A peony for your thoughts...

No wedding is complete without beautiful flowers that represent the personality of the bride and groom. Flowing waves of colour and texture adorning tables, pews and walls, not forgetting button holes, bouquets and flower crowns.

But how do you know what flowers to choose, what is in season, what the trends are and of course which florist to trust with this huge undertaking.

We at The Farnham Boutique have been lucky enough to work with some of the best in the business and Jane from Fuchsia Blooms is no exception. We have seen her work first hand and it always takes our breath away and, lucky for us, she has kindly let us pick her brains on your behalf.

So pop the kettle on, grab a note book and enjoy...

How long have you been a florist and has this always been your job?

So I've officially been a florist and flower farmer for three years now..... but I would describe myself as more of a botanical artist. I trained as a designer so style, colour and texture are my driving force for whatever I do... and I also have a day job as a buyer.

How would you describe your floristry style?

It's tamed wildness! I love using foraged ingredients and seed pods to create shape and work with the seasons rather than against them.

What are the floral trends at the moment?

Wild and free..... that freshly plucked from the garden look is so popular right now and more clients are asking for wild flowers... the kind you see in the hedgerows with clashing bright colours. But of course flowers trends need to move with the seasons so I'm also really glad of the Dahlia revival right now. There are so many colours and shapes to chose from and they give such a wow factor!

What are your most popular flowers used for weddings?

Roses will never go out of fashion and are by far the most requested flower but really is all about the type of rose you use and what you pair it with. I love big billowing garden roses such as Margaret Merill or kokoloko and when we teem them up with Dahlias, Zinnias and Scabious it just brings them to life. I also use lots of herbs such as mint, rosemary and clary sage in arrangements which add to the floral scent.

What advice would you give when looking for the right florist for your wedding?

Its important to identify your style and make a list of the things which are important to you... such as seasonal blooms, British flowers, meadow theme, floral abundance, carbon footprint, eco friendly... some of these things you can only get from a certain type of florist or flower farmer. Looking through their Instagram account will give you a really good idea of their style and if it matches yours..... then trust! If you like their work then trust them to make your arrangements as beautiful as possible with the flowers selections available. A good florist will also do this in reverse and ask you for some inspirational images..... this is to check what style you like and if it fits with their aesthetic and beliefs.

Do you have a favorite wedding style?

Every wedding we do is so different which is what I love about it!..... and i love them all. Because we work with the seasons no two weddings will look the same. So one week we might have an abundance of scabious and the next week all of the zinnias may have started to bloom so the floral combinations for each wedding will be so different.

What’s your favorite or most spectacular project you have worked on?

My favorite has to be the last wedding before lockdown earlier this year for Georgia & Harry. The theme was green and it was Feb 29th.......a leap year bridal couple...... how special is that!! They were married at Lillibrooke Manor and we made them the most beautiful greenery moongate....... i just loved their green theme and it even ran throughout into the men's suits!

Bespoke dress by The Farnham Boutique

What’s the best timescale for booking your wedding florist?

Florists just like everyone else get booked up a year in advance so if you have a favorite then book as early as possible. We grow flowers especially for our brides so if we know six to eight months in advance then all the better. It means we can add exact colour schemes in without having to buy in from other sources. Its also more important to get the date secured than knowing each and every detail which can be ironed out a few months beforehand.

What are the best wedding flowers for each season in your opinion?

This is the best bit... how flowers change each month!!

For winter weddings anemones always look truly stunning and together with succulents look even more amazing. For springtime hands down its ranunculus, similar to roses and peonies but smaller and with the most amazing ruffles and they last so much longer in the vase too! Summer is just a riot if floral abundance with soo much to choose from!! Roses, Sweet peas, Scabious... they all look just amazing together! For late summer & autumn I love Dahlias. We grow more than 30 varieties so always have something which will look great for everyone but they only bloom until the first frost so its all hands on deck to get them covered up quickly if there is a frost on the way!

What’s the most unusual wedding you have worked on?

The most unusual is a bride who hadn't booked any flowers at all! We bumped into each other the Saturday beforehand and she asked me to make some up with 2 days notice!!!