Contemporary Summer Wedding Ideas

Couples marrying in summer have a great choice of colourful and seasonal wedding flowers for their ceremonies in Essex or other areas of the UK. This time of year is especially popular with brides and grooms because it is an upbeat season when we all tend to feel happier and more relaxed. It also means the happy couples can take a honeymoon near home in the UK, or jet off further afield if preferred, and should be able to enjoy sunshine either way. Tolly's Flowers has put together some ideas for contemporary summer weddings.

Over the centuries, the sun has traditionally been linked with fertility, which was one reason for the popularity of summer weddings in the past, and in Scotland brides used to “walk with the sun”, which involved walking from east to west and then circling the church several times. Nowadays, the sun is still a very welcome wedding guest.

If you are seeking a great venue for a wedding in Essex, there are many to choose from, including historic country houses like Gosfield Hall near Braintree, a Georgian manor house which has won awards for its facilities. Alternatively, another exciting choice would be a wedding by the waterside, perhaps at a hotel near the beach in Clacton or Southend-on-Sea, while Crowne Plaza Resort/Five Lakes in Colchester is a hotel and golf club complex which has become another popular wedding venue.

Based in Newmarket, Tolly’s specialise in wedding flowers for Essex venues and, whether you want contemporary displays or traditional flowers for your wedding, they will create spectacular and memorable arrangements to fit perfectly with your chosen theme.

Wedding Flowers Essex – click here to see our designs.

Choosing Contemporary Flowers

You might want to choose a contemporary wedding floral display for your Essex ceremony because you are looking for something fuss-free and less elaborate, and perhaps have minimalist tastes or prefer modern styles of art and fashion. If you would like to add a touch of symbolism through your choice of flowers, you might want to consider including gladioli, which are traditionally the blooms symbolising the month of August, in your bouquets or arrangements.

In the “language of flowers” during Victorian times, when courting couples passed secret messages to one another through their choice of flowers, the gladiolus meant love at first sight, while another meaning is sincerity. These beautiful flowers come in a number of colours, including white, red and pink, all popular bridal choices – but for your summer wedding arrangements you might also like to pick orange and yellow, colours with a flavour of sunshine.

Bright colours and tropical flowers can help to create a relaxed summer wedding atmosphere, while seasonal British flowers are another increasingly popular choice and especially eco-friendly. Seasonally-grown wedding flowers available over the summer include sweet peas, peonies, sweet Williams, delphiniums, sunflowers, stocks, daisies, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums and scented lavender.

The Bridal Bouquet: We can create contemporary bridal bouquets in many different styles, depending on your taste. Some brides like a simple hand-held bouquet with just a few colours, perhaps white with orange or yellow, while others prefer more sophisticated designs, for instance a trailing arrangement of white orchids, or a more rural flavour with a frothy array of white gypsophila.

Buttonholes and Corsages: You could opt for a more elaborate buttonhole for the best man and fathers, and simpler versions for other male guests. White or pink roses are a traditional choice for a buttonhole, but an orchid or a double lisanthius would make a good contemporary alternative. We can also create corsages for mothers of the bridal couple and other important female guests, to tie in with the wedding theme.

Wedding Flowers: At the ceremony itself, pedestal, archway and window arrangements will all help to make the church or other venue look beautiful, and can be themed in accordance with the venue. Contemporary choices here could include arrangements of multi-coloured roses interwoven with other flowers, or arrangements of delphiniums and hydrangeas. 

Reception Flowers: One strikingly different idea for a centrepiece is an arrangement of orange roses surrounding a glass bowl containing floating candles, but you could also go for angular vases, an unusual display of flowers in a globe or even a mock birdcage. In-season British flowers will help to give a fresh and modern feel, and it may be possible to re-use arrangements from the ceremony.

Vehicle Flowers: Finishing touches for the ceremony include flowers on the wedding car – which can be just as colourful as you choose.

About Tolly’s

Whether you are seeking contemporary or more traditional wedding arrangements for your Essex ceremony, Tolly's Flowers can create spectacular displays using our expertise in floristry and our design flair. We are based in Newmarket and serve a wide surrounding area.

Contemporary Essex wedding flowers -click here to browse our designs.