Your wedding flower checklist

There is so much to think about when organising your wedding, from the venue and photographer, to the invitations and the cake, the to-do list can be endless.

When it comes to your wedding flowers, the options can sometimes be a little overwhelming. Maybe there are options you haven’t even thought about and are left wondering - who wears a boutonniere? And are flowers in the toilets really a thing?

At Silk & Wild, as a dedicated wedding and Event florist, we can guide you with creative input and advice. For now, here’s to checking off your wedding flowers in a doddle, with a simple list of all-things-flowers to think about.

Personal Flowers 

Not to be confused with flowers just for you (although that would be nice!), personal refers to any flowers belonging to your bridal party. Here’s a few to think about with suggestions, options and things to consider.

  • Bridal bouquet - unstructured, cascade, teardrop, pomander, rounded, square, posy, pageant

  • Bride's / bridesmaids hair - crown, clip, individual

  • Bridesmaid's bouquets - usually smaller than the brides, could have different flowers or colour-ways, or tide differently with ribbon

  • Maid of honour bouquet - usually small than the brides but bigger than the bridesmaids

  • Throwing bouquet - if you don’t fancy launching your own into the crowd this is a good option

  • Flower girls headpiece - crown, clip, individual

  • Flower girl held - wand, corsage, pomander, posy 

  • Flower girl throw - basket, petals/feathers

  • Groom's boutonniere - fresh, dried

  • Groomsmen's boutonnieres - usually smaller than the grooms

  • Best man boutonniere

  • Parents - boutonnière, corsage, posy, thank you bouquet

  • Grand parents - boutonnière, corsage

  • Officiate boutonnière - if you want to carry the theme through during the ceremony

  • Ring bearer - boutonnière

Ceremony Flowers

Your ceremony flowers are the backdrop of one of the biggest moments of your life - when you say your ‘I do’s’, and will be forever captured in photos and video, so make sure they really are what you dream of.

  • Aisle - pew ends, petals, garlands, meadows

  • Altar - pedestals, urns, barrels, arch

  • Chairs - posies, bouquets, garlands

  • Backdrop - arch, 

  • Hanging - hoops, clouds, cascades

Reception

From the smallest of jam jars to show stopping flower clouds, your reception flowers will be the ones to ‘wow’. Think about where your focal points will be, a place where your guests can snap some truly beautiful and memorable photos with you newly weds. 

  • Cake - stuck on/in cake, Perspex flower-filled tier

  • Cake table - jam jars, vessel arrangement, garland

  • Bar - jam jars, vessel arrangement, garland

  • Seating - bouquets tied to the back of chairs

  • Welcome / Order of the Day board - corner display, garland

  • Seating chart - corner display, garland

  • Gift table - jam jars, vessel arrangement

  • Other e.g. guest book table, sweets table, favours table - 

  • Staircase - garland, ground arrangements 

  • Hallways - free standing

  • Mantles - garlands, vessel arrangements

  • Bathrooms - where the majority of the photos are taken, am I right? Jam jars, vessel arrangement

  • Hanging

  • Backdrop - arch, hoops, freestanding, wall, hanging

  • Lettering

  • Table centrepieces - vessel arrangement, jam jars, cloche, candelabra, garland

  • Toptable centrepieces - usually more extravagant version of the table centres 

  • Plates - single stem, petals, sprig, flower head

  • Seats - bouquets, single stems

  • Stage - garlands 

  • Food/ drink vans - jam jars, vessel arrangement 

Outside and beyond

If the weather is kind to you on your wedding day, and let’s face it in the UK we will be keeping everything crossed for a dry day (unless it’s snow that you are wishing for), then you might want to consider creating some interest with flowers outside. It can help to welcome your guests as well as making for some breathtaking photographs.

  • Driveway - setting the scene and tone

  • Doorways - climbing round the doorway, free standing, arch

  • Doors - fresh/dried wreath, hoop one sided/full

  • Trees - flower adorned lollipop trees or sweeping up and around huge 200 year old trees

  • Seating / benches / swing

  • Backdrop - arch, hoops, freestanding, wall, hanging, canopy, trellis

  • Dressing room / bridal suite - not forgetting to make your room that bit special, petals, table arrangement, bouquet

It goes without saying that by no means is this list what you must have, of course you can go as simple or as extravagant as you like. It also can’t include every placement for flowers, after all, it depends entirely on your venue, style and what you want for your day. But hopefully it has given you some ideas and helps to steer you in creating your own wedding flower checklist.