Tips for wedding flowers
Lilies are majestic and look lovely in wedding arrangements. Purists dislike removing the stamens but I thoroughly recommend that all stamens be removed as the flowers open. If the stamens remain in place they can cause untold damage by staining which is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to remove completely. (Never wet a stain but lift off with Sellotape™ or rub with a. Scotch” pad and then put the garment on the line on a windy but sunny day.) Plucking out the stamens rather than cutting them gives them a more naiural look. When purchasing lilies choose those on which one flower is beginning to open on each stem. Buy them in bud four to six days before the event and monitor their development. Never buy them the day before the wedding and hope for the best. They will not open whatever the time of year.
Where economy is the order of the day consider creating arrangements of masses of well-conditioned Queen Anne’s lace (Ammi majus) or cow parsley (Anthrisciis sylvestris) in the late spring, perhaps with the addition of marguerites (Argyranthemum frutescens). In the summer, lady’s mantle (Alchemilla moms’) can create a wonderful effect. Great bunches of baby’s breath (Gypsophila) can be used on its own or with Easter lilies (Lilium longiflonim). In the autumn think of Michaelmas daisies (Aster ericoides), dahlias from a local grower, hydrangeas and berries. During the winter months use lots of evergreens – there is nothing better than the pollinated berries of the tree ivy (Hedera Iieli.r ‘Arborescens’).
As the seasons vary, so do the flowers that are available at the most competitive prices. White and cream are by far the most popular colors for wedding flowers. On page 28F> there is a list of some of the more widely used white and cream flowers in their season. The rose is still the most popular flower and I have named some of my favorites which are beautiful, generally reliable and available most months of the year.