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Nikki Burger
Nikki Burger runs Brighton-based florists, Blooms for Business. Contact: 01273 301813 or visit www.bloomsforbusiness.com. |
Nikki Burger answers all your Flowers related questions |
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How can I make our venue look romantic?
Q. My wedding ceremony is in a local hotel. I'd really like to make the venue look romantic, and so we have decided to cover the chairs and have ordered large arrangements of flowers in tall vases. Is there anything else we can do to achieve our romantic goal?
A. Nikki Burger says: Candles always help to create a sense of romance and magic, and there are loads of ways to incorporate them into your wedding ceremony. I often use tall cylinder vases filled with petals and tall candles and place them down the aisle, linking them with a scattering of fresh or preserved scented rose petals. |
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I want the barn to look elegant
Q. We are having our wedding in a very large barn and I'm looking for ideas to decorate it. I would like something quite sophisticated. My favourite flowers are gerberas and calla lilies, and I think our colour scheme is likely to be purple and orange. Have you got any suggestions?
A. Nikki Burger says: Giant tall 'Martini' vases overflowing with orange gerberas, mango calla lilies and purple eustomas might fit the bill. Calla lilies can be quite expensive in the summer months, so maybe save them for your bouquet and just have a few in the large vases and arrangements.
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I want gorgeous flower displays without spending a fortune
Q. I love flowers but my fiancé and I have a tight budget for our floral decorations. How can we have a wonderful display without completely overspending.
A. Nikki Burger says: One of the most commonly asked questions is about how to save money on wedding flowers, so here are a few ideas:
- Most flowers come in from Holland, and so the poor euro/pound exchange rate isn?t helping prices at the moment. Make sure the flowers you choose are in season and ask your florist about English-grown blooms. In summer, sweet peas, peonies, scented stocks, sunflowers, delphiniums and gypsophila, as well as ivy, eucalyptus and other British-grown foliages are all available, while in early spring it is possible to get stunning Sussexgrown large white calla lilies.
- Keep things simple. Hand tied bridal bouquets tend to be cheaper than shower or teardrop designs,and they also suit a wide variety of bridal gowns and figures and, of course, are very fashionable. If you must have a shower or teardrop bouquet, ask your florist about making a pretty hand tied trailing bouquet.
- Use a few of your table centre arrangements for your ceremony. This works best with taller/larger arrangements and is only really practical if the ceremony and reception are at the same venue.
- Herbs and rose plants can be planted in glass cube or mirrored vases for a very stylish look. White phalaenopsis orchids look wonderful planted in a variety of different vases for a simple, sophisticated look and they can double up as favours for your guests. |
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I want to use my favourite flowers
Q. I love peonies and delphiniums, which is perfect for my blue, purple and pink themed wedding, in June next year. However, I've been told that they aren't in season at the same time and therefore I won't be able to use them together. Is this true?
A. Nikki Burger says: Peonies do have a very short season, which only runs from May to the end of June, but luckily for you, they do coincide with delphiniums' flowering season. Both are really beautiful flowers and, used together, will create an impact
on your wedding day. |
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Vintage rose
Q. I've noticed that the vintage look is really fashionable for floral arrangements at the moment and I'd like to incorporate it into my wedding flowers. I really love roses and I wondered which varieties would be good choices for this look?
A. Nikki Burger says: A very popular vintage rose is Amnesia which looks stunning on its own in a bridal bouquet or teamed with sweet avalanche and Pacific blue roses. You
could also try adding some rosemary or sage. |
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Who gets flowers?
Q. I'm confused about who we need to provide flowers for at our wedding. Obviously my bridesmaids and I will have bouquets, but who else should we give floral accessories to?
A. Nikki Burger says: Apart from you and your bridesmaids you should also provide buttonholes for the groom, best man and both fathers. Often one of the flowers used in the
bridal bouquet is incorporated in the groom's buttonhole. Mothers of the bride and groom will love a corsage as they can be worn on hats, wrists or dresses. Although it's not necessary, it might be nice to order a buttonhole for grandads and a corsage for nannas. |
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Small but perfectly formed
Q. At a size eight and only 5ft 2in tall. I'm worried that my bouquet will swamp me and dominate my look. Do you have any advice?
A. Nikki Burger says: For petite brides I recommend a small wired posy bouquet.
These are both lightweight and will not overpower the bride, but be prepared to pay more as there is a lot more work in wiring individual flower heads to form a bouquet.
Other options are a Carmen rose, which are individually wired rose petals arranged to form a giant rose (but still smaller than a regular bouquet), or even a pomander of rose heads. |
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Colourful tradition
Q. I'd like my reception flowers to be bold, tropical and a little different. The colours I like are burnt orange, chocolate brown and cerise pink. My venue is quite traditional, will this theme work?
A. Nikki Burger says: Yes! By using tall elegant vases and filling them with dramatic and tropical flowers it is easy to get a beautiful bold look that works really well even with traditional surroundings like yours.
I suggest chocolate brown anthiriums, tall tropical orange strelitzeas, cerise pink gloriosa, trailing deep pink amaranthus with mango calla lilies. |
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Blooms on a budget
Q. We are getting married next year and need to keep our costs down. I love flowers, but I didn't realise how expensive they are. How can I keep my flower expenditure down to a minimum and still have the blooms I want?
A. Nikki Burger says: With the current euro/pound exchange rate flowers will become even more expensive as most flowers come from Holland. However, don't despair - here are a few tips on how to get the most from your budget.
Choose flowers that are in season, your florist will advise you here. Tulips for example are readily available and inexpensive in spring. They come in lots of different colours and, although a traditional flower, depending on how they are arranged can give a really contemporary look. Consider tulips in goldfish bowls with swirls of pussy willow for your table centres.
Some flowers are cheaper than others e.g chrysanthemums, carnations, gladioli, gerberas, iris, hyacinths and tulips (in spring) are all relatively inexpensive.
Steer clear of the more expensive blooms such as orchids, calla lilies, roses, lily of the valley, anthiriums and stephanotis.
Hand tied bouquets are typically cheaper than shower or teardrop bouquets.
Transfer flowers from your ceremony to the reception. |
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Getting the right colour
Q. I'm looking for a lilac rose for my wedding next August. All the ones I've seen are quite pink. Can you recommend an alternative to fit in with my colour scheme?
A. Nikki Burger says: Ocean's Song is a beautiful lilac rose. It's pictured here in a hand-tied bouquet with lavender and rosemary. |
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Budget blooms
Q. We are holding our autumn wedding reception in a local barn as we are on a limited budget. Do you have any ideas on how to decorate it?
A. Nikki Burger says: It's always best to choose a few large impressive floral displays that really grab people's attention as opposed to lots of smaller arrangements that no one will remember. Giant floral balls can't fail to give lots of impact.
Also consider doing some of the decorating yourselves; something as simple as covering the beams with garlands of ivy, berries and fairy lights can help transform the barn and add to the rustic theme.
Candles and presevered rose petals make inexpensive table centres as do terracotta pots of herbs.
You can also give these away afterwards or plant some in your garden; they will be a lovely reminder of your wedding day in years to come. |
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