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3232Dahlia
https://roseandmary.co.uk/dahlia/
Thu, 01 Aug 2024 12:08:21 +0000https://roseandmary.co.uk/?p=6724The Dahlia is native mainly in Mexico, but also Central America, and Colombia. It is a member of the Asteraceae plants, with related species including the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum. The shape of the flower is varies greatly, with one head per stem; these can be as small as 5 cm diameter or up to 30 cm or the size [...]
The Dahlia is native mainly in Mexico, but also Central America, and Colombia. It is a member of the Asteraceae plants, with related species including the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum. The shape of the flower is varies greatly, with one head per stem; these can be as small as 5 cm diameter or up to 30 cm or the size of a dinner plate.
Like most plants that do not attract pollinating insects through scent they are brightly colored within the whole colour spectrum, with the exception of blue. The leaves do have a gorgeous fresh herby scent.
The tubers were grown as a food crop by the Aztecs, but this use largely died out after the Spanish Conquest. Attempts to introduce the tubers as a food crop in Europe were unsuccessful, as the flower proved much more popular than the tubers. Recently however, some growers are now reintroducing varieties grown for their edible tubers so you might find them in the green grocer, next to the parsnips!
Dahlia are available from late June right up until the first frost. They are a great substitute for when the peonies go out of season as a great focal flower and the soft shades of blush, cream and white. But the richer shades of biscuit, reds and mauve make a great addition to summer bouquets.
You can find our Dahlia Bouquet in the webshop. The Dahlia bouquet features soft pink Dahlia, Snapdragon, Thistles and Clematis.
We also feature Dahlia in the bouquet of the month of August. The biscuit coloured Dahlia are mixed with mauve Roses and scented Stock, along with peach Lisianthus and seasonal foliage.
You can order the August bouquet and all our other seasonal bouquets here
We also use the dahlia in a lot of our summer and autumn weddings. One of our favourite Dahlia is the Cafe au Lait Dahlia which is a larger Dahlia in a gorgeous pale blush/ milky tone and the Wizard of Oz, a pale pink globe dahlia.
]]>Valentines day at Rose & Mary
https://roseandmary.co.uk/valentines-day-at-rose-mary-2/
Wed, 31 Jan 2024 09:13:23 +0000https://roseandmary.co.uk/?p=6133The Rose&Mary flower studio is bursting with blooms as we create lovely bouquets to deliver in Richmond, Twickenham and beyond. St Valentine’s Day is on the 14th of February. So who is this Valentine fellow? Is his life about red roses and love? Well, not really… Valentinus was a bishop in third century Rome who [...]
]]>The Rose&Mary flower studio is bursting with blooms as we create lovely bouquets to deliver in Richmond, Twickenham and beyond.
St Valentine’s Day is on the 14th of February.
So who is this Valentine fellow? Is his life about red roses and love? Well, not really…
Valentinus was a bishop in third century Rome who was persecuted by Emperor Claudius.
Claudius needed young men to join his army and was under the impression that unmarried soldiers fought harder than married ones. So he banned marriage for young people (as you did in those days!)
Valentinus went underground and performed secret weddings until he was caught and sentenced to torture, stoning and deheading on the 14th of February.
Then nothing happened for about 900 years until the High Middle Ages where Saint Valentine became the symbol of courtly love. If you were in love you chose this day to send an anonymous message to express your feelings.
Nowadays its all a lot more of a commercial affair and the Red Rose has become the symbol of love and romance.
We don’t like selling red roses on Valentine’s Day and I will briefly explain why.
Red roses on Valentine’s Day are very expensive. Valentine’s Day is celebrated globally so demand for a single variety of flower is at an all time high. There is a limited amount of red rose growers in the world so lots of red roses get cut early and are packed away in coolers for much longer than is good for them to meet the huge global demand. We can’t therefore guarantee that these red roses are fresh and will have a long vase life and as you’ve spend that much money it’s only reasonable to expect the roses to last. Flowers are priced through an auction system so if demand is high and supply is limited the price will go up. Red roses around valentines day will be more than twice the price of other coloured roses and Rose & Mary feel that’s it’s not worth taking the risk in ordering red Roses because we have no idea how long ago they have been cut.
This is the case every year but this year especially as we struggle with flower shortages and transport problems due to new Brexit regulations and political problems in Ecuador (where lots of Roses come from) The best policy in our view is to sell all the other flowers that are better value for money and are of better quality, also we think that most women prefer pastel roses or a large seasonal mixed bouquet over a bunch or red roses anyway! There’s lots of seasonal flowers available in February such as Mimosa and scented Narcissi that are at their best this season so have a look at our seasonal bouquets in the link below.
