Devon Wedding Flowers: What exactly do you need for your 2021 wedding?

30th September 2020 By Holly

Devon Wedding Flowers: what exactly do you need for your 2021 wedding?

What exactly do you need when it comes to your Devon wedding flowers? It’s a question I get asked a lot… Whilst I don’t think there’s a definite answer, (weddings are personal, bespoke and should work for you), there are some stalwart items that I would always suggest. These can work around most budgets, and still be sustainable and simple.

1.The natural Bridal Bouquet (of course)

My favourite thing ever to create in terms of wedding flowers. I adore making these, it always feels like a special moment when it come to cutting and conditioning the exact flowers for bridal bouquets. Then weaving them into then finished creation- it’s lovely, reflective process. Whilst bridal bouquets come in all shapes and sizes, here at Holly Bee flowers (in the heart of the Devon countryside) we like natural, wild and unusual and always, always romantic. Seasonal led, our flower choices are based on colour, texture scent and style. It’d also important to notice how it feels to hold a bouquet- some are large, and therefore heavy- we prefer to work on the delicate side of things, making it easier to hold, but still providing breath- taking impact.

2. Buttonholes to add delicate details

I always like to think of these as mini- bouquets. Our buttonholes are tied with twine, and not wrapped in florist tape- it looks more natural and tends to blend with our style better. Buttonholes can be worn by the groom, groomsmen, father of the bride, father- in law. I’ve also made for the mother of the bride on occasions too! The flowers used in buttonholes, tend to reflect the other wedding flowers in terms of colour and style; tying everything together. They also need to last well out of water and not droop. I love adding personal touches to buttonholes, maybe a tiny forget- me- not just peeking out, or some rose hips in the autumn- small but beautiful additions to your devon wedding flowers.

3. Bridemaid Bouquets to add romance and wildness

Like an echo of bridal bouquets ,this is something I love creating too. Whether you have one best friend bridesmaid or your whole gang, flowers are an important part of your look (but we try to not be too traditional- wild is our style!). Also all the bouquets I provide are in kilner glass jars of water, so can be used as decoration after the ceremony, and last longer (top tip right there)- getting the most out of you wedding flowers.

4. Ceremony and Reception flowers, think outside the box with DIY Buckets

Once you’ve decided on your personal flowers (bridal bouquet, buttonholes and bridesmaid bouquets etc), then it’s time to decide on decoration for the ceremony and reception! The choice is huge, and it’s going to be led partly by budget. I love providing DIY buckets of flowers for couples to then decorate venues themselves- relaxed weddings are amazing, and it’s a way to involve the bridal party and families, get creative, and also keep budgets in check when it comes to your wedding flowers. Picked to a colour scheme and grown on our Devon flower farm, our buckets are overflowing with flowery goodness and make arranging your wedding flowers easy and simple.

5. Installations to add WOW to your wedding flowers whilst still being completely eco- friendly

Budget allowing then creating installation pieces are AMAZING. Whether this is for the ceremony, or reception, it’s a way of adding impact, and really brings the atmosphere together. Currently we’re getting a bespoke arch made, so next year we hope to be able to create lots of flowery arches with our wild blooms- watch this space.

Image by Emma Jane Photography

So I hope this can act as a gentle guide and get the ball rolling when thinking about wedding flowers and what you would like. If you want to talk further about flowers for your South West wedding then get in touch via our wedding page.

Also the wonderful photographers for the woodland boho arch is Emma Jane Photography .

Thanks so much for reading, I’m off out to plant some new grasses in the rain now- head to toe waterproofs required!

Garden Update- Top 5 Seasonal Flowers Autumn, September

7th September 2020 By Holly

Garden Update- Top 5 Seasonal Flowers Autumn, September Edition

As we seem to have moved quickly into autumn in the past few weeks (funny how that shift takes place right, it always creeps up on you), I thought I’d do a garden update- and choose my top 5 seasonal flowers autumn, to use in weddings and floral design work, or to just simply inspire… autumn flowers are honestly luscious.

I really love this time of year, and seeing the seasons move, leaves change, and evenings getting darker. There’s still lots of work to do here on our Devon flower farm before winter; getting the soil ready for next year, sowing hardy annuals and our first batch of sweet peas. But there’s always comfort in the cycle of gardening- looking forward to things to come.

There’s also SO MUCH BEAUTY still. September weddings are among my favourite, it’s such a wonderful time of year for seasonal, natural flowers. But I’m getting side tracked! This is about floral seasonality, and hopefully a little inspiration too (fingers crossed), from our cutting garden to you.

Seasonal Flowers Autumn- The Dahlia

Right an obvious choice for autumn seasonal flowers, I know ,I know. But crikey, I cannot recommend highly enough. Sometime dahlias get a bad rap (I’m never too sure why), but it’s the star in the garden right now. We have two big dahlia beds here, and grow a vast array of varieties covering various colours, sizes and shapes. Because that what dahlias offer- choice. From tiny pompom, to massive flouncy dinner plates. There’s such a range. They also seem to be pretty perfect at nailing that autumn sunset colour palette too.

