In the May sunshine, here's Faye with her Bridesmaids.
An exceptionally pretty wedding at Parton, on the shore of Loch Ken, Dumfries & Galloway. The bouquets were full of our locally grown Spring flowers - our speciality Tulips, Sweet Rocket, Aquilegia, Ranunculus & Cornish Alstroemeria. Thank you, Faye for allowing me to share the photo here. And of course thank you to Photographer Duncan Ireland for capturing the moment so beautifully. As large boxes of bulbs begin arriving here this month, it can seem a bit overwhelming. Where & when will I plant them all? Have I invested in the 'right' colours for next years weddings? I'm finding it motivating to remember the special occasions where they went this year! The Calendar for arranging our locally grown flowers at weddings in Wedding Flowers2025 & 2026 is open now. More information can be found by following the links from the wedding pages
0 Comments
Scanning my recent posts, it looks as if I grew only 'Autumn coloured' flowers this year!
The rusty coppers, peaches & golds have dominated flowers posted - probably because I've felt so cold & Autumnal since early August... In reality, the flowers I actually grew, cut & arranged for weddings has been very different. It's time to catch up on photo's from this Summers weddings. So to begin, here's Deborah's bouquet for her wedding at Gretna Green from early September. This quick snap was taken before making final tweaks & adding the ribbons. (Flowers in bouquets always seem to move a bit overnight as they settle so I find this check helpful) No Autumn shades in sight here - just plenty of soft pinky-purples, lavender & lashings of white froth. I included Dahlias, Daisies, Phlox, Cosmos, Scabious & Nigella. 100% grown in Scotland, for a low carbon footprint. More information on our wedding packages can be found here You'll not often catch a photo of me on here - I prefer my flowers to take the limelight.
Super-talented Photographer Duncan Ireland captured this moment in May when I delivered the bridal bouquet on Faye's special day. (Thank you Duncan for permission to share your photo) Now let me tell you about the flowers... 100% grown by myself at the Flower Farm, about 4 miles as the crow flies from the venue on Loch Ken. Early May loveliness including flouncy Peony Tulips, Ranunculus, scented Hesperis & dainty Aquilegia dancing above the rest. A Summers day at Urr Parish Church, near Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway - a lovely setting for a country wedding.
The dainty, meadowy flowers of late Summer including sweetly scented Sweet Peas, Honeysuckle & Acidanthera. Every single stem grown & cut by us at the Flower Farm a few miles away. Then arranged naturally in a reusable glass vase with water for a low carbon footprint. When the flowers fade, they can safely be added to the compost heap. The vase will be washed & stored ready for next time. What could be simpler & more sustainable than that? Emma LOVES pink...
The brief for her May wedding bouquet was 'pink, pink & more pink!' So I selected a mix of deep pink Peonies, pink Aquilegia, pinky hued acer leaves & some lacy Orlaya as the key flowers in her bouquet. Emma brought her own choice of velvet ribbon to add & it turned out to be just the perfect colour. Couples come from all over the World to marry at Gretna Green. Emma, Dan & their young family made a road trip out of the occasion. Travelling all the way to me in their camper van to collect flowers, & then on to Gretna for their special ceremony. Thank you Emma & Dan for sharing the lovely photo - it was a pleasure to work with a real flower enthusiast! Photo credit www.roseandjulien.com Some of my favourite flowers are in this romantic wedding bouquet from last September. Peachy Dahlias, Soft pink Roses, Daisies & a few stems of beautifully scented Honeysuckle. A few stems of Gypsophila from Lincolnshire (by September I had cut all mine), every other stem grown here in Galloway by myself.
As our flowers are grown naturally, availability of specific varieties changes as we move through the flower season. No two weddings are ever exactly the same as I cut the best flowers available to your wedding colour theme. And our Bride Megan told me; 'thank you - the flowers just made the day and all the photos so perfect! They were really beautiful and just the right colours for the late summers day we had. Thanks so much for all the thought you put into creating the perfect bouquets!' If you're looking for memorable flowers for your wedding in Dumfries & Galloway, let's talk soon. Country flowers for a Country wedding...
In early July, Fergus & Myumi married at Balmaghie Kirk, near Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway. This is such a pretty Kirk, surrounded by stunning views across Loch Ken & surrounding countryside. A beautiful backdrop for wedding photo's. The Bridal bouquet was possibly the most scented I can remember making. Soft peachy pink Garden Roses & Sweet Peas, with delicate Daisies & Nigella. Just very light & airy as Myumi is petite. At the door, two large flower arrangements stood tall & inside the Kirk, boxes of Summer flowers welcomed guests to their seats. Again, deliciously scented Garden Roses & Sweet Peas plus plenty of Daisies & 'froth' from the Flower Farm in Summer. And of course, all grown sustainably here in Scotland for minimal 'flower miles'. Arranged without floral foam or plastics. It wasn't a long commute to work for me - just to the other side of Loch Ken! Balmaghie Kirk is available for hire for weddings,funerals, christenings/naming ceremonies of any denomination. For more information, visit the Balmaghie Kirk website Here's a gorgeous confetti shot of Rosie & Gregor at their wedding at Crichton Memorial Church, Dumfries in early July. The bright bouquet flowers (all grown here at the Flower Farm) really pop in the sunshine. It included our garden Roses, Honeysuckle & Sweet Peas for scent. Congratulations to both & thank you for sharing the photo. Photo credit Nicola Hunter. Rosie ordered a 'Bloom Bucket' of our mixed Summer flowers, collected the day before the wedding. Family members arranged the flowers to decorate the wedding venue.
