- Photos Phillip Huynh
- Floral Styling Simone Gooch
- Set Design Mariska Lowri
Simple Ideas for Stress-Free Wedding Florals
Arrangements by Simone Gooch.
- Photos Phillip Huynh
- Floral Styling Simone Gooch
- Set Design Mariska Lowri
ABOUT: Simone Gooch runs Fjura, a floral design studio based between Sydney and Europe, where she styles arrangements for clients that include Gucci, Hermès and Loewe.
TIMING: Gooch advises that you might be surprised how much time and effort is involved in creating beautiful arrangements if you’re not used to working with flowers. If you are doing it all yourself, expect it to take four times as long as you think it will, or else have four times as many people assist you than you think you need. Many hands make light work—especially on your wedding day.
SEASONAL: The first step in creating striking arrangements is always to ask your local florist or market seller what flowers are looking best at that time of year. If you are marrying in the winter or in a region where flowers aren’t blooming, there are still options. You can design arrangements using branches from local apple and cherry trees, for example, or else dried flowers.
WHEN TO BUY: Unless you’re planning to buy your florals on the day of your event, you will need to consider how long different flowers last—and how long they will take to bloom—so that everything looks its best at the same time. Gooch recommends asking your florist or market seller to advise you on what to buy depending on when you need them. This might mean staggering your buying over the course of around five days. Roses, for example, are best a few days after they open, whereas sweet pea, lilac and cyclamen are best bought the day before or even on the day, as they only last a short time and don’t change significantly once cut.
Give a Wild Welcome
For a larger centerpiece, which you can place on a welcome table, Gooch recommends selecting a combination of branches from flowering trees, some that have movement and others that are straighter. “Here we used quince and magnolia, which we placed in the middle of the table,” she explains. “And instead of using a vase, you can tie the larger branches together to keep them in place, threading other smaller pieces through to create the final arrangement.” Make sure to snip the branches to allow space for guests to sign a guestbook, or be able to sit or stand comfortably nearby.
TIMING: Gooch advises that you might be surprised how much time and effort is involved in creating beautiful arrangements if you’re not used to working with flowers. If you are doing it all yourself, expect it to take four times as long as you think it will, or else have four times as many people assist you than you think you need. Many hands make light work—especially on your wedding day.
SEASONAL: The first step in creating striking arrangements is always to ask your local florist or market seller what flowers are looking best at that time of year. If you are marrying in the winter or in a region where flowers aren’t blooming, there are still options. You can design arrangements using branches from local apple and cherry trees, for example, or else dried flowers.
WHEN TO BUY: Unless you’re planning to buy your florals on the day of your event, you will need to consider how long different flowers last—and how long they will take to bloom—so that everything looks its best at the same time. Gooch recommends asking your florist or market seller to advise you on what to buy depending on when you need them. This might mean staggering your buying over the course of around five days. Roses, for example, are best a few days after they open, whereas sweet pea, lilac and cyclamen are best bought the day before or even on the day, as they only last a short time and don’t change significantly once cut.