Dahlia bed at Holly Bee Flowers

Picking dahlia ‘Preference’

Dahlia ‘Labyrinth’

Seasonal Flowers Autumn- The Rose

I bang on about roses a lot, they’re my favourite flower and I grow lots. Partly because we have the perfect soil- one of the very few times I’m thankful for heavy clay soil. But also I just adore growing and working with them. Whether it’s in wild bridal bouquets, scented buttonholes, or a beautiful gift bouquet, if I’ve got roses flowering I will be picking and using them! Also at this time on year we’re on their second flush of flowers, and this often means long arching stems- hard to get hold of from wholesalers, not so hard if you’re growing yourself.

David Austin roses

Freshly picked roses

Bridal Bouquet feat. Roses

Seasonal Flowers Autumn- Rudbekia

Whilst I’ve grown sunflowers once in my flower farming life, I’ve continually grown Rudbekia. It’s like the sunflowers’ lesser known (but better in my biased opinion) friend. Smaller, more flowers per plant and much easier to work with, Rudbekia are stunning. I’m adding more to my seed wish list for next year, and I don’t know why but I associate them with harvest, so fitting for seasonal autumn flowers.

Rudbekia bridal bouquet

Rudbekia ‘Sahara’

Seasonal Flowers Autumn- Fruiting Branches

So… technically not a flower, but looking at this from a design aspect, fruiting branches are brilliant. Blackberries, hips, apples- there’s so much to choose from at the moment. And there’s no better way of conveying a sense of time and place. It also adds impact.

Seasonal Flowers Autumn- The Snowberry

This colour is just too perfect, I love my flowering and berry covered shrubs all year round, but at this time of year snowberry is the Queen. That is all. (examples/ proof below…)

Snowberry

Snowberry detail in an arch installation

This year of growing has been somewhat all over the place, what with the uncertainty that’s happened but some things I wouldn’t be without. Head to my seasons page for more autumn seasonal flower inspiration. And I hope this little round up has helped show our sustainability ethos when it comes to design and how I work with flowers .There’s so many other varieties I could talk about too- I haven’t even mention grasses- but maybe that’ll be another blog post…Also if looking to add to your dahlia collection for next year, then one of my favourite suppliers is rose cottage plants. Super healthy and beautiful varieties.

Bridal Bouquets and Seasonal Flowers: 5 reasons why they’re the perfect pairing

17th August 2020 By Holly

Bridal Bouquets and Seasonal Flowers: 5 reasons why they’re the perfect pairing

Hello from Devon, the temperature has dropped at last, and there’s been rain as well, so we have happy plants. As wedding enquiries start coming in once more, I thought I’d write a little something on one of my favourite thing to create; Bridal Bouquets. And the reasons why using seasonal ingredients heightens designs and helps create something really special.

I adore making them; it just feels like a quiet moment, and the process is something I find really reflective. They’re also an important focal point, but I try to forget about any pressure! Anyway… seasonal flowers, bridal bouquets and why it’s a wonderful combination:

Natural flowers

Now it’ll come as no surprise at how passionate I am about this, but just to say it again: Natural Flowers is where it’s at. Seasonal, local blooms are truly wonderful. Flowers grown in their natural habitat, picked to order; the beauty and freshness shines through. Grown happily, and simply, working with the seasons and climate. No air miles, no chemicals, no unnatural growing conditions… We grow and source all our flowers here in the South West, working with the seasons, evolving each year, which means we’re providing you with the freshest blooms possible.

Natural Bridal Bouquet

Uniqueness

It also means your flowers are completely unique! Wonky stems (we’re a fan), texture, colour varieties, no two flowers are ever the same- and I love this. On our Devon flower farm we grow select flowers, not on a mass scale, each year choosing, reviewing and planning new varieties and combinations. It’s part of the whole creative process.

Unique flowers grown in Devon

Sustainable

Again this is a big, big passion for us! We look after our land and so the land looks after us (by producing beautiful blooms). Year on year this will continue- feeding the land, and growing more beautiful things. Everything is picked to order, we make our own compost, there’s a life cycle on our flower farm. It all links back.

Bridal bouquet full of home grown flowers

Beautiful

Have I mentioned this yet (sorry, I know I’m biased), but I just think the beauty shines out, and the scent, so many senses come to life from fresh flowers. Scent isn’t something that travels well, so a lot of imported flowers have this trait bred out of them, due to needing to able to survive transporting across the world. But not if you use local flowers…

Naturally beautiful bridal bouquet

Bespoke

Everything is created around your day. Small or big, every item is made for you. This means we’re flexible, and helpful (hopefully). Creating and growing seasonal flowers here in South Devon ,because we believe in the process and want to share it with you, and help make your day unique, beautiful and full of flowers.

I hope that’s explained some of our thought process behind why we work the way we do; hand in hand with sustainability and beautiful flowers. Growing flowers in Devon, and creating wild and wonderful wedding blooms. If you want to send us an enquiry go to our wedding enquiries form. And if you’d like some seasonal inspiration we have flower galleries covering all the seasons (or ask us!) to start to give an idea of what flowers are around and when.