Ask the expert - flowers

Elements of Floristry has been well-established for well over 10 years and has been specialising in weddings for at least seven years.

It is a family concern for Julie Keohane, with her son and daughter helping her as and when they can.

“We are based in Tenby, where I primarily work from home, but have travelled up as far as Newport, Gwent, and The Gower to do weddings,” says Julie, who shares her top tips for choosing a wedding florist.

How long in advance of her wedding would you advise a bride to choose her bouquet?

Wedding flowers can be arranged in just a few hours of discussions, but I would advise a bride to book at least a few months beforehand, as ideas and styles change quite often and my aim is to make sure that she gets exactly what she wants on her day!

What are the most popular flowers for bouquets?

Roses are always the most popular flowers and with the introduction of the ‘vintage’ look, even more so these days, going back to old-fashioned garden scented roses.

What are the most popular styles?

Vintage and rustic are the most popular styles, bringing in the use of lots of hessian and lace within their themes and more naturalistic arrangements of flowers.

What are popular bouquets for bridesmaids and flower girls?

The most popular bouquets are round and handtied. I am very often asked for natural, just picked looking flowers, which again goes in with the rustic/vintage themes. The use of actual wildflowers is a very popular request, whereas the longer flowing wedding bouquets have taken a back step for now.

What are popular flowers for buttonholes for grooms and their groomsmen?

Again the rose would probably be the most popular flower, although a new style of each man having a different buttonhole, still using flowers which are in the bridal bouquet, just different combinations of flowers, instead of them all looking exactly the same.

And for corsages for the mother of the bride and groom’s mother?

The wrist corsage has become very popular for ladies. There are beautiful bracelets now available, like diamante and pearls, which can be used to add the flowers to.

Do you also decorate the wedding ceremony and reception venues?

I do all the decorations for weddings, including church, castle/hotel and reception venues. But one specialised service I have always offered, is that anything that is used to decorate the ceremony, I will then move to the bride’s venue after the wedding has taken place. Hence, getting two uses from the flowers, i.e. an altar decoration may also double up beautifully as a top table piece, which ultimately saves the couple money.

What are popular arrangements for receptions?

The most popular arrangements are still the classic vase arrangements, be it fishbowl, brandy glass, square vase, cylinder and, very popular over the last three years, are the three-foot high vases, with large arrangements placed on top. They certainly give a big ‘wow’ when people walk in to the reception.

What advice would you give a bride looking to choose her wedding flowers?

Always choose what you love in flowers! If scent is important, there are many options available, e.g. roses, freesia, peonies. If it is the colour that is more important, then something to remember is that a blend of colours can sometimes look more attractive than a solid block colour.

Have you had any unusual wedding flower requests?

I think the ‘Don’t Tell The Bride’ wedding was one of my highlights! Working with the television crew and the groom and his family to create a quirky Pembrokeshire wedding was amazing. My son came up with the idea for the simple table arrangements and we worked together to use the theme of the fishing accessories and the famous ‘yellow wellies’ to pull it all together.

What do you like most about arranging flowers for weddings?

The thing I like most about arranging flowers for weddings, is dealing with the couples on such a personal level. You are a part of one of the most important days of their lives. Over the years, I have made many close friends through my work, which I consider to be so dear to me!