If you want one bloom that always looks considered, photographs beautifully, and elevates every arrangement, it’s the rose. Here are our favourite ways to style them.

The bouquet

Whether you go all rose or weave them through peonies, ranunculus, dahlias, or seasonal foliage, roses bring shape and softness to a bridal bouquet. Choose generous, opulent garden roses for that couture feel, or keep it sleek with long-stem roses for a modern silhouette. For flower girls, tiny rosebuds are adorable, classic, and easy to hold.

The floral crown

A floral crown always makes an entrance. Go bold with larger blooms and glossy greenery, or keep it refined with a slimmer halo, using vines, willow, and a few perfectly placed roses. They look gorgeous with polished updos, soft waves, and modern textured styles. And yes, a single rose tucked behind the ear still works every time, sweet, simple, and photo-ready.

Centrepieces

Roses can do minimal or maximal, effortlessly. Clustered in low bowls, they feel modern and intimate, while taller arrangements bring drama and height to the room. Mix sizes and open stages for texture, and consider tonal palettes (like blush through to dusty rose) for a look that feels curated, not busy.

Arches and walls

A rose arch or floral wall creates instant wow. If you find a natural rose arch at your venue, walk through it; it frames your ceremony and your photos in the most elegant way. If you’re building one, tailor it to your theme, airy and asymmetrical for a modern look, or full and abundant for classic romance. A rose wall also doubles as a gorgeous backdrop for portraits, champagne moments, and guest selfies.

We don’t think there’s any flower quite as romantic as a rose. But if you’re choosing different blooms, head to our florals page for more inspiration.

1. Roses: The Quintessential Wedding Flower

Roses are the epitome of romance, and it’s easy to see why they’re a favorite among brides. These flowers symbolize love and beauty and are available year-round in various colors. From soft, vintage-style pastels to bold and vibrant reds and purples, roses offer versatility that suits any wedding theme. Consider using garden roses with more prominent blooms and a captivating fragrance for a truly luxurious touch. Mix them with greenery or other flowers for stunning bouquets and centerpieces.

Pro Tip: For a modern twist, choose ombre arrangements, blending different shades of roses from light to dark.

2. Hydrangeas: Big Blooms, Big Impact

Hydrangeas used to be a summer-only flower, but now they are available throughout the year in virtually every color. Their prominent flower heads mean you only need a few stems to create impressive arrangements. Whether used in bouquets, as part of a floral arch, or as centerpieces, hydrangeas add a touch of fullness and romance to any floral design. Individual florets can be used for buttonholes or flower girl pomanders, offering a cohesive floral theme.

Styling Idea: Pair blue hydrangeas with white roses for a sophisticated coastal wedding vibe.

3. Peonies: Lush and Luxurious

Peonies are among the most coveted wedding flowers, thanks to their lush petals and stunning colors. Available primarily in May, June, and early July, they bring a romantic and whimsical feel to wedding decor. Pink ‘Show Girl’ and ‘Angel Cheeks’ are popular varieties, offering large, fluffy blooms perfect for table displays and hand-tied posies. Peonies also combine beautifully with other summer flowers like roses and hydrangeas.

Fun Fact: Peonies symbolize prosperity and a happy marriage, making them a meaningful addition to your wedding flowers.

4. Lily of the Valley: Grace and Elegance

For brides seeking a truly classic and luxurious flower, lily of the valley is an exquisite choice. These delicate, bell-shaped blooms exude a sweet fragrance and are known for their short-lived springtime availability. Grace Kelly famously chose them for her 1956 wedding to Prince Rainier, adding a timeless touch of elegance to her bouquet. The petite size of these flowers makes them ideal for minimalist arrangements or as accents within larger bouquets.

Expert Tip: Pair lily of the valley with green ferns for a fresh and elegant look.

5. Lilies: Modern and Versatile

Lilies, especially the calla or arum varieties, are perfect for contemporary weddings. These flowers have a clean, sculptural look and are available all year round. They come in a range of colors, including white, pink, yellow, orange, and deep purple, allowing them to complement any wedding color scheme. Their elongated shape makes them ideal for tall centerpieces or sleek, modern bridal bouquets.

Trend Alert: Combine white lilies with eucalyptus leaves for a fresh, modern floral display.

