How an expert florist chose her wedding flowers

Discover how one of our leading florist designers planned her own wedding flowers this spring. We spoke to Alice Couzens (nee Groom) about how she went about choosing flowers for her big day. 

Despite having the luxury of working in the industry and being in the know, Alice admitted that it didn’t make choosing her wedding flowers any easier. She told us: “I had absolutely no idea what I wanted! All I knew was that I didn’t want typical wedding flowers.”

Being a born in spring and it being her favourite time of year, the one thing Alice was sure on was that she wanted to get married in spring. And when it comes to seasonal flowers, spring is abundant with choice.

With event planning a completely different ball game to wedding planning, Alice was left in the capable hands of Weddings Manager Maddie and founder Sue, who guided her through the consultation process. “I kept a very open mind and didn’t use a Pinterest board or anything. Luckily Maddie and Sue know me really well so that helped get the initial ideas off the ground,” Alice said.

At Lavender Green Flowers, we always spend time with the bride getting to know them, going through their initial ideas, likes and dislikes. This then leads to the question of how they want their wedding to feel and we ask them to choose five buzz words. The descriptions help us build a better picture of how the bride might want her wedding flowers to look. Even though Maddie and Sue know Alice so well, it was important to still go through this process. Alice wanted her wedding to feel informal, be the non-wedding wedding, with a natural, colourful and fun atmosphere.

Alice’s colour palette steered away from traditional pinks and whites, instead choosing more vibrant and unusual flowers such as Scabiosa’s, Poppy’s, Tulips, Bluebells and Marigolds. “I wanted to showcase something a bit different at my wedding and show my friends and family that wedding flowers don’t just have to be about roses and peonies, but can be colourful and fun,” Alice said.

Although there was no real sentimental element to her choice of flowers, the Lilly in the Valley incorporated into her bouquet was a nod to her Mum’s own wedding flowers.

Having only chosen her dress four months before the big day, and only deciding on what to do with her hair three weeks prior, it wasn’t surprising to hear that Alice found herself also changing her mind about her flowers. “I have always been so indecisive! It was difficult because I would see something amazing at an event I was working on and change my mind.” Luckily for Alice, Maddie and Sue were on hand to constantly remind her that she had made her initial decision for a reason and to stick to her guns. This is one of the elements of our wedding floristry that we really pride ourselves on; understanding what floral look brides really want to create, rather than styles that they might only like for a fleeting moment – because of fashions or trends. We do this is by looking at the broader story or theme of the entire wedding, within which the flowers sit as an important part.

A love of flowers clearly run in the family, as Alice went through her flower choice with her Mum, a self-taught gardener and untrained horticulturist. “She just got it, and understood the look and feel I was going for,” Alice said. For the family BBQ the day after her wedding, Alice’s Mum had actually re-planted her garden so it matched with the spring colours Alice had chosen.

Alice’s loose and wild arrangements perfectly complimented the feel of her wedding, which was very informal and relaxed. “It was a day to bring everyone we loved and cared about together. Everyone was involved, my cousin did the cake and my brother led the ceremony, and everyone knew everyone!” The photographer they chose was also untraditional, opting instead for more natural shots, rather than formal line ups.

Keen to bring an eco-friendly element to their wedding, Alice and her husband Rob gave their flowers away to guests afterwards and also dried lots of hand tied bouquets at home to give away. Throughout the day, their flowers were re-used and re-purposed, and for the evening party they just changed the positioning of the flowers and interspersed them with lots of candles.

A special touch was giving everyone a potted plant on their table instead of a traditional wedding favour, that they could take home to continue growing. “Everyone loved that!” Alice said. “I still have friends calling me up to say how much their plant has grown.”

Very much used to being on the other side of the fence and seeing the finished flowers before any event, Alice was under strict instructions from Maddie and Sue not to get involved with the flower arrangements. So, when the bride walked down the meadow aisle for the first time, it was all a complete surprise. “It was very overwhelming,” Alice said. “The first thing I did when I arrived at the venue was to ask what the flowers were like. They told me they had never seen so many incredible flowers and that people hadn’t stopped taking photos. They were completely right; I couldn’t stop staring at them all day!”

Lavender Green Flowers is renowned as one of London’s finest florists, with over 28 years’ experience producing flowers for the country’s top galleries, museums and historic houses. From weddings and receptions to private parties and corporate events, thoughtfully crafted arrangements and installations take inspiration from the latest trends in floristry, fashion and art.

To make an enquiry, call 020 7127 5303, email [email protected] or visit the Chelsea flower shop at 46 Fulham Road, London SW3 6HH