Five minutes with Judy Ward from Blooming Chic florist in Chippenham

We catch up with bespoke florist Judy Ward from Blooming Chic located in Chippenham, Wiltshire, about her ideas for floral arrangements for intimate autumnal weddings.

We're planning a small autumn wedding and want our flowers to reflect the season, what can you suggest?

Judy says: "Autumn is a glorious season for both flowers and foliage. It is, after all, the time of harvest when everything is golden, ripe and in abundance. I love creating floral arrangements for autumn and late-summer weddings when there is so much to choose from.

The leaves begin to take on golden tones and flowers like hydrangeas change their personality in late summer, by bringing in darker, warmer tones. Pinks become burgundies tinged with green while the blues turn into reddish-purples. Berries also begin to form in readiness for the winter ahead and look lovely in bouquets.

If you're planning an autumn wedding, do not be afraid to choose your favourite colours. If these tend to be the pastels of summer then allow the florist to add in deeper tones to complement your choices and suit the season. We often think of orange as the dominant autumnal colour due to the shades that the leaves turn before they go brown and this bold colour looks fantastic when accompanied by luxurious purple, burgundy red and deep warm yellow tones.

My work here shows both bouquets in both traditional colours as well as an entirely different selection of warm colours. The image, above, uses chrysanthemum blooms, miniature orange spray roses, yellow statice, asclepias, sunflowers, white daises and burgundy astrantia whereas in the first bouquet shown, we use vivid cerise Yves Paiget scented roses, lilac scabious, carnations, miniature garden roses, heather and wax flowers. Reusing flowers is a good idea for smaller celebrations. Bridesmaid's posies can be displayed as table centrepieces while a floral arch can be taken down from one location and set up at another with added fairylights to create an atmosphere for the evening reception.

The person to talk to about the best seasonal flowers for your wedding is your florist, as we know flowers and are always happy to talk about them."

To book a consultation with Judy, call 01249 248 317 or visit https://www.bloomingchic.co.uk

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