6. Tulips: The Understated Classic

Tulips might seem simple, but their clean lines and broad color palette make them versatile for weddings. Traditionally available from November to April, tulips are a favorite for spring weddings. Their neat, structured appearance works well in traditional and contemporary floral arrangements. Use them in monochromatic bouquets or mix them with other spring flowers for a natural, garden-inspired look.

Creative Idea: Use vibrant tulips in glass vases for a minimalist yet eye-catching table display.

Bonus Flower: Ranunculus

If you’re looking for an alternative to roses or peonies, consider ranunculus. These blooms offer layers of delicate petals and are available in a range of colors. They work beautifully in bridal bouquets and add a soft, romantic touch to any floral arrangement.

Choosing Your Wedding Florist

When selecting your florist, consider their experience with luxury weddings and their ability to bring your vision to life. Florists in Nottingham, Brighton, and beyond can guide you through your wedding flower ideas, helping you choose blooms that match your style, season, and budget.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right wedding flowers is more than just picking pretty blooms. It’s about creating an atmosphere that reflects your love story and enhances the beauty of your wedding day. With these classic flowers and expert tips, your wedding will be a beautiful celebration filled with elegance and charm.

Are you ready to start planning your dream wedding flowers? Contact a luxury florist today and let your floral vision bloom!

1. Tall

Go easy on this one – as I mentioned, it’s no good blocking everyone’s view! So how do you do tall and impressive without taking over the table?! I think using clear accessories is a good idea. Being able to see through and around should ensure no one’s view is blocked, and it lifts the decoration off the table to make sure it doesn’t feel cluttered or over-full.

2. Wild

I love a wild flower display – it throws a little chaos into the prim and proper starched white-wedding-world. Wild table displays mean that each will be unique and different. I love the idea of creating similar displays for each table, but with different flowers for each. A little less structured, but no less beautiful. Alternatively, go really wild with succulents or cacti – super fun!

3. Candles

Who doesn’t love a candle?! Using candles of different heights will create a really pretty display whilst still ensuring no view is blocked by enormous candle creations! Mix it up with a flower/candle combo, just as long as the flowers are far enough away not to catch fire! And crystals can be a stunning addition, sparkling gently in the flickering candlelight.

4. Greenery

I adore the combination of crisp white linen and fresh greenery. Perfect for an outdoor wedding or a relaxed dinner with banquet tables, a lush green runner creates a gorgeous effect. Using a single material such as foliage really ties the décor together, and works perfectly if your colour palette is hues of green!

5. Edible

Now this is a bit of fun, and you might end up at the end of the night with no centrepieces left, but how sustainable is that?! Saving waste by eating the centrepieces! I love it! Strawberry trees are fun, as are impressive fruit creations and cupcake bouquets, or just a bowl of coloured sweets. Alternatively, how about an ice sculpture for each table with fruit or flowers suspended inside? Not quite edible, but there’ll be no waste as it’ll gently melt away through the evening.

After more wedding inspiration? Have a little look at our wedding flowers and decor pages!

As your guests step foot into your wedding reception, every bride-to-be, deep down, hopes for that jaw-dropping moment when guests are bowled over by the room that awaits them. How can you create this effect without blowing your entire wedding budget on the reception room styling? 

Mediterranean Occasions Venue Styling is a bespoke luxury wedding styling company with over 67 years of experience and knowledge of styling venues for lavish weddings and parties. The team know exactly what it takes to create an awe-inspiring look for your wedding day, no matter your style and brief and in this article share their money-saving tips. 

For couples who wish to create the wow factor for their wedding so that when their guests walk in, they are blown away by the styling and elegance of the room in a cost-effective way that doesn’t blow their budget out, we would always advise them to look at the lighting and florals.  

“Personally, for myself, florals and lighting can make the biggest statement when trying to create luxury and elegance”, says Oznur Ozdemir, Creative Director of Mediterranean Occasions Venue Styling.  

Wireless lighting placed around a room can change the entire mood of the space and create an opulent atmosphere. You can decide on the colours you wish to have. Warm cosy colours for the day, and deeper, darker colours for the evening to start the party. Candles and many candles are great at softening the look and adding romance to the room. Never underestimate the impact the flickering of hundreds of candles in all shapes and sizes can have in a room. Mix them up. Pillar candles, Taper candles and T-light candles. The variation in sizes and heights will also make for an all-over glow. You can have some LED ones now that are amazing in quality that you won’t tell the difference of your venue does not allow for a real flame. There are also real flame liquid wax candles that you can have in listed buildings that won’t allow paraffin wax. The flame on a liquid candle will extinguish immediately if knocked over – so it’s a far safer option. We also supply these for our events and sale.

