Jade McIntosh Flowers

Flowers play a significant role in creating atmosphere on your wedding day. In fact, it’s the most flowers you are ever likely to purchase for a single event in your life. Traditionally, you will need a bouquet for yourself, bouquets for your attendants, boutonnieres for your husband-to-be, groomsmen and fathers, corsages for mothers, and flowers to decorate the ceremony and reception venues. That’s a lot of flowers! The florist you select will be the person responsible for the final look of your wedding flowers, so choosing the right florist, and working well with them, is crucial.

Do you want a florist, or a specialist wedding florist?

Although all florists are experts in flower arrangements for any occasion, there is another option that may be better suited to breathing life into your wedding floral dream. Florists who specialise in providing flowers for weddings have loads of experience in not just supplying flowers for weddings, but making flowers a work of art and tying them in with your overall wedding theme to enhance the look and feel of your big day. A florist who specialises in weddings may cost a little more, but they usually take on fewer clients in order to devote more time to each event.

Browse magazines and photographs

In your mind, you likely have a very precise picture of what you would like your wedding flowers to look like, but it can be a bit tricky relaying that exact vision to a florist. The key to having your dream perfectly realised is collecting pictures of flower arrangements that catch your eye. Browse wedding magazines for flowers you like, then clip the image and place it in a file to show potential florists. When it comes to social media, Pinterest is a particularly fabulous source of wedding flower ideas. The more information you give a florist, the better chance you have of them understanding your dream. You’re looking for a florist you can trust to take control of your ideas, without taking over and making you feel intimidated.

Know your budget

It’s vital you know exactly how much you’re going to spend on your wedding flowers before you make appointments with potential florists. Giving a florist an accurate budget amount allows them to show you what they can realistically accomplish, and avoids embarrassing misunderstandings down the track.

So what’s a reasonable amount to spend on flowers? Wedding experts usually recommend spending eight to 10 percent of your total wedding budget on flowers. For example, a wedding costing $20,000 might have a budget of around $2,000 for flowers.

Remember the extras

The more a florist can take on, the less planning you need to do, so make a list of possible extras and ask potential florists if they can help you out. So, what sort of extras should you ask about? If confetti isn’t allowed at your venue, saying goodbye under a shower of rose petals can be a romantic alternative, and small posies in the reception restrooms add class and a touch of colour. Honoured guests such as grandparents will appreciate lapel flowers or corsages. Also keep in mind some florists can supply candles, ornaments and centrepieces that you can use as decorations.

Contemporary outlook

Ideally, you’re looking for experience combined with up-to-date knowledge of the latest trends and techniques when looking at wedding florists. Florists servicing the Hunter region and specialise in wedding flowers will take your vision and make it happen. They will offer advice and suggestions, but still allow you to make the final decisions, so your wedding flowers are the gorgeous creations you imagined.

Jade McIntosh Flowers

Flowers are an integral part of most wedding days, and can often be one of the really costly items in the budget. Depending on your style of wedding and personal taste, you might have a simple bouquet and one or two main floral arrangements at the wedding venue. Or you might want a reception overflowing with beautiful blooms. But no matter what you choose, there are a few ways to keep your florist costs down.

As one of our Hunter Brides on our Facebook page knows, it can be cheaper to buy flowers for a small number of centrepieces from a local florist on the day, instead of ordering them from the florist who is doing your bouquet and other flowers.

Our bride is getting married at Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley, and was looking for a local florist where she could get two roses for each of her centrepieces. She was flooded with great suggestions after she posted her query on November 8.

We love Jade Macintosh Flowers, which not only supplies flowers to weddings in the Hunter Valley region, including Pokolbin, but also hires out vintage medicine bottles, mason jars, versatile glass cubes and timber boxes of all textures and sizes.

If you are going to leave something like your centrepieces for the day of your wedding, it’s a good idea to check the day before if the florist has enough stock of the flowers and colours you want. This gives you time to come up with an alternative plan if you need to! See if you can reserve the flowers, and delegate someone you trust to pick them up on the day.