To see our range of bouquets to deliver to your love please click here
We can deliver Valentines Day flowers to you on Tuesday 13.02 or Wednesday 14.02 in Richmond, Twickenham, Teddington, Hounslow, Chiswick, Barnes, Putney. Kingston and all West London postcodes.
Or you can click & collect from the studio in st Margarets
]]>Price list for wedding flowers 2024 by Rose&Mary
https://roseandmary.co.uk/price-list-for-wedding-flowers-2023-by-rosemary-florist/
Fri, 24 Feb 2023 15:44:42 +0000https://roseandmary.co.uk/?p=5253Due to an extraordinary demand for last minute quotes we are publishing a price list for 2024 We are nearly fully booked so please check if we are free on your wedding date first! This price list is based on seasonal flowers and foliage and come in 3 ranges; –Basic: simple designs with seasonal flowers [...]
]]>Due to an extraordinary demand for last minute quotes we are publishing a price list for 2024
We are nearly fully booked so please check if we are free on your wedding date first!
This price list is based on seasonal flowers and foliage and come in 3 ranges;
–Basic: simple designs with seasonal flowers and foliage
–Standard: seasonal flowers with more variation and a lusher design than the basic.
–Lush: seasonal luxury flowers with all the bells and wistles
To compare the difference between basic, standard and lush is like comparing a minute steak, a sirloin steak and a fillet steak (sorry for my veggie friends) or an ice cream cone with 3 scoops , 5 scoops with a dollop of cream or 10 scoops with cream, sprinkles, a flake and a little paper umbrella with a cherry on the top.
Please note that VAT and delivery and installation needs to be added to the total!
Personal flowers
Bridal bouquet:
basic £125
standard £155
lush £195
In our round and messy house style.
Cascades, deconstructed, a-symmetrical or super domed bouquets will vary in price, please get in touch for more detail.
Bridesmaids bouquet:
basic £55
standard £75
lush £95
in our round and messy house style.
Mini, deconstructed, a-symmetrical or super domed bouquets will vary in price, please get in touch for more detail.
Buttonholes start at £8
Ceremony and Reception flowers
Pedestal arrangements
basic £185/ £370 for two
standard £225/ £450 for two
lush £275/ £550 for two
plinth hire included
Ceremony table arrangement
basic £195
standard £225
lush £275
can double up as the top table arrangement
A selection of bud vases
basic £45
standard £60
lush £75
Table centres low
basic £60
standard £75
lush £95
vase included so you can keep them or give them away after the wedding
Table centres meadow style
basic £75
standard £95
lush £120
For anything else please get in touch. You can see all our wedding work on our instagram feed
These prices are a guide only; special requests, or out of season flowers and certain dates may vary in price
]]>How much do wedding flowers cost in 2024
https://roseandmary.co.uk/how-much-do-wedding-flowers-cost-in-2024/
Tue, 08 Nov 2022 13:06:03 +0000https://roseandmary.co.uk/?p=4972 The season for wedding enquiries is upon us so here’s a quick glance at the true cost of wedding flowers. Whether you are having the dream wedding of the season or just nipping to the registry office, it’s always nice to involve flowers on your wedding day and we do a lot of [...]
so here’s a quick glance at the true cost of wedding flowers.
Whether you are having the dream wedding of the season or just nipping to the registry office, it’s always nice to involve flowers on your wedding day and we do a lot of wedding flowers here at Rose&Mary. Next year is predicted to be a busy wedding season so if you are planning a 2024 or 2025 wedding please carry on reading!
The engagement season is starting soon and we book 90% of weddings for the following year in November, December and January, so whether you are having a quick browse or you want Rose&Mary to flower your wedding, it’s a useful read either way!
The cost of wedding flowers can vary hugely, the chunk of your overall wedding budget is usually 10-15%
If you are planning to set a budget for your wedding flowers please don’t just pick a random amount without checking with your florist first. Lots of couples we meet have set a budget of £1000 or £1500 without taking into consideration of which flowers they want or having any knowledge of the cost of wedding flowers. Having lots of bridesmaids or adding big statement florals to the ceremony and the amount of tables at the reception all determine how much money you will need to spend so it’s best to check with your florist first before setting a budget.
The average spend of wedding flowers with Rose&Mary is £2500-£3500 based on a wedding with 80-100 guests. Some couples spend a lot more while others spend a lot less. It does depend on the ceremony and reception venue, size of your bridal party and number of guests.
