots and lots of flowers. Working with your venue we can create the perfect designs to suit your needs.
I design for large scale and full impact designs, We live for the opulence and abundance.
Marquee Statement Flowers
As I have said above, hanging designs work really well. There is other options though with marquees.
We love decorating the poles and entrances just as much. Creating stunning florals wrapped around poles really work well for creating drama and a long lasting impression with guests.
Equally having a stunning entrance design works just as well. Welcoming guests on arrival and setting the tone for the day. Again any style and design is doable. We can create bespoke.
Ceremony Backdrops
Ceremony backdrops work well when the ceremony and wedding breakfast are in the same room. These stunning flowers can stay in situ and kept in the room.
They make the perfect backdrop for head table or sweetheart tables. Framing the special couple with an abundance of flowers.
These designs make the perfect photo opportunity for not only you the couple but for guests later on in the day. It’s a real instagram moment.
Lining the aisle with flowers gives a full look. These designs are totally transferable to other areas after the ceremony.
Want to find out how i can create the floral statement designs you need?
We would love to arrange a chat with you. Don’t fixate too much on specific designs. thats our job. Just come to us with a general aesthetic you are desiring and we will do the rest.
Whats the cost of wedding flowers in the UK? This is a no size fits all answer, I will explain this further in detail later on. You may see some florists have minimum spend or also called minimum investments. Why do we have a minimum spend on wedding flowers?
This may seem confusing but i’m going to run through why flowers cost and why we have minimum spends.. It isn’t just down to making as much money as possible.
Florists have many factors to consider, especially if they only work with wedding and events.
What determines a minimum spend?
This includes a whole host of things, Generally the work i create and want to keep creating comes at a price. You are only as good as your last wedding so to keep my standards where i want them i have a clientele who i appeal to.
I’m not suited to everyone and i know this. Clients i attract love my style, ethos and standards, they value what i do. As much as i would love to help each and every couple this just isn’t viable.
Every Florist has different overheads so this is a factor involved in the minimum spend. A florist who has staff, studio, van upkeep, rates etc need to cover these costs. A florist who works from a shed in their garden doesn’t have a-lot of these costs. This doesn’t mean to say a florist who works from a shed is any less qualified or creative as someone who has a studio but the don’t have a-lot of fixed costs either.
I provide a service, one of upmost quality and curated to my clients. I take my clients on a journey and provide quotes, vision boards, site visits, mockups and lots of other added extras. No wedding day is just about the money, I want my clients to feel involved and important from initial email to the very last dance.
how do you decide your minimum spend?
Every year i average out my clients spend. Every year this increases so will my minimum spend. Currently we sit at £3000.00 for weekends in peak season but do have some flexibility on midweek and off season weddings.
For us to keep the quality of our work, cover overheads and provide stunning flowers this prices works for us. We do understand that some clients might not have this investment to work with us and thats okay. Like i said we aren’t suited to everyone and we want to keep producing the highest quality of work.
Flowers, rent, utility bills and pretty much everything else to do with our business has increased in cost over the last 12-18 months. unfortunately we have to pass this cost on although if we had any other choice we wouldn’t.
Will i Get my whole wish list for the minimum spend?
This all depends on amounts. As this is an average for us it normally covers the basics. If you want some big installations, show stopping table designs then you will need to spend a little more.
Usually i would say our minimum spend covers the following;
Bridal bouquets, bridesmaids bouquets, buttonholes, corsages, low simple table designs, simple aisle decor, top table florals and delivery, set up and collection fee.
Again the above is just a guide, if you only have a small guest number with a few guest tables then your budget will stretch further than someone who has 10 guest tables. Also some couples have minimal wedding party members, such as bridesmaids. The more bridesmaids you have the more you have to budget for the flowers in this area.
How much should i set aside for my flowers?
For me as a florist i would say as much as possible!! we understand that flowers are not a big deal for certain couples but for our brides they usually are, thats why they choose us. .
On average i would say between 10-15% of the whole wedding budget plus expenses.
If you have an overall budget of £30,000 for you wedding then that is between £3000-£4500 on flowers plus any labour, delivery and set up expenses.
On a whole we would say 20-25% of your overall budget should go on wedding decor and flowers. This includes, candles, chair dressing, charger plates etc. Don’t forget the decor and flowers have a massive impact on the overall space and can really elevate the venue.
We design for large scale and full impact designs, this means bigger budgets are needed for florals.
We suggest you decide how important flowers and decor are on your wedding day. This will help you work out what you are happy to budget and what wedding flowers cost you.
We always see contradicting advice on average costs?
Yes, this is because like i said no one size fits all when it comes to wedding flowers. You may see statements like £1000 is the UK average. This is based from couples who DIY’ed wedding flowers and couples who spent thousands on flowers. Some couples didn’t even have any fresh flowers so put £0 as a spend in the survey.