As well as picking up a few flowers cheaper on the day, you can keep costs down in general by choosing flowers that are in season. Anything exotic or out of season is going to be more difficult to source, and therefore more expensive.

If you or one of your friends or family members is creative, you also have the option to buy your flowers in bulk and create your own centrepieces. It’s important to have a practice before you go down this path though, to make sure you can come up with something that looks good. If you can bring out your creative side, doing your own centrepieces can not only help save you money, it can also add a lovely personal touch to your reception decorations.

Here are a few ideas for easy centrepieces:

Jars and vases

If you’re having a wedding with a rustic theme, consider wide-mouthed mason jars, stuffed with country-style blooms.

If you’re aiming for a more elegant look, vases with one or two tulips or roses can be decorated with a simple ribbon. You can’t really go wrong!

Birdcages

With the current rage for all things Art Deco and 1920s, why not consider birdcage centrepieces? Smaller birdcages look effortless and classy with a full-blown rose bloom inside, or a single larger birdcage overflowing with flowers will look spectacular. Tuck ivy strands among the bars and you’ll have uncomplicated but eye-catching centrepieces.

Fresh fruit

Why not consider foregoing flowers for your centrepieces? Fruit bowls can be easy, inexpensive and very effective centrepieces. Imagine a translucent, pearly white, long-stemmed bowl filled with perfect lemons surrounded by a wreath of glossy dark green leaves. Bowls of limes or oranges will also give your tables a pop of colour, or go tropical with mangoes.

Whatever flowers you have in mind for your wedding day, there are a few different strategies you can use to help rein in your costs, and still have the eye-catching decorations you want on your special day.

Jade McIntosh Flowers

Finding the right wedding flowers can be tricky, and if you’re wondering where to start, Hunter Bride is here to help. Sometimes, starting to plan a wedding can feel like you have to do everything all at once and you’ll think you need to grow eight arms like an octopus to manage all the different strands!

Not so! The trick is to know what to do first, and we’d suggest that, for many weddings, organising flowers can safely wait until mid-way through the timeline. We say this because you’ll find that sourcing wedding flowers in Newcastle is typically much easier when you can discuss your chosen colour scheme and venue with your florist.

Familiarity saves time

Local florists who specialise in wedding flowers are likely to be familiar with your chosen venue, which means they probably have a good idea what floral styles are likely to produce the effect you’re after. The bonus for you is that you’ll spend less time and energy trying to visualise end results. The florist may also be able to give you an idea of typical costs for flowers at that venue before you ask for a detailed quote.

Colours, textures and symbols

It’s also easier for both you and your florist when you are able to explain your colour scheme at the outset. The florist can then steer you towards the matching colour palette of plants and flowers that are going to be in season at the time of your wedding.

Rather than focusing entirely on colour, think about including textural effects in your floral arrangements for added interest. Texture can be achieved by using plants with interesting leaves, weaving grasses into the background, or even incorporating eye-catching branches and stones into standing arrangements.

If you are interested in creating some talking points, the language and meaning of flowers may be worth taking into consideration when planning your wedding flowers.

Flowers in season or out

What about if you want roses, but you’re getting married in winter? If you have your heart set on particular flowers that are out of season, you should generally expect to pay more and you’ll probably have to order well in advance. That said, Australian brides are fortunate in that our climate tends to encourage long growing seasons. But it’s still wise to alert your florist as soon as possible to make sure you get what you want.

Abundance or simplicity?

A heady mass of blooms, a carpet of rose petals or flower arches can create a spectacular display at your ceremony and reception. The overall effect is one of joy and sunshine, two very positive and happy energies to surround yourself with on your wedding day. If this kind of floral background is part of your dream wedding day, then you’ll need to budget accordingly, which may mean trimming other expenses. Remember that creating your perfect wedding is all about deciding what’s most important to you and spending accordingly.

