Couples often arrive with a Pinterest board full of floral inspiration and no idea where to begin. Where should your budget actually go? What creates the biggest visual impact? And what can you confidently skip?
We asked Rebel Rebel to break down the floral elements that matter most - and the ones that don't.
Bouquets: Where should couples focus?
If you had to prioritise just one floral element, would it be the bridal bouquet?
The Bridal is a floral element that appears in most if not nearly all of the day's images, it completes the bride's look and is by her side for most, if not all of the day - so we would always say that it is such a special feature of the wedding. We wouldn't be without it ...but we do also love a 'feature moment' at the wedding for the ceremony! You're asking a very tough question!
What makes a bouquet feel special and personal?
We find that flowers often hold a special significance for people, so including flowers into a client's bouquet that remind them of someone they love, or a moment in their life feels very special. It is such a joy to bring the bride's ideas to life.
How many bouquets do most weddings realistically need?
The bride, or brides, bridesmaids. Some people have a bouquet for throwing and a bouquet for holding – so they don't brain their guests when they throw a huge bouquet!
For couples working with a tighter budget, where would you spend and where would you save?
We always suggest investing in their bridal party flowers as these form such a big part of the day and for the photos. It is then so lovely to have a floral feature to frame them for the ceremony.. oh and also table flowers! These are very hard questions for a die hard flower lover!
Are bridesmaid bouquets worth it, or are there alternatives that still look beautiful in photographs?
There is a growing trend to do floral handbags which can be interesting. But really just a single stem works too – it's just good to have something to do with your hands as you walk down the aisle.
Buttonholes: Who actually needs one?
Who would you typically recommend having a buttonhole?
The groom, obviously. But it is really good to have groomsmen with buttonholes, because it identifies them as someone who knows what to do – sometimes guests come from all parts of a couple's lives and don't know each other – and in a formal wedding everyone is in black tie, so having a buttonhole identifies them as useful!
Do couples often over-order buttonholes?
It's typical for the groom and groomsmen to wear them and becoming more typical for the special men and even women of the congregation to be given them. We always love them but maintain that is super important that they are made of the sturdier flowers as no-one loves a squashed buttonhole from all of the hugging!
Is it perfectly acceptable to limit buttonholes to the immediate wedding party?
Perfectly. Really don't think everyone needs a buttonhole, in fact it can be unhelpful (see answer above!).
How much visual impact do buttonholes actually have compared to other floral elements?
They really give the men's suits a pop of colour and texture in the photos - so we think much impact! They can be tiny masterpieces too.
Are there any modern alternatives to traditional buttonholes?
Good question! You can use school badge style badges with Groom and groomsman on. Dried flower buttonholes are really great – especially in hot countries where flowers out of water just get a bit sad and wilty. Jewel brooches can be fun and camp buttonholes. Basically anything goes so long as it is classy, and won't break!
Ceremony Flowers: What's essential and what's optional?
How should floral priorities differ between a registry office wedding and a country house or estate wedding?
The main thing with registry office weddings is timing. Usually you have a half hour window to get things in and out, so a vase on the registry table is about as much as most people manage. If you want something big it will be very expensive in manpower for moving. But wherever you're getting married it's nice to make a floral moment if budget allows. Some couples get married in blank spaces like galleries or event spaces – these really do need dressing. Country houses will look lovely with flowers in, but there is usually lots going on with the décor, so maybe no need for installations or arches – just a well placed but beautiful vase works.
When you're assessing a ceremony space, what tells you it needs flowers?
The flowers really 'lift' a space and make it come alive! You only notice once the flowers are in how impactful they are! I suppose we have been doing it for over 20 years so are used to spotting areas that naturally lend themselves to arrangements - bars, staircases, alcoves, mantelpieces, doorways etc.
What's the single ceremony floral investment that delivers the most impact?
It's hard to pick out any one thing. Everything that is made is done so with the ambition for it to be absolutely beautiful and so in its own moment could be regarded the most impactful - the bridal, the ceremony flowers, the table flowers - but a big installation whether a deconstructed arch or abundant mantelpiece is always a wow moment. These do however require bigger budgets so we like to think the 'wow' can also be found in the flowers of the humble bouquet and even cake flowers. Usually something above people's heads gets noticed by the guests. Arches or installations around church doors appear in all the wedding photos. Beautiful tablescapes and candles make the guests go 'wow' when they enter the room. It kind of depends on the space and the style of flowers you have decided on.
What ceremony arrangements are often unnecessary?
Nothing, ever! Tell us the bigger the better and we will, jump for joy. It's always such fun to work on the design in a given space to give personality and joy to every moment in your wedding. But if I was to think of something which could possibly be left out – I would say the dancing area just needs good lighting and possibly discoballs!
Can ceremony flowers usually be repurposed elsewhere during the day?
Usually they can, but it slightly depends on what they are like and how quickly you are going to get from one space to the other. There is nothing worse than chasing through the hotel foyer seconds before the guests with massive glass vases full of water, or trotting past with an arch whilst they sip champagne! If you are going for drinks in another space and we can get from the ceremony to the reception without walking through the guests that's cool.
For couples allocating budget across the whole wedding, roughly what percentage would you suggest dedicating to ceremony flowers?
Probably about a third – but it totally depends.
Reception Flowers: Where does the budget work hardest?
When guests walk into a reception space, what floral elements do they notice first?