When it comes to flowers, if you are on a budget, then go for silk flowers and arrangements. This can be not only very cost-effective, but you can have some extravagant designs and not blow your budget. Go onto social media and hunt down your dream floral displays and take them with you to your styling appointment and see how your stylist can make your dream styling work within your budget. 

Be realistic as well when you’re planning. If you love a huge floral arch and it’s simply not working out to be as cost-effective as you would like, then work with the idea of minor and more. You can have lots of smaller glass vases scattered around behind your ceremony table on the floor on the table with flowers, and the density of this will also give a full-on floral effect. Feed in the candles in between in various colours matching your florals to add to the overall look. Work with your stylist to find the middle ground of bringing your visions to life.

The key is to make sure that you have a styling appointment with your chosen stylist to not only go through your ideas and needs for the big day but also actually see the items you will be hiring. You may not see the whole set up but ask to see samples of the florals they will use to create your centrepieces, arches or suspended ceiling decor. This will also avoid any disappointments on the day. Clarify the sizes and look that will be created for you. How large will the floral displays be? How many candles will be displayed? And so on. Creative visions vary from person to person; for example, what full-on romantic candlelight looks for you can be significantly different for someone else. Ask them so to show you samples of similar work that they have done. Preparation is key. 

Follow the above steps so that not only are you not disappointed but most importantly, instead of your budget, your guests are blown away.  

SUPPLYING BESPOKE EVENTS FOR MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS

As industry leaders in styling for Weddings and Events, we specialise in providing luxury products and the highest possible service. Every team member is a highly trained industry insider with a combined knowledge of 67 years, making the whole process from your first enquiry to the day of your event a seamless and enjoyable experience.

We have been lucky enough to have our work frequently featured in high-profile Magazines and TV programs. As Wedding and Events Stylists, we have provided our luxury services to some of the most prestigious and well-renowned venues throughout the UK.

For all your styling needs, we are the ultimate destination! https://www.mediterraneanoccasions.co.uk

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel introduces the most romantic proposal experience in London, in partnership with award-winning, luxury proposal planners, The One Romance.

St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel recognises that a marriage proposal is one of the most memorable and personal moments of a lifetime, which is why they have teamed up with experts, The One Romance, to create magical ‘will you marry me?’ experiences on the hotel’s iconic staircase; guaranteed to swoon and leave loved ones almost speechless.

Located in the heart of the hotel and named as one of the world’s most Instagrammable staircases, over the past century the architectural icon has played centre stage to esteemed guests, from Victorian royalty to Brit-pop celebrities, The Spice Girls. Guests can now pop the question for the first time on the staircase, surrounded by hand-stencilled astronomical grandeur and 19^th century gold leaf design which snakes up three stories.

Whether guests request floating photographs, their pets, poems and petals, or simply stumped for an idea, St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel and The One Romance team are on hand to help bring the bespoke vision to life also support any pre-proposal jitters. Once all the secret plans are in place, couples will exclusively access the top floor of the hotel’s staircase and after the ‘yes’ moment is complete, enjoy a private Champagne reception and use of a photographer to capture the scene.

As part of the proposal package, couples will also indulge in a romantic dinner, three floors below in the hotel’s newly renovated Booking Office 1869 restaurant followed by a stay in a historic Chambers Suite including breakfast the following morning and access to the serene spa.  

Where better to celebrate the start of a wonderful new journey than amidst the grandeur of one of the world’s most romantic hotels? Should newly engaged couples wish to tie the knot at the hotel within 12 months, St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel will extend an exclusive 20% off weddings bookings in one of its five, historic event spaces including The Hansom Hall, Ladies Smoking Room and The Gallery. Alike the proposal, each detail is personalised, and the hotel’s talented team are on hand to dream up the wedding of a lifetime.