We are always happy to have a chat to determine what flowers you would need and send you a free, no obligation quote afterwards.
However we don’t send out quotes without a face-to-face meeting first. All quotes are tailor-made to your requirements so it’s really hard to set a price without knowing what you would like first, quotes are very time consuming and we need to make sure we are the right florist for you first.
For a quick guide to the cost of wedding flowers we have broken down the wedding flowers in 3 categories:
1. Bridal flowers
These are the personal flowers carried by the bridal party.
-Wedding bouquet
The main floral in this category is obviously going to be your wedding bouquet. All florists will have their own style of arranging wedding bouquets but there are variations such as cascading designs, round and messy or deconstructed/ boho style bouquets. Let us know what you would prefer and what goes best with your size and height and your dress.
-Bridesmaids flowers
If you choose a lot of bridesmaids that will hugely increase the cost of your wedding flowers. Bridesmaids bouquets are roughly half the cost of the bridal bouquet but you can get creative and find a place for them in a short vase or a pint glass and use them to decorate cocktail tables on the patio, bar area or cake table.
-Flower girls flowers
Children as part of the wedding party also need flowers and depending on age we can advise to use a small posy, a flower wand or just something for their hair.
-Buttonholes and Corsages
For the menfolk we can do a buttonhole. Usually it’s the groom and groom’s men and/or the Dads but who gets to adorn their lapel with flowers is totally up to you!
Are you getting married at a civil ceremony or a church?
Sometimes ceremony spaces are so gorgeous that there is absolutely no need for flowers. However big and bold statement pieces can totally transform a ceremony venue, but can be expensive. Ceremony flowers will forever be visible in your wedding photos so it’s worth splashing out for. We can discuss all this during the consultation. Below is a list of options for ceremony flowers. Your venue will dictate what flowers would suit best. Again sometimes a venue is so gorgeous that you don’t need a lot, but if you do flower a ceremony venue, 1 or 2 bigger florals as focal points work better than little arrangements spread out all over the place. Also entrance flowers can really set off the vibe of your wedding and would make a great back drop for photos. If the ceremony and the reception are held at the same venue there is a big difference in the overall cost of the wedding flowers as floral arrangements can be moved from the ceremony to the reception without a lot of hassle. If you are planning an outdoor ceremony it is always wise to think of an indoor plan too in case of bad weather. Again, we can discuss all the options during the consultation.
The cost of the flowers for the reception can also vary hugely but on the whole it does depend on how many guests are coming and how many tables need to be decorated. Are you having a top table and various guest tables, or is it a free flowing kind of reception.
You might want to keep it simple with a few candles and some foliage or a few bud vases but be careful that the total cost of the table decorations can add up quickly if you also take the cost of candles etc into account. You might want enormous floral chandeliers hanging down from the ceiling, floral arches or other big budget items. With a free flowing kind of reception all you might only need are a few jam jars here and there. Usually the design of the guest table flowers depends on the size and style of the venue and the formality of the wedding breakfast. Most often we create a low table arrangement or a cluster of bud vases that you can gift away at the end of the wedding to your guests, sometimes we do big elevated arrangements at the tables for a total wow factor, it all depends on what you would like and on your budget and whatever works best in the surroundings of the venue.
Also don’t forget those thank you flowers, cake flowers and the gift table arrangement!
We have these 3 tips to keep down the costs of your wedding flowers:
1. Don’t choose a wedding date when flowers are expensive.
Its very romantic to get married on Valentines Day but the cost of the flowers will be sky high. The same goes for Mother’s day (not just the one in the UK but international Mother’s Day as well) and around Christmas and New Year. Most flowers we use go through the Dutch auction system and it is a supply-and-demand kind of thing. If demand for flowers is high (like around Valentine’s day), the flowers price will rise. If supply is high, like in the summer, the price will fall. It’s that simple.
2. Choose seasonal flowers.
Seasonal flowers are the best quality and the best value for money. Have you ever eaten a strawberry in the middle of winter? Its a bit like that with flowers; expensive and not very tasty. If you insist on peonies or lily of the valley please find out when the best time is to get married to avoid disappointment.
3. Choose larger flowers and foliages.
A hydrangea might be £10 a stem but you only need a few stems to fill a vase. Same thing for big headed roses, they might be more expensive, but a few in a rose dome works out more cost effective than a load of skinny ones.
Foliages isn’t always green and can compliment flowers beautifully and is a very cost effective way of filling up your wedding flowers, although beautiful foliage is just as expensive as flowers, Eucalyptus for instance is not a cheap foliage!
