Charm of Yesteryear

Clear, vintage-style candelabras trailing with crystals and adorned with delicate, traditional roses in pastel shades make stunning wedding reception table arrangements. This display, created by Tolly’s Flowers, has all the charm of bygone years and looked graceful against the background of Hengrave Hall’s white panelling.

Attention to Detail

The Tolly’s team used hundreds of fragrant roses to meticulously dress the supporting pillars, at this couple’s wedding reception marquee. These magical arrangements – with splashes of blue and delicate pink and cream - injected colour, style and beauty to the marquee at Barrington Hall, Cambridge.

Light and Romance

Here at the Bedford Lodge Hotel, Tolly's combined traditional white roses with tall, brightly lit candelabras to create simple, yet enchanting centrepieces. The dark green foliage contrasted beautifully with the white fabric and flowers to create an elegant and romantic effect.

Tolly's Flowers Design for the Prestigious Darley Stallion Parade

Tolly’s of Newmarket was delighted to be appointed to design the flower displays for the prestigious three-day Darley Stallion Parade, an annual event held as a thank you to breeders.

This is the 30th year running that Tolly’s has supplied the flowers for the glittering occasion held at Darley’s Headquarters in Newmarket.

The event was hosted by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, who hosted an impressive lunch at the global horse breeding operation’s Newmarket headquarters. 

Head designer Tolly Considine said 1,000 people a day attended the three-day lunch held in the second week of July. 

“It was a huge honour and I always look forward to designing the flowers for the Darley Stallion Parade each year,” he said.

Mr Considine comes up with the ideas and puts forward his proposals for the event at the start of the year, and gives a trial of his design in May.

This year he changed the style from corporate blue to an English summer garden theme and the marquee was decorated with spectacular displays featuring seasonal flowers in pink, blue, white and purple. 

Cambridgeshire Wedding Flowers – Blending Modern and Traditional

Cambridgeshire is of course both an ancient rural county with a strong agricultural tradition, as well as being home to a modern vibrant city hosting cutting edge technology and business – so when attempting to reflect the style and personalities of couples in Cambridgeshire, wedding flowers often need to include both traditional and contemporary elements.

At Tolly's Flowers we cater for all budgets to provide unique and stunning displays combining contemporary design with the best traditional varieties and techniques, to represent the lifestyle and tastes of the bride and groom. Here we show some recent examples of our work which show how we blend traditional and modern:

Cambridgeshire Wedding Flowers – Click here to see our gallery of recent work.

Wedding flowers are one of the most traditional elements of any wedding, but floral designs for a church, reception, bouquet, or even for a wedding cake, can be given a contemporary twist through a range of techniques.

Minimalist Colour Schemes
Minimalism is perhaps the most recognisable way of giving any design a modern feel. And in the context of wedding flower arrangements the most popular way to achieve this is to use cream flowers – usually Roses – and green foliage.

Here this idea has been used in a traditional way as a table centrepiece. Use of multiple types of flowers and foliage and some trailing effects help to soften the contemporary colour scheme.

But in this reception venue design the effect is much more strongly contemporary. Here we have chosen the most traditional of flowers – Roses and Gladioli – but by limiting the colour scheme to cream, dark green and black the result is striking and very modern.

But contemporary minimalism does not have to be Spartan – it can also be very soft, depending on the colours chosen. Here the blend between traditional and modern is almost invisible. The use of cream and pink roses is highly traditional, but everything else about this arrangement – a limited colour palette, a perfectly shaped dome and an ultra modern spiral vase, against a white table setting – makes this a thoroughly contemporary design.

Intense and Contrasting Colours
In the modern world vivid, bright colours tend to be associated with synthetic dyes, while "natural" colours are thought of as being paler and generally more muted. However, nature can produce some highly intense colours of its own and can be used to add instant energy and modernity to wedding arrangements.

In these church decorations, for example, intense, almost electric blue Larkspur contrast with cream and very pale pink for a stunning but modern twist on traditional ceremonial arrangements.