On the other hand not every bride wants a full-on floral spectacular and simplicity can work extremely well. In this case you might want to go for a couple of beautiful standing arrangements at the ceremony – perhaps framing the altar or marriage table. At the reception you might have one more standing display to create a link between ceremony and reception, and simple but striking flowers in the centre of the buffet or dining tables.

Ready to find floral heaven?

When you’re planning a wedding it can feel a bit like spinning plates. Many brides find they have to keep dashing from one thing to another to keep their plans going with never a moment to rest. Thank goodness for Hunter Bride! Our directory is stuffed full of useful wedding information as well as contacts for local florists who specialise in wedding flowers in Newcastle.

Searching online means you can curl up with a cuppa and rest your aching feet. Once you’ve found a likely florist, a few phone calls and you can put a firm tick through yet another item on your wedding to-do list!

Jade McIntosh Flowers

It is perfectly possible to create a stylish wedding without a massive floral display. Sometimes one or two beautiful set pieces in the wedding and reception venues are enough to deliver a striking effect. However, it is always worth reserving a good slice of your wedding budget for your flowers, because nothing personalises the ceremony and reception as much as quantities of fabulous, fresh, floral decorations.

When it comes to creating stunning wedding flowers, Newcastle NSW florists are typically delighted to showcase their creative flair. Many have a detailed photographic portfolio covering all kinds of displays. Leafing through a portfolio can be a great place to start gathering ideas for your own wedding flowers.

Summer or winter

When dreaming about your wedding flowers, remember that some varieties might not be readily available all year round. Florists might still be able to get hold of a particular variety out of season, but blooms that have been nurtured in a hot-house are likely to cost a great deal more.

Classic spring or summer wedding arrangements feature roses with soft ferns, while classic winter or autumn floral decorations might include interesting berries and foliage. Of course, you can always go for tropical exotics no matter the season!

Harmony or contrast

Another element to consider in picking your wedding flowers is whether you want to use the signature colours in your bouquet for all your arrangements, or whether you prefer flowers that emphasise the pure luxurious white or cream of your dress, or bright flowers that contrast it.

Wedding flower arrangements designed to harmonise with a white or creamy dress might feature predominantly white or pastel flowers, such as delicate pink roses, or daisies, perhaps with a snap of bright colour.

On the other hand, you might like to create a bolder, hotter note with wedding flowers that provide a total contrast with your dress. In that case, consider something unusual and stylish, such as a splash of bright red, heart-shaped anthuriums (also known as painter’s palette).

Personal symbols and meaning

You can add individuality to your floral decorations by including flowers with meaning. The language and meaning of flowers has a long and distinguished history, which reached its peak in Victorian times. Though slightly out of fashion now, it’s still lovely to pick flowers that symbolise aspects of love. It can also become a talking point among guests. Many people know that a rose symbolises love, but few are likely to recognise that including baby’s breath in your wedding flowers signals a pure heart.

Charms for wedding bouquets are also readily available, and include good luck symbols such as miniature horseshoes. You can also ask the florist to include a special charm of your own.

Ready to get going?

Happily, you don’t need to personally visit every single outlet in the area in the hope of discovering a talented florist for your wedding.

We put together the Hunter Bride directory listings precisely to help you avoid these kinds of wedding stresses. Our directory showcases a number of florists who specialise in creating wedding flowers in Newcastle NSW. Searching online from the comfort of your own sofa makes it easy and relaxing work to bookmark favourite florists, and get organised.

Jade McIntosh Wedding Flowers

Choosing your wedding flowers is a wonderful part of the wedding arrangements. Who doesn’t love looking at – and smelling – gorgeous flowers? Perhaps you have a firm idea of what you want, or maybe you just have a general colour theme in mind, and you’re in need of inspiration on style. Wherever you’re up to when it comes to deciding on wedding bouquets, Newcastle NSW florists can help you make the final decision. Here are five quick tips to get you thinking about the possibilities, before you head off to find a florist.