There are dark shades of maroons to lift up the flowers, variageted foliages to compliment rose domes, silvers to compliment cool colours and bright yellow, brown and red foliages to compiment pastels or to accentuate bright flowers.
We typically use around 30% foliage in our wedding work, depending on the wishes of the bride. There are some stunning foliage arrangements on Pinterest to see where the foliage is more dominant then the flowers, but there is a thin line between too much foliage and not enough flowers, the flowers will look a bit lost.
There is also a trend of just greeney weddings where mixed foliages are the star of the show and there is not a flower in sight. Please note though that foliage only is not a cheap option, also foliages vary hugely per season and can be very expensive is bought out of its natural season (this is especially true for Eucalyptus thats out of season from May till August)
So for a recap; The cost of the flowers can vary hugely and is always discussed during a consultation. Afterwards an itemised quote will be send to you that will include all the things we’ve discussed. At that point it’s not very important to make any firm decisions on the flowers, there’s plenty of time for that in the lead up to your wedding day.
The most important thing after receiving your quote is that you choose the florist that will be most suitable to you and your needs and will be able to fulfil your floral wishes. We wedding florist are all different designers with different approaches to wedding flowers so make sure we are a good match, also don’t ask for a quote if you are not seriously considering us as your wedding florist; quotes are time consuming!
After you have received your quote and you want to go ahead and book us as your wedding florist we need a booking fee of 30% of the total cost of the flowers. This will secure your wedding date with us and we will block your date for other couples and the booking fee will be deducted from the final bill. A second consultation will be organised 6 weeks before the big day to finalise all the ideas.
If you are planning to gather multiple quotes from different florist please don’t just pick the cheapest one; you wouldn’t walk into a bridal gown shop and just pick the cheapest dress! Choose the florist who has the designs you like and who you have great communications with. Us wedding florists all charge according to our experience, you can read our blog on wedding floral pricing here.
Not all items you might need or want are on our price list. If you want prices for items that are not on the list we can discuss those during a consultation!
Please note that VAT, urn/ pedestal hire, delivery charge, installation charge, take down charge, return of hired goods etc are NOT included in the price. These will be discussed during the consultation and added to the quote. The cost of set up is roughly 10% of the total cost of wedding flowers but can vary hugely based on location and needs.
If there are more things on your list and you would like to have a chat please feel free to contact us!
]]>Valentine’s Day at Rose & Mary
https://roseandmary.co.uk/valentines-day-at-rose-mary/
Fri, 11 Feb 2022 12:29:35 +0000https://roseandmary.co.uk/?p=4597The Rose&Mary studio is bursting with blooms as we create lovely bouquets to deliver in Richmond, Twickenham and beyond. Saint Valentine’s Day is on the 14th of February. So who is this Valentine fellow? Is his life about red roses and love? Well, not really… Valentinus was a bishop in third century Rome who was [...]
The Rose&Mary studio is bursting with blooms as we create lovely bouquets to deliver in Richmond, Twickenham and beyond.
Saint Valentine’s Day is on the 14th of February.
So who is this Valentine fellow? Is his life about red roses and love? Well, not really…
Valentinus was a bishop in third century Rome who was persecuted by Emperor Claudius.
Claudius needed young men to join his army and was under the impression that unmarried soldiers fought harder than married ones. So he banned marriage for young people (as you do!)
Valentinus went underground and performed secret weddings until he was caught and sentenced to torture, stoning and deheading on the 14th of February.
Then nothing happened for about 900 years until the High Middle Ages where Saint Valentine became the symbol of courtly love. If you were in love you chose this day to send an anonymous message to express your feelings.
Nowadays its all a lot more of a commercial affair and the Red Rose has become the symbol of love and romance. We don’t sell red roses on Valentine’s Day and I will briefly explain why.
Red roses on Valentine’s Day are very expensive. Valentine’s Day is celebrated globally so demand for a single variety of flower is at an all time high. There are only so many red rose growers in the world so lots of red roses get cut early and are packed away in coolers for much longer than is good for them. We can’t therefore guarantee that these red roses are fresh and will have a long vase life.
This is the case every year but this year especially as we struggle with flower shortages and transport problems due to the pandemic and Brexit we feel that the choice to not offer reds is the best choice.
The best policy in our view is to sell all the other flowers that are better value for money and are of better quality, also we think that most women prefer pastel roses or a large mixed bouquet over a bunch or red roses anyway!
To see our range of bouquets to deliver to your love please click here
We can deliver Valentines Day flowers to you on Sunday 13.02 or Monday 14.02 in Richmond, Twickenham, Teddington, Hounslow, Chiswick, Barnes, Putney. Kingston, Wandsworth, Battersea and all West London postcodes.