Just to say there are florist who will do you wedding flowers for £1000 but for us it’s just not viable. With our overheads and skill not to mention all the administration of phone calls, emails, flower ordering etc. we will be working for less than minimum wage!
For this reason a nation wide survey has so many factors that it can never really give a true reflexing on an average spend.
If you only have a small budget this is fine but you will be limited on what designs you can get. Most smaller budgets will only be able to get personal flowers. Or maybe even a florist to make but you have to collect and set up all items yourself.
This is why we can never give an average of what wedding flowers cost.
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What does my budget get me? What do wedding flowers cost?
So what do wedding flowers cost? This is only a rough guide based on our business structure, Each and every florist vary slightly.
£1000 – Bridal bouquets, bridesmaids bouquets, buttonholes, corsages and some simple ceremony florals
£2000 – All of the above and more elaborate ceremony statement feature, Maybe some floral urns.
£3000 – As above, simple guest table and top table designs (This is our minimum spend – we have this so we can keep the whole look across the venue cohesive)
£4000 – As above but slightly larger scale guest table flowers, possibly small compote bowls
£5000 – As. above but grander ceremony florals, such as aisle meadows, simple signage flowers, cake flowers
£6000 – As above with some tall guest table centrepieces and more opulent top table designs. Some other venue decor, Fireplace or staircase flowers
£7000 – £10,000 – As above but could include welcome statement design, large scale designs, more scope in flowers used,
Again this is only a guide and we work in opulent flower heavy designs.
Flowers cost more when we have to pre order?
Flower costs have risen dramatically, As we only do weddings and events we don’t have a shop to off load any spare flowers. we work out a stem count and have to account that a percentage of these flowers will come in broken or damaged.
We have to order by certain stems, sometimes roses are in 10’s, 20’s or 25’s. If you only require to have one variety of rose in your bouquet and different in every other design we may have a big surplus that needs to be paid for.
What do wedding flowers cost? well obviously they cost more to the customer than what we buy them from wholesale. Rose varieties can be £3.50 per stem + VAT for us to buy.
We also have to place or order with the wholesalers in advance. As they know we need these flowers this pushes the price up. If you have the flexibility for us to choose the flowers then this make the whole process a-lot easier and the wholesalers can find better deals giving more quantity in stems.
We always try our best to buy local and British in the summer months, majority of the time we never guarantee a specific flower. This helps us to make out designs truly unique and we also never disappoint our clients promising something that may not be possible.
do you price match another florist?
Simply put, NO..
This is impossible for us to do, we work on flower heavy abundant designs, We do not know how many flowers the other florist has allocated or how much they have charged in labour. It isn’t easy to do because it isn’t a like for like product.
It would basically be compared to asking Gucci to sell you trousers for the same price as Primark. The product and quality is totally different, the service you get in each store is totally different, the overall experience is totally different.
We really want to work with you, how do we get the ball rolling?
We would love to arrange a chat with you, remember to have a flower cost that you are happy to spend in mind. Don’t fixate too much on specific designs. thats our job. Just come to us with a general aesthetic you are desiring and we will do the rest.
Remember, what do wedding flowers cost? well that also depends on how flexible you are with us and how much you trust us to deliver. The more you value and trust us the better the designs will be. We can create floral magic with artistic license.
Are you worried about your bridal bouquet? Whats all the fuss with bridal bouquets?
Will it be too big, too small, look like the inspiration picture? Their is so much to think about so let us help you with this blog.
Bridal bouquets get photographed so much, they are the most photgraphed of all your wedding flowers so i always recommend a splurge on this design.
What Shape should i go for with my bridal bouquet?
This is one i get a lot, I think most brides want something informal, natural and loose looking in design with their own bridal bouquets. This doesn’t mean you can not have something different other than a hand tied.
Cascading, teardrop designs are becoming a hot new trend lately therefore i wouldn’t make up your mind too early. Having flexibility with your florist is key. We all know trends change meaning so do your options.
Light and airy will always be popular and this can be achieved with many shapes and sizes. Creating Movement is so very important.
What is movement?
Movement is key but what is it? I call it “when the flowers dance” it makes all the difference with a lovely bouquet to magical bridal bouquets.
Having some taller delicate stems sticking out and some fuller bodied flowers lower down will help make the flowers natural and not stiff. Therefore giving natural movement.
Flowers should look like how they grow in the garden, with taller, mid and short stems. All at different heights.
Texture in bridal bouquets.
Texture helps the flowers come alive. This sounds silly as they are a living product but when i say this i mean, it helps each flower shine.
Using lots of varieties, tall, short, large, small, smooth, spiked, fluffy and single petal flowers helps give interest to the bridal bouquets.
This means every time you look at the bouquet you see something new, interesting and make you keep coming back to look at it.
I don’t know what flowers to chose?
Good! In the best way possible. We are florists and do this for a living, this is what you are paying us to do.
