2018 Wedding Trends with an award-winning florist

With Christmas and New Year being a popular time to get engaged, the Hayford & Rhodes wedding diary starts filling up in January.

Its florists look to all the creative industries for inspiration: Interior design, fashion and fine art all influence our work.

For 2018 wedding trends, Hayford & Rhodes’ Managing Director Joanna Rhodes and Wedding & Event Planners Ava Sangster and Rebecca Hammond give their predictions.

Potted plants
“Following on from the foliage trend of 2017, we have a feeling that potted plants are going to play a starring role in weddings for 2018. Greenery adds character to a venue; can be used as a strategically placed ‘screen’ to soften less-than-glam areas, or to add fairy-tale woodland atmosphere to the entrance of a marquee. Potted herbs add a fragrant element to the design, and as an added bonus, guests can take a plant home as a memento from the wedding.”

Variations on Purple
“Dulux’s colour of the year 2018 is Heart Wood; a light, creamy and earthy almost-but-not-quite lavender with tones of leather, clay and heather flowers. Martha Stewart weddings suggests an intense purple colour palette is on the horizon, with darker flowers such as Anemones and Hydrangeas bringing texture, depth and drama. Similar to the catwalk trends for Spring/ Summer 2018, we’re expecting to be working with a lot of Lavender, Lilac and purple Sweet Peas. “

Voluptuousness
“Moving away from a wild, ‘undone’ look, wedding flowers will be all about chunkiness and texture, with voluptuous arrangements of a wide variety of flowers based around a single colour range to bring drama. The less manicured look will still be popular – we’re not expecting anything too neat – and flowers will still be full of depth and movement.”

Keeping It Local
“From a food and drink perspective, our friends at top caterers Alison Price & Company are placing their bets on more craft beers and artisanal cocktails. “We love that the demand for locally brewed craft beers is on the up,’ says Alison Price & Company spokesperson Anna Peterson. “Similarly, there has been a real change from organic to local produce. Couples really want to incorporate locally grown produce into their menus.” We think this trend will also filter through to floral designs: Increasingly, couples are asking for locally sourced, seasonal flowers.”

Statement Vases
“Vases are going to be big in 2018: Literally and figuratively. Elegant, striking and classic vases will be very much part of our designs. The style for 2017 saw collections of vases and little bud vases dotted around. For the New Year, we’re looking forward to working with larger, unique vases that allow the flower displays to really stand out. “



For more information, visit www.hayfordandrhodes.co.uk