Or you can click & collect from the studio in st Margarets
]]>why do florists charge different prices?
https://roseandmary.co.uk/why-do-florists-charge-different-prices/
Sun, 30 Jan 2022 19:57:46 +0000https://roseandmary.co.uk/?p=4568It’s peak wedding enquiry season and lots of couples are shopping around for a wedding florist. As a couple this is probably the only time you will need to enquire about the price of wedding flowers and this is the time when you realise that some florists charge more than others for their services. In [...]
]]>It’s peak wedding enquiry season and lots of couples are shopping around for a wedding florist.
As a couple this is probably the only time you will need to enquire about the price of wedding flowers and this is the time when you realise that some florists charge more than others for their services.
In this little blog I am going to explain how we set our prices when it comes to wedding flowers or any floral arrangements for other occasions.
The price of wedding flowers has 2 factors; the wholesale cost of the goods and the cost of florist overheads and wages.
The quality and cost of flowers we can get at the wholesalers vary enormously.
Take a simple white Rose, you can get them all year round so seasonality is not really an issue. Here’s a picture of a small Athena Rose, a large Avalanche Rose and a garden Rose named Patience. The wholesale price of roses varies depending on the grower and length of the stem and the supply and demand. The Avalanche Rose is on average 3 times more expensive than the Athena. The Patience Rose is 3 times more expensive than the Avalanche and 9 times more expensive than the Athena. So if you are choosing white Roses to feature heavily in your wedding the price can vary hugely depending on which type of Rose you choose.
All other flowers come in a variety of size and quality and are priced accordingly.
Flowers are more expensive when they are out of season or when demand is high. An experienced florist will always help you choose the best flowers for your wedding.
Now let’s talk about the other factor, the florist and their overheads.
A very good floral designer will charge more for their time and expertise than a florist who is just starting out (and may not have a lot of experience creating wedding flowers). An experienced florist would have flowered many weddings before and is knowledgable in what flowers will be available at any given time of year. An experienced florist will have their own signature style that is consistent throughout their work. They will always listen to the wishes of the couples they work with but choose a florist that has the style you are after, don’t presume we are all the same! The overheads of a high street florist are higher than a studio florist like Rose & Mary and a home florist overheads are lower still. All these factors determine the price of wedding flowers so if you are receiving several quotes from different florists you need to take all that into account.
Simply choosing the cheapest quote is not always the best choice to make. You wouldn’t run into a bridal gown shop and just pick the cheapest dress. The cost of the materials and the cost of the design all need to be taken into account, just like choosing a florist.
If you are still confused by all of this, imagine a burger. It’s a bit of beef in a bun but there is a lot of choice out there.
A burger from a fast food outlet costs very little compared to a burger at a gastropub and there are even very fancy restaurants that sell very special Wagyu beef burgers at eye-watering prices…
The price of the burger is based on the cost of the ingredients and the way it is cooked, everybody knows that. You wouldn’t want to compare a cheap soggy fast food burger with a burger served in a fancy restaurant and it’s the same for wedding flowers . If want a fancy burger for your wedding then don’t expect to pay fast food burger prices. Not all burgers are the same and that is the same for wedding flowers!
We hope that all makes sense and this blog was useful. Here at Rose&Mary we are not a fan of the cheap burger nor are we a fan of the really expensive burger. We are always happy to work within a couple’s budget as long as we can match your budget with your expectation. To read more on this please click here
]]>Mothers Day flowers
https://roseandmary.co.uk/mothers-day-flowers/
Thu, 04 Mar 2021 16:53:22 +0000https://roseandmary.co.uk/?p=3170Mothers Day flowers and a brief history on why we give flowers to Mums on Mothers Day This year Mother’s day in the Uk falls on the 14th of March. We Brits celebrate Mother’s Day on a different day than the US and the rest of Europe and Mother’s Day falls on a different day [...]
]]>Mothers Day flowers and a brief history on why we give flowers to Mums on Mothers Day
This year Mother’s day in the Uk falls on the 14th of March. We Brits celebrate Mother’s Day on a different day than the US and the rest of Europe and Mother’s Day falls on a different day each year.
Why is that, you wonder. Before you order your Mothers Day flower I thought I’m going to give you a little history on Morher’s Day or Mothering Sunday as it’s sometimes called…
Mother’s Day and Mothering Sunday are 2 different celebrations.
Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday in May and is a 19th century American invention. It’s now adopted in most countries as the day to show your Mother just how special she is.