The proposal package starts from £2300 per couple and includes:

• Access to the iconic staircase for the proposal
• Bottle of Champagne for the private reception on the staircase
• Three-course dinner including a glass of wine for two guests in Booking Office 1869
• Stay in a Chambers Suite including breakfast for two guests
• Proposals starting from £1000 in partnership with The One Romance

For more information or to book, please visit: romantic staircase proposal

Each llama has its very own name and personality, and can take part in your wedding day and wedding day photos! Isn’t this the best way to make your wedding unique?

The stunning country farm, which is family-owned, can host large weddings and ceremonies on their stunning lawns, with sweeping views of the Malvern Hills or down to their iridescent lake.

Your ceremony can take place in their stunning, recently erected, glass orangery, in and amongst their well kept green lawns, with the scent of English country roses.

Our Bride and Groom

Showcasing a stunning piece by Bowen Dryden for the ceremony, with a lace bodice and delicate accessories by Amore Headwear and shoes by Di Hassel, our bride added a modern twist to this traditional backdrop, proving a contemporary can fit in any location.

The delicate drop floral earrings and accessories by Amore Headwear perfectly matched the flowers surrounding our bride, Alex, in the garden. 

In our evening wedding dress by Milla London, the lace shoes by Di Hassel were the perfect combination, completely mirroring and complementing the delicate cloud of white blossom of this gown.

With hair and makeup by the talented Elena, we were able to create the perfect look to match each element of the day. Elena, created a softer style for the ceremony, complementing the pastels of the wedding bouquet, with a stronger look to match the Milla evening dress.

Our groom, with a suit from Marc Darcy Suits and shoes by Loakes, was the perfect representation of a country gentleman. The brown hues complement the original stonework of the orangery.

The Plants and Flowers

In keeping with the garden backdrop, we brought the garden into the orangery for the wedding ceremony. Lining the stone wall with evergreen plants and trees, as well as pampas grass and moss, provided by the Fairview Gardener. By using potted plants in this way, we were able to ensure that the ceremony decor not only reflected the surrounding nature but also was another way to reduce the environmental footprint. 

The bridal bouquet was an array of stunning pastel colours, handcrafted by Harebell and Bee. Shanna from Harebell and Bee specialises in British locally grown flowers, an important factor for any couple that is environmentally conscious; a trend that is consistently even more important for couples in today’s wedding industry.

Harebell and Bee are also known for their dried flowers, and Shanna expertly crafted two delicate dried flower balls. These bursts of dried flowers, which hung from iron shepherd’s crooks were flawless and the perfect way to create an impactful display for Wedding Breakfast.

The Wedding Breakfast & Wedding Cake

When in a stunning English country garden, there is no better way to celebrate your wedding than with the most quintessentially British meal, an afternoon tea. The Briery Hill team displayed a stunning area of homemade sandwiches and cakes, and each mouthful was a little taste of heaven. 

To crown, this delectable feast was the centrepiece by Cake of the Day. This three-piece wonder continued with the countryside theme, with stunning flowers and leaves adding layers of colour and texture to the cake. The delicate flowers were exquisitely crafted, and there is no doubt this was a perfect cake!

Snow white linen and limewash chivari chairs were provided by Gloucester Event Hire.

A Hidden Secret

Just behind Briery Hill Farm, for the more adventurous couples, is a magical fern wood. Any couple looking for that extra special something for their wedding day photos will be delighted.

With the setting sun, the evening light in this space was expertly captured (along with all the photography on for this shoot) by the talented eye of Emma Jane from Emma Jane Photography. 

We were able to end this shoot in the rays of the setting sun, framing what had been a perfect day.

Suppliers

• Venue @bh_llamas
• Shoot Planning and Styling by @emma.murrayjones
• Photography: Emma-Jane Photography @ejlewis. 
• Bridal model @alexesmitho
• Groom model  @bobbydech
• Evening Wedding Dress by @milla.london
• Day Wedding Dress by @bowendryden
• Brides Shoes by @di_hassall
• Grooms shoes by @loakesshoemakers
• Grooms wear by @marcdarcysuits
• Bridal Accessories by @amoreheadwear
• MUA by @_make_up_by_el  – Elena
• Flowers by @harebellandbee – Shannah
• Plants by @fairviewgardener
• Wedding Cake by @_cakeoftheday_
• Chairs & Linen – Gloucester Event Hire

A collection of talented suppliers have come together to showcase not only this wonderful new Wedding Venue, Briery Hill Farm, but also the importance of nature-