Say it with flowers

By Cotswold Life on December 13th 2011

Say it with flowers

Whether it is vintage or uber chic, florist Rose Hamson makes flowers reflect the style of your big day.

The flowers you carry up the aisle should be as personal and treasured as the wedding itself.

Florist Rose Hamson encourages brides to add that little something to make the bouquet truly personal. “Use flowers and foliage that have meaning, for example choose a favourite flower from your garden or use rosemary to remember loved friends and family who aren’t able to be with you on your special day.

“Kate Middleton included sweet william in her bouquet. Those little touches will make the flowers something you will treasure.” The Victorians placed a lot of importance on using flowers and foliage for their meaning including pink roses for perfect happiness, lavender for devotion and ivy for friendship and affection.

“It isn’t that prescriptive now. It should be something personal for the couple, whatever that choice.” When designing the bridal bouquet, Rose says it is crucial to take into consideration the dress itself and the stature of the bride.

“You can’t have a petite bride with a large trailing bouquet or a statuesque bride with a small posy. The dress is so important in the decision. If it is intricate then the flowers should be less fussy.”

Bridal flowers, like fashion, follow trends and there is a great focus on loose naturalistic design, with toned colour and bold use of seasonal varieties. Some of that is connected with our love of all things vintage. “You can create a lovely vintage look by using large, luxurious, loose displays or even small groups of seasonal flowers.”

Rose uses a range of old fashioned containers - cups and saucers, teapots, vintage vases – to create that vintage look at receptions. She includes ribbons and lace to give it what she calls “a garden fete feel”. To achieve the look the flowers need to be seasonal and in soft tones and pastels. The first thing Rose does when she meets a bride is discuss budget, the look the bride wants to achieve, the colours of the bridesmaids’ dresses and the venue.

“Colour and budget have to be two of the most important considerations. The flowers, whether in bouquets or as displays should tone in with the colours of the bridal party.“ Rose will visit the venues and then make sketches and drawing of suggestions for the bride.

“Don’t panic about budgets. There are lots of smart ways, such as using foliage and using seasonal, to make the pennies go farther. “There are hundreds of varieties of roses, some more expensive than others, so we can more often than not achieve the look you want. “We will look at the best ways – and the most cost-effective ways - to make the day special.”

Rose, who has been running her own company for three years, fell in love with flowers while growing up in the countryside. She trained with top international florist Jane Packer. “My style is based on careful choice of flower variety and colour, arranged in either full, loose country style, or simple elegant contemporary shapes.”

Keen to support British growers, Rose uses as many seasonal homegrown flowers and plants as she can. “The important thing is, of course, that the bride is happy. What I enjoy most about my work is taking the ideas and personality of the couple and transforming them into floral expressions. I work with flowers every day. What a perfect job.”

Say it with flowers

Members Comments

Add a Comment