And in this contemporary wedding bouquet, traditional white roses are teamed with bright orange trailing flowers, effortlessly combining traditional and contemporary.

In this table arrangement the use of hot pink gerbera and lime green spider chrysanthemums gives a fresh modern feel (enhanced by the square black container).

Containers and Accessories
A floral arrangement can be made instantly more traditional or more contemporary simply through the choice of container it is placed in. For instance, traditionally shaped silverware automatically gives an arrangement an older, more traditional feel; while glass and ceramics in modern shapes instantly makes any arrangement feel more contemporary. At Tolly's we use a wide range of containers to help create the effect a couple is looking for.

For example, in this reception table decoration the couple wanted highly traditional large pink and cream Roses, but presented in a very modern way. We used a simple glass dome container which kept the focus firmly on the flowers while giving an effect which could hardly be more contemporary.

The Unusual and Quirky
Perhaps the easiest way to give wedding flowers a contemporary feel is to choose flower varieties or arrangements which are highly unusual for a wedding context. The very popularity of traditional varieties such as Roses, Peonies, Lilies and Gypsophila at weddings means that it is relatively easy to step away from these and choose something different to achieve an original effect.

In this wedding bouquet we have used white orchids with pale yellow centres to give an exotic yet very modern effect. The choice of colour and a touch of foliage is just enough to suggest a traditional wedding bouquet.

Another way to create unique wedding arrangements is to "subvert the form" and do away with the traditional vase altogether. In this table arrangement, we have used an arched perspex stand on which to display mini arrangements of traditional Roses with foliage, giving a highly unusual but still very pretty effect.

And in this table arrangement we have used 3 roses arranged in a floral teacup and saucer – the effect is very traditional, almost rustic, and yet its quirkiness adds a very modern feel.

We hope that these examples show that the scope for blending traditional and modern is almost limitless. So if you are looking for unique designs for your Cambridgeshire wedding, please call Tollys Flowers to help.

Local Suffolk Wedding Flowers

For couples planning a Suffolk wedding, flowers that have been grown locally in Suffolk, are an eco-friendly option that also helps to add meaning to the special day – especially if the bride or groom have strong connections with the county.

Suffolk, of course, is very much an agricultural county and is home to many commercial flower growers who can provide a wealth of locally grown flower varieties to grace a summer or early autumn wedding in Suffolk.

Tolly's Flowers specialise in sourcing locally grown English flowers for their customers in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire, and in this article we take a look at a selection of the varieties that are available from local growers in Suffolk.

Suffolk Wedding Flowers – Click here for examples of our wedding bouquets, buttonholes and ceremonial arrangements.

Roses
Roses, especially white or cream varieties, are perennial favourites as wedding flowers, perhaps because they can work with any colour scheme or design theme, traditional or contemporary. Roses are grown commercially in great profusion in many Suffolk flower farms, blooming strongly from June. Roses are the classic choice for buttonholes and bouquets, of course, and work equally well in a single flower arrangement or combined with other species.

   
Sweet Peas
Sweet Peas are extremely popular in wedding bouquets and other arrangements for their delicacy but also for their traditional meaning “blissful pleasure”. They have a somewhat exotic appearance and can be found in variety of colours from simple white to deepest purple, and so can make an eye-catching alternative to the traditional buttonhole or corsage. Sweet Peas are grown locally in Suffolk and are available from early summer onwards.

Larkspur
If you are looking for a traditional English flower that offers drama and colour, then Larkspur has both in equal measure. In keeping with its name the Larkspur produces a tall bloom with multiple smaller flowers along its length to form a spike effect.  It is available in June and July in a variety of colours including white, blue and a wide range of pale and deep pinks, making it a versatile option to fit in with many colour schemes.

Here, dark pink and white Larkspur have been used to add a dramatic but natural effect to a church gate arrangement.

Peonies
Peonies are often used as an alternative to Roses and are similarly versatile in terms of colour. The blooms are on the large side, helping to add a sense of drama to buttonholes or bouquets, and their curly petals add romance to any arrangement. Peonies are widely grown in Suffolk nurseries and are available from spring and well into the summer.

