Chic Vintage Brides resident florist extraordinaire Toni McGregor of Magdalen Hill is back today with another of her fabulous floral creations. This time a just-picked summer stunner, full of foraged flowers and fruits, in a poppy palette of orange, peach and purple. Natalie McNally was again on hand to beautifully capture each step of the creative process, and Toni has kindly shared the full recipe, so have pen, paper and pinning finger at the ready!…..

Aren’t those pale peach roses just breathtaking?? Here’s a little something from Toni about this foraged beauty.…. “With many brides taking a more relaxed approach to the way they choose to celebrate their wedding days the foraged bouquet is becoming increasingly popular. It gives brides a chance to embrace flowers and foliage that are typically associated with their chosen wedding location, find the beauty in the often overlooked and also include special treasures found or specially grown in family gardens. I recently worked with one family who are keen flower lovers. They chose to grow specific blooms according to their Victorian sentiments, providing a sprig or two with special meaning and were even able to pick roses from the home the bride grew up in.

This is the perfect arrangement for the bride who is DIY inclined, has some experience with flowers and is looking to create her own bridal bouquet. If this is you, remember to do a few trial runs creating the bouquet you plan to carry, before the big day. Pick your chosen flowers and foliage (especially those that you have less knowledge about) and be sure to stand them in fresh water for at least 24 hours. After making you trial bouquet leave it out of water for at least 8 hours, approximately the amount of time your bouquet will need to last on the day.

Of course if you’re not at all green-fingered or interested in DIYing your wedding, you could still choose this bouquet for your florist to create. With a relaxed feel and pretty shape, it will suit all sorts of bridal styles, themes and locations, but boho-brides, or any of you planning a rustic, country or beach wedding will especially love it for its relaxed carefree nature.”

Bouquet Recipe

“In this bouquet I was given free range to collect an assortment of blooms to achieve something pretty and ‘just picked’. Foraged berries, seed heads and wild grasses were chosen for their form and soft wispy lines. Garden roses, with their heavenly scent added strong focal points. For a touch of country charm I chose flowering herbs, which also added to the aroma.”

Bridal Bouquet Price: $ DIY  or  $$$ Florist      (Budget Key: $ = Thrifty – $$$$$ = Lavish)

Ask your florist for: A foraged bouquet of local seasonal blooms in the ‘just picked’ look. It is important to remember that it takes a lot of time to source and process foraged flowers and foliage before they can be used. Your florist may also suggest combining them with commercially grown varieties that they are more familiar with and trust in terms of longevity. With this in mind, a foraged bouquet often costs the same as other hand tied bouquets.

Season available: This bouquet was created in Summer, with some varieties available most of the year. The beauty of a foraged bouquet is to embrace what can be found around you at the time of your wedding. So do some research or talk to your florist about what blooms will be in season and could used to create a similar look.

Isn’t it just delicious? I love how organic it looks, and how Toni has incorporated berries! As always a huge thank-you to Toni for sharing her creativity and her expert knowledge, tips and advice. And to Natalie, for capturing it all so beautifully, and allowing me share it with you.

If, this is your first glimpse of these Bouquet Recipes, you can catch up with their past ones here for a vintage inspired bouquet of roses and peonies, here for a stunning sheath bouquet which also has a beautiful vintage feel, here for the prettiest bouquet in a palette of purple & pink, here for a country garden inspired bouquet with a gorgeous just picked feel, here for a hand-tied bridal bouquet in Spring purples and here for a scentful white bouquet!

Amy

x

Floral Design ~ Toni McGregor from Magdalen Hill

Photography ~ Natalie McNally