Wherever you have placed the floral focus. Some people avoid too many table flowers as have sharing plates and therefore will place their budget behind a beautiful mantelpiece arrangement which sits behind the top table, or overflowing vase arrangements on plinth behind the couples seats. Wherever you want the impact to be, us florists like to make it happen!
What's more impactful: lots of small arrangements or a few larger statement pieces?
It's so dependent on the room and table shape. Small arrangements in a large room on a round table may get lost, where as on banquet tables in a smaller room would be perfect. We think long and hard about the right design for each wedding because it's never so straightforward.
How should couples approach flowers for long banquet tables versus round tables?
Aha.. I beat you to it!.. as above! It really does dictate the options for the arrangement; low vs high, small vs large, multiple bottles vs single arrangement.
What reception floral trends are you loving right now?
We are loving long tables with continuous asymmetric runners all the way along. But only if the table is wide enough to take it. If you have a basic trestle bud vases, or little bowls are as big as it gets. Little kenzo bowls are just so pretty and fun. We are getting into the fruit and vegetable trend in Italy big time. Last year Athena had to buy 90 crates of black grapes for a wedding. She was worried they would go to waste, but in the end she persuaded all the catering staff to take grapes home and Gianni our neighbour took a load to make grappa! We are also loving the Amaranthus craze because we are growing it all ourselves now – let's hope the amaranthus loving lasts!
Where do couples tend to overspend unnecessarily?
We really believe in seasonal flowers. This is when they are at their best, and ideally in the UK we use British flowers or in Italy either flowers from our field or Italian locally grown. These will not only be the best, but will also be the best value. Being a little bit flexible and letting us choose the best flowers to use within your palette and style means you will get the best value.
What are some clever ways to maximise impact without increasing the budget?
Moving flowers around from ceremony to reception within reason is a good way to repurpose flowers. Foliage will usually be better for your budget than masses of flowers, but can be just as beautiful. Sometimes we start making things and the foliage base is so beautiful, we hardly want to add flowers!
Wedding Cake Flowers: A small detail with a big impact?
Where do cake flowers sit on the priority list?
For us it is as important to know whether the couple want cake flowers as anything else - there is still a lot of skill to getting this right (as you cake flower lovers well know!). However, it is sometimes the case that once on-site we are asked to 'just add some flowers to the cake'. It is an important element and needs to not just be an aside.
Can a floral cake help tie together the entire wedding aesthetic?
It certainly adds to it and carries it through. It can really lift the aesthetic of the cake but I would definitely see it as a 'nice to have'.
Are there any floral trends you're seeing that work particularly beautifully with contemporary cake design?
Adorning the cake with flowers and fruit - you just can't go wrong. We are seeing more structural designs where flowers are being wired and manipulated to create shape around the cake. There is also a huge trend to include fruit within florists work so wired fruit is always fun (as you can see in our Cutter & Squidge X Rebel Rebel design).
How do you coordinate flowers across bouquets, reception arrangements and the wedding cake so everything feels cohesive?
We would always use a consistent colour palette and selection of beautiful seasonal flowers.
The Things You Can Almost Always Skip
What floral requests do couples make because they think they're expected rather than because they genuinely want them?
A photo booth moment .. lovely but expensive, especially if you want to make it a wow moment - such as an abundant and overflowing arch. People rarely have a concept as to how expensive arches are and often come to us wanting one which would take the entirety of their budget!
Are there wedding traditions that no longer feel essential?
Wrist corsages. Please no. They are always more expensive than people think because they are fiddly to make and we feel really quite outdated. Not to mention surely annoying to wear!?
What are the most common floral items that guests barely notice?
We wouldn't know – we're florists, we notice EVERYTHING!!
If you were helping a friend cut their floral budget by 20%, where would you start?
It is impossible to say – totally depends on what and where the wedding is. If it is outside I would get rid of any small poseur table / coffee table arrangements – they usually just blow over anyway. Definitely axe the wrist corsages. Make sure all your flowers are seasonal.
If you had to strip a wedding floral plan back to the absolute essentials, what would stay?
Bridal party elements (Bouquet, maybe or even maybe not bridesmaids, buttonhole for the groom and groomsmen), X2 vase arrangements on plinths to frame the couple at the ceremony and bud vases for the table.
Final Advice
What's the one thing couples should remember when planning wedding flowers?
Enjoy it! This is the BEST and most beautiful part of the planning (or so we think!). Get carried away with all the floral whimsy that you want.. and then the budget will rein you back in! haha. And a second thing.. if you reach the florist's minimum spend, it's always worth exploring as to how to re-use elements from ceremony to reception.
How can couples ensure their florist and cake designer work together to create a cohesive look without unnecessary duplication?
It's very normal for the vendors to be put in touch with each other, and we would always be happy to speak directly to alleviate our couple's stress and take it off their plate (so to speak). That way everyone is on top of everything and the bride (sometimes groom) has a few less emails!
What's your golden rule for spending wedding flower budget wisely?
Think about the moments that are long lasting and aren't for a fleeting moment - so those that live in the photos and moments in which guests are sitting looking at flowers. These are bridal party elements, ceremony flowers and table flowers.. not necessarily the flowers in the toilets, on the welcome sign or on the bar.
Whatever you decide to prioritise, the best floral plans come from working closely with the people bringing your day to life. If you are planning a wedding and want your cake to sit beautifully alongside your flowers, take a look at our wedding cakes and let us help you create something worth gathering round.