Mothering Sunday is a religious festival that goes back to the Middle Ages.
It is celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent so it’s date is 3 weeks before Easter Sunday.
Mothering Sunday was a day where you were allowed to travel home and worship in your ‘Mother’ church and spend time with your family. This meant that people who were working and living away from their families had the opportunity to travel home and spend time with their Mothers and to worship in their families church or ‘Mothering’ church.
Travelling home for Mothering Sunday one would traditionally pick flowers on the way to present to their Mother and this is why flowers always played a big part in Mothering Sunday.
The religious tradition of Mothering Sunday is now mostly lost but giving flowers to your Mother and spend time with her is very much alive today.
We have designed a Mother’s Day bouquet and have a range of Spring flowers in our webshop that you can order. We deliver bouquets and flowers 7 days a week and if you order by noon we can deliver the same day.
If you can’t see your Mum this Mother’s Day because of the pandemic than we are happy to deliver a bouquet of flowers to her (contactless and Covid-secure) or you can click & collect a flowers and bouquets from us to take along with you when you go and see her (if restrictions allow it. The studio is situated in Crown Yard/ Bridle Lane, just behind Amyand Park Chapel
Can I just finish off with a quick note; Let’s not forget about the Mothers who are no longer with us and let’s not forget about the childless Mothers, it’s not always a day of celebrations for some but a day of sadness. Do you know someone that needs a bouquet of flowers because Mothers Day is a sad day? Or do you need some flowers to take to a cemetery? If you need to get in touch with a special request please do so, we are here to help.
Please call us on 07958293130 to discuss your flower wishes or oder a stunning Mothers day bouquet in our webshop.
]]>The cost of wedding flowers
https://roseandmary.co.uk/the-cost-of-wedding-flowers/
Wed, 23 Dec 2020 12:25:51 +0000https://roseandmary.co.uk/?p=3059The season for wedding enquiries is almost upon us so here’s a quick glance at the true cost of wedding flowers. Whether you are having the dream wedding of the season or just nipping to the registry office, it’s always nice to involve flowers on your wedding day and we do a lot of wedding [...]
]]>The season for wedding enquiries is almost upon us so here’s a quick glance at the true cost of wedding flowers.
Whether you are having the dream wedding of the season or just nipping to the registry office, it’s always nice to involve flowers on your wedding day and we do a lot of wedding flowers at Rose&Mary. This year is predicted to be one of the most busy wedding seasons due to the pandemic. The engagement season is starting now and we book 90% of weddings for the following year in January. So whether you are having a quick browse or you want Rose&Mary to flower your wedding, it’s a useful read either way!
For a super easy glance at the cost of wedding flowers we have designed 4 wedding packages; based upon the location of your wedding and the amount of guests. You can see the wedding packages that we offer here
The cost of wedding flowers can vary hugely, the chunk of your overall wedding budget is usually 10-15%
If you are planning to set a budget for your wedding flowers please don’t just pick a random amount without checking with your florist first. Lots of couples we meet have set a budget of £1000.
The average spend of wedding flowers with us is £2500-£3500. Some coupes spend a lot more while others spend a lot less. It does depend on the size of your bridal party and number of guests and venue.
Wedding flowers can be broken down to 3 areas and variations in these areas will determine the cost of wedding flowers:
1. Bridal flowers
These are the personal flowers and include the wedding bouquet, bridesmaids flowers, buttonholes, corsages, flower crowns etc.
If you choose a lot of bridesmaids that will hugely increase the cost of your wedding flowers. Bridesmaids bouquets are roughly half the cost of the bridal bouquet but you can get creative and find a place for them in a short vase or a pint glass and use them to decorate cocktail tables on the patio, bar area or cake table.
2. Ceremony flowers
Are you getting married at a civil ceremony or a church?
Sometimes ceremony spaces are so gorgeous that there is absolutely no need for extra flowers, or are you after big and bold statement pieces that will hike up the cost of the overall budget.
With ceremony flowers sometimes 2 big arrangements and a few pew ends can be enough but a church or a registry office is a big space to fill so this is an area where the flowers can really add up. There is also an option to re-install the same flowers at the reception, especially if you are getting married on a week day.
3. Reception flowers
The cost of the flowers for the reception can also vary hugely but on the whole it does depend on how many guests are coming and how many tables need to be decorated. Are you having a top table and various guest tables, or is it a free flowing kind of reception. If there is a formal dinner and you would like tall arrangements where the guests sit underneath that will be much more expensive than a low arrangement.
