A winter wedding
Though spring may be fast approaching, here is a final reminder that winter can be filled with British flowers too. If you are planning your special day for winter 2023, or need convincing that a winter wedding could offer you a different kind of magic, Katie Stone of Featherstone Flowers has all the answers. Here she takes us back to Christmas 2022 and the amazing floral possibilities of that time of year. [All images by Louise Adby]
Camilla and Patrick on their wedding day, with seasonal winter florals by Featherstone Flowers.
During that freezing week just before last Christmas, we were busy bringing together a stunning wedding at The Grange in Hampshire. The brief was ‘Narnia meets a Winter Wonderland’ and was the perfect showcase for all the wonderful foliage, seed heads, berries, catkins and twigs that can be found on British flower farms at this time of year.
Alongside our own farm we are passionate about designing with British flowers throughout the year for all our weddings and events. By using and celebrating seasonal flowers and foliage your wedding can sit naturally within the surrounding landscape, adding a welcoming atmosphere for your guests. Nothing jars on your senses; it is as if the flowers are meant to be there – grown by Mother Nature rather than artificially placed by a florist.
A winter setting: given the right venue, midwinter can offer just as beautiful a backdrop as the height of summer.
Your wedding is a unique moment in time and using flowers and foliage that reflect this adds deeper layers to your memories. In years to come our couple can look forward to being immediately transported back to their special day by the delicate scent of paper-white narcissi, or seeing trees laden with mistletoe on frosty winter mornings.
Camilla, the Bride, totally embraced our ethos of using 100% British grown ingredients in all our floristry. Her bouquet contained eucalyptus, flowering heather, berried ivy, catkins, cryptomeria, skimmia, and paper-whites to add a touch of white and their exquisite scent.
Camilla with her fresh and vibrant bouquet, and the special winter’s touch of mistletoe in the background.
The couple loved Christmas too so of course there had to be Christmas trees; one took centre stage at the top of the grand staircase within The Grange to create a magical photo backdrop. It also wouldn’t be Christmas without mistletoe providing the perfect moment for the newlyweds to share a kiss leaving the Church. The huge fireplaces were ideal for creating dramatic installations. Silver birch branches added scale, with Welsh moss bringing the woodland feeling to life.
A simply decorated Christmas tree provides the perfect focal point on the grand staircase at The Grange.
We took the idea of a festive wreath to new heights by creating a huge hanging installation above the circular bar. Being in the middle of the marquee, this gave an immediate wow factor as the wedding guests entered. The design was then echoed throughout the table-centres, with a wreath encasing a hurricane lamp on each table.
Table-centres continue the theme.
We always encourage our couples to enjoy their flowers in the days after the wedding, and for this wedding close friends and family were able to take home the wreaths to decorate their homes throughout Christmas.
Always check with your florist where they source their ingredients, and what the options are at any time of year for using local, seasonal flowers – you may be pleasantly surprised! Find your local FFTF florist or flower farmer here.