Alliums
Allliums have large, spherical blooms which grow easily in northern climates such as ours, but nevertheless have an exotic appearance. Usually purple or white in colour and standing vertically on a strong stem, they can be used individually for a minimalist, contemporary effect, or to help create dramatic larger arrangements.

Foxgloves
Considered a quintessentially English flower, the foxglove is an ideal way of adding drama to any display while still retaining a highly traditional English feel. Grown commercially in Suffolk and elsewhere in the UK and available in a wide range of colours including white, pinks, purples and near-reds, the Foxglove is an ideal choice for romantic flowers for Suffolk weddings.

Cornflowers
Another traditional English flower, Cornflowers are most often available in an intense blue, but can also be obtained in pink, purple, red and white varieties. It is native to northern Europe and earned its name through being a common "weed" in crop fields, especially wheat and barley, and so may especially appeal to couples with Suffolk roots. Sadly, modern farming methods have drastically reduced the natural occurrence of Cornflowers within the UK, but many local Suffolk growers are helping to conserve this ever-popular species.

The intense blue of Cornflowers can be used either on its own or with white, to create dramatic, contemporary arrangements; or combined with other bright species for an explosion of summer colour. And of course, Cornflowers instantly solve the requirement for "something blue".

Despite their humble origins, Cornflowers have some illustrious fans and were reputedly the favourite flower of John F Kennedy, 35th President of the US. In memory of his father, John F. Kennedy Jr. and his best man wore Cornflower buttonholes at his wedding in 1996.

About Tolly’s Flowers
The above are just a selection of the many local flowers we use to create stunning Suffolk wedding flower arrangements. Although we can source any type of flower throughout the year we take pride in making use of local flowers from the East Anglian region wherever we can.

Based in Newmarket, we are available for weddings and other special occasions throughout Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire, helping you to achieve an impressive display whatever your budget.

Please call us to discuss your ideas or let us help you come up with a design and colour scheme for your wedding.

Tolly’s Flowers – A Stunning English Country Exhibit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2014

Tolly's Flowers presented a stunning floral exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show in May, alongside London art gallery Gladwell & Patterson and internationally renowned Cambridge sculptor, Edward Waites.

Our stand had an English Country Garden theme and the flower displays – designed and created entirely by Tolly – were kept to two colours, white and green.

Tolly's green and white theme with traditional English flowers and layers of foliage provided a sophisticated yet stunning display to set off a range of artwork.

Head designer Tolly Constantine was delighted with the praise received from visitors and said: “The Chelsea Flower Show went very well. Everybody was thrilled with our stand and we received very flattering comments.

“We kept the floral displays simple with colour, as there was already colour in the paintings and our stand had a life-size sculpture of a horse. The flowers were designed to be elegant, understated and dramatic – although not over the top – so we could all complement each other.

“The event was great fun to be involved with, and was phenomenally well organised, both in and outside the grounds. I was honoured to be asked and will look forward to doing it again.”

Tolly’s Flowers – Click here to see more of our stunning displays

Edward Waites at work on his clay mould sculpture of Mafki, the winner of the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in 2010. Behind him are a number of his other works as well as eye-catching arrangements by Tollys.

The Chelsea Flower Show, also known as the Spring Show, is closely associated with the Royal family and was visited by Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip on the opening day. Over the years Tolly’s Flowers and Waites have both received commissions from royal clients.

About Tolly’s Flowers

Tolly’s Flowers design spectacular floral arrangements for clients in Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Essex, Hertfordshire and London. We are high quality, professional florists with a superb reputation for our bespoke arrangements designed for private and corporate events, parties and weddings. We specialise in arrangements which are not only gorgeous by themselves, but are designed to suit the space in which they will be displayed, whether that be a church or a wedding reception venue, and to enhance any special occasion.

If you have special event taking place and would like to use our professional floristry services, click on the link below.

Tolly’s Flowers – Click on the link to find out more about our services and how we can help with your event.