You might want to keep it simple with a few candles and some foliage or a few bud vases but be careful that the total cost of the table decoration can add up quickly. You might want enormous floral chandeliers hanging down from the ceiling, floral arches or other big budget items. With a free flowing kind of reception all you might need are a few jam jars here and there. It all depends on the venue, the formality of the reception and the size of the guest list. Also don’t forget those thank you flowers!
We have these 3 tips to keep down the costs of your wedding flowers:
1. Don’t choose a wedding date when flowers are expensive.
Its very romantic to get married on Valentines Day but the cost of the flowers will be sky high. The same goes for Mother’s day (not just the one in the UK but international Mother’s Day as well) and around Christmas and New Year. Most flowers we use go through the Dutch auction system and it is a supply-and-demand kind of thing. If demand for flowers is high (like around Valentine’s day), the flowers price will rise. If supply is high, like in the summer, the price will fall. It’s that simple.
2. Choose seasonal flowers.
Seasonal flowers are the best quality and the best value for money. Have you ever eaten a strawberry in the middle of winter? Its a bit like that with flowers; expensive and not very tasty. If you insist on peonies or lily of the valley please find out when the best time is to get married to avoid disappointment.
3. Choose larger flowers and foliages.
A hydrangea might be £10 a stem but you only need a few stems to fill a vase. Same thing for big headed roses, they might be more expensive, but a few in a rose dome works out more cost effective than a load of skinny ones.
Foliages isn’t always green and can compliment flowers beautifully and is a very cost effective way of filling up your wedding flowers, although beautiful foliage is just as expensive as flowers, Eucalyptus for instance is not a cheap foliage!
There are dark shades of maroons to lift up the flowers, variageted foliages to compliment rose domes, silvers to compliment cool colours and bright yellow, brown and red foliages to compiment pastels or to accentuate bright flowers.
We typically use around 30% foliage in our wedding work, depending on the wishes of the bride. There are some stunning foliage arrangements on Pinterest to see where the foliage is more dominant then the flowers, but there is a thin line between too much foliage and not enough flowers, the flowers will look a bit lost.
There is also a trend of just greeney weddings where mixed foliages are the star of the show and there is not a flower in sight. Please note though that foliage only is not a cheap option, also foliages vary hugely per season and can be very expensive is bought out of its natural season (this is especially true for Eucalyptus thats out of season from May till August)
Pricelist
Here is a guide to the cost of wedding flowers. The cost of the flowers can vary hugely and is always discussed during a consultation. Afterwards an itemised quote will be send to you that will include all the things we’ve discussed. At that point it’s not very important to make any decisions on the finer details in your quote, there’s plenty of time for that in the lead up to your wedding day. The most important thing after receiving your quote is that you choose the florist that will be most suitable to you and your needs and will be able to fulfil your floral wishes. We wedding florist are all different designers with different approaches to wedding flowers so make sure we are a good match, also don’t ask for a quote if you are not seriously considering us as your wedding florist; quotes are time consuming!
Due to the Pandemic and Brexit aftermath we are unable to provide a price list at the moment.
Flower prices at the wholesalers are exceptionally high due to flower shortages, transport shortages and import problems and delays from the EU. All quote for the 2022 and 2023 season will have a provisional price list based on bespoke quotes only. Please get in touch to book a consultation!
Bridal flowers
bridal bouquets
trailing bouquet
Bridesmaids bouquets
Bridesmaids posie children
Buttonholes
Corsages
Flower wands
Flower crowns
Ceremony flowers
pedestal arrangements
ceremony table arrangements
pew ends
floral arch or columns from
floral chandelier
Venue flowers
Table centres from
Votives/jamjars flowers
Top table arrangements
Elevated table arrangements
Candelabra arrangements
Cake flowers
Galands per ft
cocktail table arrangements from
gift table/bar arrangements from
Tossing bouquet from
Thank you flowers
Please note that VAT, vase/ pedestal hire, delivery charge, installation charge, take down charge, return of hired goods etc are NOT included in the price. These will be discussed during the consultation and added to the quote. The cost of set up is roughly 10% of the total cost of wedding flowers but can vary hugely based on location and needs.
If there are more things on your list and you would like to have a chat please feel free to contact us!
]]>Christmas wreath, a quick history
https://roseandmary.co.uk/christmas-wreath-a-quick-history/
Sat, 14 Nov 2020 17:02:37 +0000https://roseandmary.co.uk/?p=2981Christmas wreath, a quick history Why do we adorn our front door with a Christmas wreath? The Christmas wreath ( and tree) was brought into fashion by the Victorians. The German Prince Albert introduced the German tradition into this country. The English had a tradition of Decking the halls with Holly… But the tradition of [...]
