Kate Middleton will be guided by royal traditions in most areas of her wedding but she will want her flowers to say something personal about herself and her relationship with William but what will they say?
“Kate’s relationship with her florist will not be unlike the one she has with her dressmaker” says celebrity florist, Nick Priestly. “They will obviously discuss her preferences, but will also look for flowers that symbolise something of her life. Increasingly brides don’t make decisions purely on colour schemes but want their choice of flowers to mean something personal to them.”
Apparently Royal brides are ahead of the times in this respect as they have been saying something with their choice of flowers for generations. All since Queen Victoria have had trailing style bouquets with combinations of flowers often representing key references in their lives.
Nick says “Thoughout history, royal brides appear to have a duty to follow tradition, however it is clear that each had their own preferences considered when choosing their wedding bouquet. HM The Queen chose mainly whole sprays of orchids signifying her role as leader of the Commonwealth, while Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, included white heather symbolising her native Scotland.
Nick’ Predictions
Nick, who has designed flowers for many stars including: Rihanna, Kylie Minogue and Keira Knightley, believes that Kate’s flowers will reflect her elegant, understated style. “It is unlikely that Kate will choose anything too far from the royal norm. As a contemporary princess she would suit a spring themed, hand-tied bouquet of white ranunculus and lily of the valley but will she and her florist be brave enough to make such a floral statement on the day?
“An alternative twist would to be to add a touch of sapphire blue colour to match her stunning engagement ring in the form of muscari, hyacinths or delphihiums. This would of course draw attention to the late Princess Diana’s ring and evoke her memory.”
“My prediction is that Kate will have a traditional shaped bouquet of trailing wired flowers to include calla lilies (her favourite flower), white daffodils to signify the fact William is one of the Princes of Wales and Fair Trade Kenyan roses to signify William’s charity work in Africa and the place of their engagement. Her bouquet is also likely to include royal staples such as jasmine, lily of the valley and a sprig of myrtle which has been included in all royal bouquets since Queen Alexandra’s back in 1863.”
“The other key factor to look out for will be the size of the bouquet. Personally, I think it would be good if the bouquet is relatively petite and elegant compared to some royal bouquets in the past, which would reflect Kate’s understated stle. I also think it’s unlikely that in times of a recession, Kate’s bouquet will be too ostentatious. However it is a royal wedding and her flowers are sure to make a statement. “
Getting the Royal Look:
Whatever Kate chooses, her floral preferences will filter down to the wedding flowers of “commoners” over the coming months and years.
“Kate’s flowers will be as hotly coveted by future brides as much as the style of her wedding dress. Brides will be looking to their florists to get the royal feel without the royal budget.
The Royal Wedding flowers are likely to cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. Some “royal” favourites, such as lily of the valley, are already expensive blooms, however we can expect demand for Kate’s choice of flowers to soar at the Dutch auction houses in the coming months.”
“In the same way that royal brides do, brides will continue to choose flowers which have significant meaning in their lives. A Scottish bride marrying an English groom will often choose a combination of roses and thistles, a couple who met in Australian will include elements of Australian flora such as eucalyptus into their wedding flowers, and a couple whose loved one has passed away may use flower symbolism to include them in their special day, for example including their loved one’s favourite flower in their bridal bouquet.
Nick’s experience:
Nick Priestly has been a wedding florist since 2003, managing a business that looks after over 200 weddings a year. From classic white weddings using peonies and roses to dreamlike winter wonderlands using iced flowers and exotic weddings using hundreds of stems of vibrant pink phalenopis orchids, Nick know that every bride has her own preferences and style.
“A good florist’s role is to work within any given budget and translate a bride’s ideas and wishes into beautiful wedding flowers. Brides have become much more knowledgeable about flowers in the past few years and often know exactly what they want and there are many brides who follow the tastes of brides in the public eye.
Over the years, brides have asked me to recreate the bridal bouquets of celebrities such as Hollywood actress Eva Longoria and style icon Colleen Rooney as well as Sarah Jessica Parker’s ficticious character Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City. I look forward to recreating Kate Middleton’s bouquet in the months and years to come.”