The Royal wedding was right on trend as far as wedding flowers were concerned. Instead of an imposing array of expensive hothouse flowers lining the aisle at Westminster cathedral, an avenue of live trees turned it into an arbour of green. Green in both sense of the word, as afterwards those trees would be planted out as a lasting tribute to the day, and a positive contribution to the environment.
Many modern brides are planning eco-friendly weddings with an eye to minimising the environmental impact of their special day. The choice of flowers and greenery can make a big difference. Hot house flowers have a heavy carbon footprint: not only do they tend to be out-of-season blooms, but they also require a lot of energies to produce. Often they are imported from other countries too, with all the energy costs of long distance transport added.
Green weddings tend to focus on seasonal flowers, grown locally. These can be grown without the need for hothouses and are far more environmentally friendly. Of course in spring and summer there is a far bigger choice of seasonal flowers, but even winter weddings can be creative with local seasonal flowers, using displays of twigs and berries, ivies and delicate flowers like winter jasmine. Seasonal flowers can be sourced from friends and family with gardens too, especially when you are working on a budget. Many wedding florists are happy to work with a combination of bought flowers and garden flowers that have a personal note and connection to the family.
All year round, however, live trees make a wonderful wedding decor. Source indigenous trees from a local nursery. There are many that specialise on growing large trees in containers ready for planting. Consult with your wedding florist on how to incorporate your trees into the decor. They could be used as a backdrop to other seasonal flower arrangements or replace cut flowers altogether, perhaps being decorated with white fairy lights.
The great thing about using trees is that after the ceremony they are not just thrown away like most cut flower decorations. They can be planted out as a permanent reminder of that special day. If you don’t have a big enough garden to plant several large trees, they could be donated to a local school, a local tree planting project or park, making a positive contribution to the local community as well as helping the environment.
Things to remember when using trees as wedding decor:
Season – when choosing your trees bear in mind the season when your wedding will take place. You may be choosing trees in summer for a winter wedding. Deciduous trees that look lush and green in summer will have dropped their leaves and be all twigs and branches by winter.
Size – check the height of your trees against the doors and access of your wedding venue. Trees that look quite moderate in size outdoors often turn out to be huge once you get them inside, as many people discover with their Christmas trees!
Who will plant them – after your wedding you will be off on honeymoon? The trees will need to be taken away from the wedding venue, watered and cared for and eventually planted out. If they are not immediately being donated to a tree-planting charity or school, you will need to arrange for someone to take charge of them for you.