Think about your favourites

A good place to start is to make a list of flowers you love. Images are worth a thousand words. Cut out, or print, pictures of flower arrangements you admire.

Consider a colour theme

While a colour theme is by no means mandatory, it’s the perfect way to create a cohesive ‘look’ for your special day. Unless you already have a firm opinion on the colour theme, most follow fashion. Look at the colours of your bridal party for inspiration. Your theme might be the hue of a bridesmaid’s dress, or an accent such as a sash or tie. A colour theme might be comprised of two or even three colours.

While white, pink and red roses are firm favourites when it comes to wedding flowers, florists are able to create bouquets in a wide range of colours and varietals. How about vibrant orange or purple, for example? You might opt for a traditional favourite, or something more exotic.

Look to what’s in season

While it may be possible to create any type of wedding bouquets, Newcastle NSW florists are going to find it easier to work with what’s in season. These flowers will be more easily accessible, may last longer and in general, will be a better price.

Think about styling

A traditional wedding bouquet often has flowers framed with leaves; however there really is a whole world of flower designs available. You might opt for a traditional small circular bouquet, or flowing waterfall style. One popular look in recent times is to have longer stems tied with a single ribbon, or even string for a natural country look. It’s really up to you.

Look for inspiration

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to wedding bouquets. A good florist will certainly be able to assist with your plans, and offer advice on the best flowers for your needs.

You might take a look at the Hunter Bride listings for florists in Newcastle, and browse wedding magazines to look at bouquets and see if there’s anything that catches your eye. This is also a good idea if you’re not too clear on flower names, and will help you learn just what’s what when it comes to wedding flowers.

And after the flowers

So you’ve found the perfect florist and finalised the flowers. You no doubt have a few more things to organise before the big day. The Hunter Bride listings cover all sorts of wedding categories, and will help you find every service and provider you need to find the dress, ceremony location, reception venue and more. If you’re not a local, you might also take a look at the Visit Newcastle website for practical information on the town and surrounding areas.

Jade McIntosh Flowers

Search for Jade McIntosh Flowers online and you will find a lot of hype surrounding this company. And there is good reason for it too – Jade McIntosh helps over 100 brides achieve their wedding dreams each year!

After years of experience in a retail florist in Newcastle, Jade McIntosh decided to focus on a love of creating flower arrangements for weddings and functions. In 2006, Jade McIntosh Flowers was created for exactly this purpose, weddings and functions.

The ambition of the florist is to provide convenience to brides, helping take some of the pressure off the wedding planning. Therefore they strive to be flexible with meeting locations and times. Even if you live interstate or far away they can still organise the floral arrangements with minimum meetings in person.

Jade McIntosh Flowers will also liaise with the other suppliers working on your wedding, which is very useful when you are feeling the stresses of the planning.

There are many things to consider when choosing the floral arrangements for your wedding. From the type of bouquet – such as a posy or a shower bouquet – to the colour scheme chosen for the bride and the bridesmaids flowers.

Unsure where to start? Visit the Jade McIntosh Flowers website. Here you will find an extensive list of which flowers are in season by month to help you choose or eliminate various types of blooms up front. Also swing by the Jade McIntosh Flower facebook page where you will find gorgeous photos of past bridal bouquets. There is no better way to find something you like than to see it as part of an actual wedding.

Keep in mind that wedding flowers are not necessarily only for the bridal bouquets. Flower arrangements can be used in weddings for the ceremony, the reception and even the men often require a boutonniere (or button hole).  Jade McIntosh can help with all of these and will only use the very best flowers available. They encourage creativity and the use of natural materials.

If you haven’t already decided on your reception centerpieces, speak to Jade McIntosh Flowers about that too, as they conveniently have vase hire in all shapes and sizes. They even have delivery anywhere and will set up the arrangements for you.

No matter what type of flowers you are looking for, you can rest assured you will be well cared for with the impeccable quality and service at Jade McIntosh Flowers.