Clare & Brian - Kilts, A Ceilidh and Purple Prettiness

So, as promised, I bring you today's 'real wedding' between Clare and Brian. When Clare and I arranged to meet for the first time, she asked if she might bring her gorgeous little toddler, Harry, along with her. Of course I had no objections at all, being a Mum and quite used to small people, but I did worry that perhaps Clare might not get all the attention she deserved as the Bride.  I know from experience that being a Mum to young children is so all-encompassing that it isn't a natural response to put yourself first.

However, I needn't have worried. We managed just fine to juggle Harry's needs around our discussions.  A perfect example of multi-tasking!

Clare told me that Brian is Irish and that he and his Best Man would be wearing Irish 'Black Spirit' kilts and that in the evening they were having a Ceilidh. She also told me that she really loves lisianthus and particularly the really dark, beautiful 'Cadbury's' purple colour. She also felt sure that she wanted a very  pretty, delicate, unstructured, natural bouquet.

With these ideas as I starting point, I suggested a very simple hand-tied, posy style bouquet of dark purple single lisianthus, dried lavender for texture and scent, blue nigella for softness, creamy spray roses to 'lift' the colour and white astrantia (which is actually limey-greeny-white) for a very 'just picked' meadowy look.  Finally I suggested eucalyptus as a lovely bluey-grey-green fragrant foliage to link all the colours and bring the design together.

Clare was really happy with my suggestions and we decided that as she is really petite, and her dress is a really simple, elegant fitted satin ivory gown, her bouquet shouldn't be too big and should look very light and almost ethereal.

Now as you will all know, flowers are my absolute passion, but with my job comes a certain level of responsibility to deliver on the day what has been agreed upon in advance.  I always add a proviso that substitutions may have to be made, but it's not something I often or ever like to resort to.

However, because I deal with a product that is natural, it doesn't always perform in the way you might expect.  Clare particularly had her heart set on blue Nigella (or Love-in-the-Mist) but, try as I might, I just couldn't get any.  I tried four different British and Dutch suppliers but without any luck at all.  It transpires that at this time of the year it is grown outdoors and the terrible rains we had have rotted the flowers in the fields, so none was available.

So I contacted Clare and suggested a couple of changes and bought instead some wonderfully fragrant and simply gorgeous mint, which has a really short growing season, it just couldn't be any more seasonal.  I also bought a pretty little blue thistle, again for texture.

Here are the designs which, happily Clare loved when I delivered them to her

A close-up of the gorgeous materials 'Crema' spray roses, lavender, white astrantia, eucalyptus 'baby blue', mint and eryngium (thistle)

Clare's pretty, natural bouquet

Another close-up of all those lovely textures and colours

Clare and her bridesmaid's bouquet..  I met Olivia, who is nine, when I delivered the flowers and, happily, she told me she loves mint - which is lucky as both the bouquets were so delicately fragrant with eucalyptus, lavender and scented roses.

The buttonholes used the spray roses, eucalyptus and lavender - finished with a tie of cream satin ribbon

The boy's buttonholes

A close-up of the exquisite roses

Sweet little table decorations

I loved making Clare's flowers, she's such a caring Mum - she even told me she's made a lovely dark purple silk sling to carry Harry in, if he needs a bit of 'Mum' comfort later in the day.  I can't wait to see the 'official' photos and will post them for you, once I get them and hope that Clare, Brian, Jack and Harry all had a truly wonderful and memorable day.

Have any of you or your friends had experience of last minute changes to your wedding plans and were they to your liking?  Would you be devastated if something wasn't as you planned? Or, like Clare, would you trust your floral designer to make something you would be happy with?

I'd love to know your thoughts, and will, of course, get back to you if you have any queries about seasonality.

'til then, enjoy!

Tracey x