Why do we adorn our front door with a Christmas wreath?
The Christmas wreath ( and tree) was brought into fashion by the Victorians. The German Prince Albert introduced the German tradition into this country. The English had a tradition of Decking the halls with Holly…
But the tradition of the wreath is far older than that. In pre- Christian Germanic tribes a “wheel” of evergreen branches was made around the time of the winter solstice to pray for the return of the sun. The choice of materials is still the same choice the florist makes today: the evergreen branches of pine, box, mistletoe, ivy and holly. These plants didn’t shed their leaves in autumn but kept going throughout winter and often held mystical properties to the local druids.
We add cones and cinnamon sticks and dried oranges, the last 2 items possibly an ode to Saint Nicholas, who came from Spain!
A wreath was presented to friends and family to hang on their door because you wished for the sun to return to them, to show them that you cared.
The Greeks and Romans took it to the next level and presented friends and family with a wreath on New Years Eve to wish them good health in the year ahead. The wreath became a symbol of status, the bigger and more ornate the wreath, the more influential you were (so not a lot has changed then)
It’s the same Germanics in Victorian times that moved the wreath from the table to the front door and introduced the Christmas tree to this country.
We.absolutely love making wreaths. Planning starts in August. We spend the summer scouring the forests for cones and the Christmassy foliage starts coming in mid November. It’s always a good day when the delivery comes in from Holland. All the lovely structures and fragrance of the Blue Pine, differ t types of Cypresses, Sugar Pine, Garhya and Berries Ivy.
Have a look and order one if you like. We also make candle arangements and garlands. If you want a variation of what we have to offer feel free to contact us so we can make you a bespoke one. You can also order one with just foliage and add your own decoration.
]]>Lock down diary
https://roseandmary.co.uk/lock-down-diary/
Mon, 27 Jul 2020 11:39:59 +0000https://roseandmary.co.uk/?p=2768 It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog, it’s been a crazy few months but I thought it might be a good idea to tell you what life is like as a studio florist during lock down dealing with bouquet deliveries, funeral flowers and wedding postponements. The first week of lockdown was a [...]
It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog, it’s been a crazy few months but I thought it might be a good idea to tell you what life is like as a studio florist during lock down dealing with bouquet deliveries, funeral flowers and wedding postponements.
The first week of lockdown was a confusing week. All non-essential businesses had to close but internet businesses were encouraged to remain trading. This was just after Mother’s Day so it was a welcome time for a few days off. The flower market in Holland had crashed with lots of produce having to be destroyed due to not selling, it was a confusing time!
All the weddings that I had booked up to September were postponed to next year ( and sadly one cancellation). All the couples I had booked with have been absolutely brilliant and we were able to move everything to a new date in 2021 but that does mean that I am now nearly fully booked for the 2021 season so any couple looking for a 2021 date will struggle to find a date where I’m not already taken! ( although some mid-week weddings and off-season dates are still available)
My little studio is set in an old stable and is an isolated building with the nearest neighbour 500 meters away at the end of a little trading estate behind Crown Road in St Margarets so I could work in a safe environment. It’s also a 2 minutes walk from my house so I could work within the restriction that were set by the government and my lovely wholesalers were still delivering to the UK although with a smaller selection.
It was Jacqui,the funeral director I work with, that got in touch first. She had such a hard time with all the restrictions in place and the thought of not having any fresh flowers for her clients was a bit too much. I love making funeral flower arrangements so I decided to remain open for business.
My brother made me some fabulous face masks and I wear florists gloves anyway! And it was busy, busy, busy!
Lots and lots of funeral flowers were ordered, not just by Jacqui, but a few local funeral directors got in touch as well and the bouquet deliveries went through the roof! We are doing contactless deliveries for all our bouquet deliveries and that has been a great success. A lot of bouquet deliveries were celebrating some special occasions that sadly couldn’t be celebrated in person and also a lot of sympathy bouquets were send out.
We also added a range of house plants to the web shop and they are selling really well!
It wouldn’t have been safe to get any extra staff in so I did the long days on my own while the husband was at home tackling 3 lots of homeschooling. I roped my 14 yr old daughter in to help me out with conditioning of flowers and tidying up etc which was a great help. With lock down easing and other flower shops opening up the work load has eased a bit but it’s still pretty full on!
Here is a picture of Arwen modelling one of our bouquets!
I had the pleasure of doing one small lock down wedding at Pembroke lodge which was really lovely as I really miss doing weddings and events!