It makes my day when I receive gorgeous photo's like these in my inbox!
Cally & Chris captured beautifully by Photographer Luke Bennett at their wedding at Cardoness beach in early May. The Bluebells were covering the the woodlands by the shore in stunning blue. I included early mini white Narcissi, Tulips, Scilla, Viburnum & Amelanchier blossom in Cally's bouquet. All grown here except for a few pure white Alstroemeria & the Scilla from a grower in Cornwall. (A few miles north, mine weren't quite ready). Very impressed by the colour co-ordination between the blue Scilla & Cally's boots! (see picture below) Thank you Cally, Chris & Luke for allowing me to share the photo with you. Photographer @lukebennettphoto Flowers @GallowayFlowers Dress @ahwbride Celebrant @solway_celebrant Rich, warm colours & full of scent too - this bridal bouquet from last July is full of both. The scent of Garden Roses, Honeysuckle, Sweet Peas & (one of my favourites) Marjoram softly blended together. All grown here at the Flower Farm near Castle Douglas & freshly cut the day before. We never use noxious chemicals to grow or treat our flowers, we rely on our natural pest control team instead.
By choosing locally grown flowers for your wedding, you can enjoy the freshest flowers, & know the Carbon footprint is kept low too. Sunflowers are among the 'Top Ten' requested flowers by our wedding couples for this Summer.
So this week, I've been sorting out seeds ready for sowing. (Not yet - way too early!) And there are so many gorgeous varieties available now. Looking beyond the cheerful yellow giants commonly seen by the bunch in supermarkets, there are pale creamy lemons, rich oranges, deep plummy reds, stripes, browns... how do I choose which to grow? And best of all, many of these varieties produce multiple smaller flowers with slender stems. They might not win a 'tallest Sunflower competition' but are perfect as cut flowers. So much easier to arrange in a wedding bouquet or vase! The Sunflowers here in Maria's Summer wedding bouquet were just the perfect size - rich, joyful colours & not too heavy to carry. Thank you Maria & Peter for allowing me to share your photo, & of course, to talented photographer Derek Dunlop Photography for capturing the moment. A teeny little Flower Wand for a Flower Girl's teeny hand, made for a Galloway wedding last Summer...
Brightly coloured blooms including Heather & plenty of swishy ribbons to twirl about. All grown here at the Flower Farm in Dumfries & Galloway, naturally. Who do you know who would like their very own flower wand at a wedding this Summer? Well, I know I've said it before... but I ask you, if you don't wear flowers in your hair on your wedding day, when will you?
And flower circlets like these are among the memorable details in photographs you'll look at over & over again. I love making these flower circlets for our Brides & attendants on their special day. Choosing elements from the bouquet & adding other touches from around the Flower Farm. Often I can use the dainty short-stem flowers that pinpoint the season (such as the Muscari & Pieris top right or the first stems of Heather in the bottom circlet.) The only thing I don't like about Flower Circlets? Taking a quick reminder photograph before I deliver them! It's so hard to capture a good image when lying flat in my workshop... But it all changes when a circlet is in place. And beautiful Bride Tayla, married last July shows us just how it should be done! (Thank you Rene Welch for the beautiful photo of Tayla - SO much better than my two photos!) A Buttonhole of dried flowers ready to a pin on the Groom's jacket at a recent wedding.
All Scottish-grown & dried by myself. Just natural colours, no bleach or dyes. Dried flowers are so popular for weddings this year & it's no wonder - interesting details, full of colour & a lasting keepsake of a special day. Autumn flowers decorated the table at Craigadam Country House Hotel, Crocketford in late October for a special wedding celebration.
Sweet little bud vases placed all the way down the enormous dining table, every one filled with a different combination of seasonal flowers, grasses & foliage. All grown here at the flower farm just a few miles away except for the Eucalyptus from a Cornish grower. The vases sparkled in the afternoon sunshine - imagine how beautiful the table would have looked when all the candles were lit that evening in those candelabra! Thank you so much - I'm so thrilled to be nominated as a Finalist in the Scottish Wedding Awards 2024!
|
AuthorRosie Gray of Galloway Flowers. Cut Flower Grower & Florist near Castle Douglas, in South West Scotland. Using 100% Flowers & Foliage grown in British Isles, all year round. Archives
October 2024
Categories
All
|