The Eco-Friendly Bouquet: Sustainable Seasonal Flowers
Grow Your Own Wedding Flowers is a unique book (it’s 10 years old but there’s not been any other books on this subject) to grow your own bouquets and buttonholes, to avoid having to spend a fortune on florists.
Read more on no-dig gardening and humane slug/snail deterrents. If you live with animal friends, read up on pet-friendly gardens (some recommended flowers are not safe). Avoid facing indoor foliage to outdoor gardens, to help stop birds flying into windows.
Filled with gorgeous photos, this enables you to not just save money, but have seasonal organic flowers for your special day, without the expense, chemicals and plastic wrap.
Most flowers for weddings or other occasions in England are flown in from The Netherlands or more likely long-haul flights. Covered in chemicals, and looking and feeling like you would, after a long-haul flight.
The book features info on planting, growing, cutting and harvesting, plus sections dedicated to seasonal blooms – along with craft ideas for centrepieces and flower crowns for bridesmaids, and even jam-jar posies.
Author Georgina Newbery used to work in the fashion industry, but gave it all up to open Common Farm Flowers (Somerset) which she runs with her husband. Together they offer courses on flower-growing and DIY flower buckets for more affordable wedding flowers, to arrange yourself.
They only deal with seasonal blooms, so if you buy from them, you won’t be able to have a winter wedding (unless you don’t want flowers!)
Start with your wedding date
In England, choose 3 to 5 main flowers plus 2 to 3 foliage options, to thrive outdoors in each season. Keep it simple (one main and a supporting colour plus one neutral (white, cream, green).
Choose a spot with 6 hours of sun and decent soil, and plan for 30 to 50 percent more to cover for breakages and buds that don’t open in time:
- Bridal bouquet (25 to 35 stems)
- Bridesmaid bouquet (15 to 25 stems)
- Buttonholes (1 to 2 stems)
- Bud vases (3 o to 5 stems)
- Small table jars (8 to 12 stems)
Where to donate used wedding flowers
Once the wedding is over, you can donate used flower bouquets to charities, where volunteers repurpose them into bouquets for brides on low incomes, or as lovely gifts for those who need cheering up.
Just be sure to only donate pet-friendly bouquets (avoiding toxic lilies and delphiniums etc), if giving to people who live with animal friends (including in care homes). Never face indoor foliage to face outdoor gardens, to help prevent birds flying into windows.
- Floral Angels (London) delivers donated bouquets to hospices, care homes and shelters within the community, working from New Covent Garden Flower Market.
- The Flower Bank works with young offenders, to repurpose donated flowers to care homes and local community places.
Petal confetti (ensure it’s pet-safe)
Not everyone throws confetti, but many do. And due to the single-use plastic ban, it’s now actually illegal to buy confetti made from plastic or glitter (so don’t throw it either, even if you’ve already bought it – it takes ages to remove from lawns and could harm birds and wildlife).
Dried rose petals are likely the safest bet. 1 litre of petals is enough for around 10 people throwing confetti. Only buy them a few weeks ahead, as they are not good to store in the fridge.
Many flowers used for confetti (larkspur/delphiniums & hydrangeas) are unsafe near animal friends. So only use at pet-free weddings. Same applies for ‘plantable cards’.
Although it’s biodegradable, most churches ban rice confetti (not just a slipping hazard, but attracts pigeons!)
You could collectively buy a Terracycle Party Supplies Box to recycle remaining confetti, but if not, just bin it.
Also never release balloons or fire lanterns (nor butterflies, doves or kites – all harm birds, wildlife and marine creatures).
Other Zero Waste Confetti Options
Get creative! Some brands sell (or you could make) confetti from recycled music sheets or even recycled Mills & Boon romance novels!