If you want the best blooms, let’s face it who doesn’t. Leave this up to your florist
We can always try to include a specific flower but the more flexibility you have the more you will benefit. Why? because we can see what is the best available at market, add in one offs and make the bouquet truly unique to you.
What if i only want one variety of flower in my bridal bouquet?
We can still create gorgeous bridal bouquets with one variety of flower. Just roses in a staggered design is proving popular at the minute.
We would suggest maybe a few different variety of roses. These can be based on one colour but the shapes of roses can be different and add interest.
Don’t want roses? alternatively we can use other flowers and add interest and textures with tones and shades of colour or foliage.
What mix of flowers work well for my bridal bouquet?
I think all flowers have their moments to shine. Suggestions for a bridal bouquets, i would say – don’t worry about the specific flowers go with the overall aesthetic.
I would always suggest having some for their looks, some for their smell and some for their shape and size.
Having variety is always best in my opinion.
What do you suggest for ribbons and binding?
For me i would suggest a beautiful silk ribbon. It just feels lovely in your hands.
Luxury ribbon with trails has a whimsical, romantic look and this is something always loved by our brides. Even if the ribbon trails don’t work for you we can still bind with a silk ribbon on the stems.
We can colour match up to suit the day the options are endless
Are you a sustainable florist using sustainable floristry techniques or are you looking for a sustainable florist for your wedding or event?
This may be be of some help to you. Sustainable florists on the other hand may also be referred to as eco florists or eco floristry.
What exactly is an eco florist or sustainable florist?
This is a florist who uses a more sustainable source for flowers or and techniques. These are florists who don’t use one time plastics or very little of them, for instance they will use techniques where flowers are placed directly in to water.
The easiest way to achieve design in water is by using different vessels and vases, moss, test tubes, buckets and structures that can hold vessels of water to create arches and large scale designs.
Alternatively other mediums can be used to secure a water source. Agra wool is a great substitute to floral foam. it can hold a lot of water and be reused.
Whats wrong with floral foam or oasis blocks?
Whilst these have been used for many years they are full of plastic. One block of oasis takes over 150 years to fully degrade.
Even the bio degradable foam block is 50% degradable with the rest taking the full amount of time to compost down..
We do know for instance that not every florist will switch to a more sustainable way of working, but even using less plastics will have a massive impact of the waste the floristry industry produces.
Every year more and more products are becoming available to the floristry industry making it easier for florists to make the switch. Above all we are seeing a return to how flowers used to be made and arranged before all this mass produced plastic came onto the market.
It’s going full Circle.
Will this effect the longevity of the flowers.
Absolutely not. Why? similary all flowers are still in a water source.
Flowers will be processed and conditioned exactly the same and worked with in exactly the same way.
i actually think its better for the flowers being placed directly back into water, therefore not only making it better for the environment but better for the flowers.
Overall it will impact the environment for the better, It will also be beneficial for the flowers. Going from water to water is best.
For me it’s important for florists to keep being creative and come up with new ideas and designs using different mediums. It’s what helps to keep the industry vibrant and artistic.
Not only is it more environmentally friendly it is also easier for us to create deigns in specific spaces and go bigger and better than ever before.
Hardware stores and online outlets have a massive selection of options for foam free mechanics.
Hanging flowers, statement staircases, fabulous fireplaces can all be made with sustainable mediums.
does it cost more?
It actually doesn’t, additionally it wouldn’t effect the flower count or the designs just the way they are made.
We as florists do need to reinvest in ourselves, our business and our staff. I know i personally have spent time on workshops and courses to up level my skills. basically this of course makes us better at what we do.
This cost will therefor along the line will be absorbed by our clients but this is the same with all bills and overheads.
I understand that not everyone wants a sustainable wedding but surveys show that 60% of guests would feel better about a wedding knowing it had some sustainability.
Will it take longer to make and set up wedding flowers?
I think it’s actually a quicker process. Majority of flowers are also durable out of water for 12-24 hours as well.
Basically this technique makes you think about mechanics a lot more in advance and can then make everything run smoother.
Albeit the only obstacle we can see it when water vessels are in a high volume walk way with guests.
No one wants puddles of water at weddings or events.
It’s a great way to please wedding and event venues as well. Lots of sustainable techniques don’t damage or leave evidence that they have been there.
does this mean clients can’t keep any arrangements?
Yes and No
It wouldn’t be possible for clients/couples to keep arrangements as they are as we will need the vessels and containers back.
This doesn’t mean they cant keep any flowers. We normally dismantle any large arrangements and bunch them up into smaller more manageable bouquets for the couple and guests to take home.
All long stemmed flowers will be put aside, furthermore short stemmed flowers will be taken away.
HAVE YOU MADE THE SWITCH FROM FLORAL FOAM YET?
If you need to make the switch to foam free then please do get in touch
Additionally we offer a range of 1:1 and workshops to increase your knowledge of foam free techniques.
Sustainable floristry is the best decision you will make.
