Category: Real Weddings

Sarosh & Jemma

Posted on by Katherine

This beautiful couple got in touch just two months before their wedding date and I’m so pleased that we managed to pull this off in such a short space of time. To be fair, they had been kind of busy saving lives, him as a cardiologist and her as an intensive care nurse so the wedding plans had naturally taken a back seat. On our first meeting, we just clicked and I knew exactly what they wanted just from the one reference photo of a candelabra centrepiece that they showed me for inspiration. A riot of colour that would be symbolic of their two cultures and the union of their marriage.

 

 

I chose clashing colours of hot pink, coral, orange, deep red and lime greens and a mix of more traditional wedding flowers (peonies, dahlias and tulips) with something a little more exotic (nutans, amaranthus and umbrella ferns).

 

 

The couple were married in the magical grounds of Tournerbury Woods, a 50 acre estate with it’s own private beach. The day was split in three parts, with a traditional Irish ceremony by the waterfront, followed by a Muslim blessing in front of the gazebo followed by the wedding breakfast and dancing in the marquee. These fabulous photos and video of the celebrations were taken by the talented duo Oana and Valentin at Tell Your Story Photography & Film. And they really did tell the love story of Jemma & Sarosh.

 

 

 

 

 

Click on the video below to watch a very special film of their big day with heaps more inspiration. Jemma & Sarosh were so very pleased with their wedding flowers that they sent these lovely words the very next day whilst on honeymoon in The Maldives. Thank you for choosing Katherine Bly Flowers guys. It really was my absolute pleasure. K x

 

“You did an absolutely incredible job of the flowers. You made our dreams into a reality (and we had very lofty dreams!!) by just looking at one picture we provided. We had so many compliments on how beautiful the marquee looked decorated with your flowers. You can really tell how passionate you are about your work and that really shone through. Our sincere thanks J&S”

 

Lauren & Oli

Posted on by Katherine

This couple were so much fun to work with and I loved all the quirky, personal touches they had at their wedding. They chose to get married in a beautiful country club called Wickwoods, a hidden gem in the Sussex countryside surrounded by mature trees. Lauren had a her heart set on an unusual flower combination of roses and succulents in muted nude, pink and coffee shades. They perfectly complimented the mocha bridesmaid dresses and in fact one of the variety of roses we used was called ‘Cappucino’.

Oli’s wore a striking blue suit and I ensured that some of the roses also perfectly matched his bright pink socks. Don’t you love guys that embrace pink?

 

These gorgeous images were taken by the brilliant Sara Reeve Photography, who is also a fellow member of The Sussex Wedding Collective. Thanks lovely Sara for letting me use these images.

 

Congratulations L&O. I love this photo of you both, totally gone with the wind! And so pleased to say that this wedding was admired so much, it also appears in Wedding Ideas Magazine, the no 1 Bridal Magazine in the UK. Hurrah! Katherine x

 

 

David & Sarah

Posted on by Katherine

Well just look at these two. Aren’t they just the cutest? I’ve never seen a couple look so happy, relaxed and in love. This photo makes me want to cry with joy. Well done to Nick Parker at Parker Shots for capturing them so perfectly. It was clear from our first meeting, that these two knew exactly what look they wanted to create for their wedding at the glorious Chafford Park. Sarah wanted bright, zesty lemon flowers with fresh lime foliages. I selected David Austin roses, peonies, veronica, solidago, olive and ferns with which I created floral designs that were natural, loose and had a slightly wild look to them. It perfectly suited the rustic farm setting.

 

 

For the ceremony, Sarah and David wanted a relaxed look in The Granary Barn and chose a birch arch decorated with floral tie backs and white drapes. I love how pure and simple this looks against the wood panelling. And the yellow flowers really pop!

 

 

After the ceremony, guests were treated to champagne and canapes on the lawn whilst admiring the collection of classic cars – David’s pride and joy. The line up included a beautiful Ferrari F40, a Porsche Speedster and a classic Morris Minor that David had worked on extensively with his father. They were a great talking point, especially with the flower walk which ran behind the vehicles and acted as a pretty backdrop. (Fun Fact: I’m a real petrol head and I’ve actually driven this gorgeous Ferrari F40 at 160mph around the track at Silverstone!)

 

 

For the wedding breakfast, guests were then taken next door into The Hop Barn. The size and scale of this space is not to be underestimated. It is stunning but huge so small table arrangements would have got lost. Sarah knew this and had already asked for tall centrepieces so that colour would be drawn up to the ceiling. These fabulous arrangements were over 150cm tall so they certainly added drama to the room, which was amplified by the stunning drapes installed by Not Your Average I Do.

 

 

As you can see there are so many fabulous photo opportunities at Chafford Park including the barns, lawns, meadows, pond, farmhouse and more formal gardens which total 300 acres in all. I’m looking forward to creating more wedding flowers there next summer. In the meantime, many congratulations D&S. Thank you for letting me be part of your special day. K x

 

 

The Suppliers:

Photographer: Nick Parker at Parkershots https://parkershots.com

Florist: Katherine Bly Flowers http://www.katherinebly.com

Venue: Chafford Park, Sarah Swiderski http://chaffordpark.co.uk

Décor / Styling: Not Your Average I Do. Kelly Kearly http://notyouraverageido.com

Hair & Make-up Artist: Christina Jessell http://www.christinajessel.com/

Bride’s gown (Designer and boutique) Mikaella Bridal. Sally at Helena Fortley in Caterham https://www.helenafortley.co.uk

Groom / Groomsmen suits: Groom – Ted Baker. Groomsmen – Dickies of Crawley http://www.dickiesofcrawley.com

Rings: Engagement ring by The Diamond Store. Wedding rings by Chisholm Hunter (Bluewater)

Caterer: Red Anywhere, Imogen Boath http://www.redanywhere.co.uk/

 

Angela & Chris

Posted on by Katherine
What a beautiful spring wedding this was set in the magical grounds of Great Fosters, a Grade One listed venue with some 50 acres of stunning gardens. I was introduced to Angela and Chris by the indomitable wedding planner Inspired By Susie Evans. Susie knew that the flowers were central to the wedding theme and that she needed a a florist who could interpret the ‘Bright Spring Blooms’ brief and create natural seasonal wedding flowers with heaps of contrasting colours and textures.

From our meeting, Angela and I just hit it off. She was such a sweetheart to work with and luckily for me knew so much about flowers. She definitely wanted to include Peonies, Garden Roses, Ranunculus and Lily of the Valley and together we finalised the selection based on colour, shape and texture. The wedding flowers were perfectly captured by the very talented Paul Read Photography and I want to personally thank him for letting me use these images on my blog.

The reception drinks were held in the Painted Hall where guests could look at the fabulous ‘planted’ table plan using my vintage apple crates. Each of the tables was named after one of the featured flowers and Angela cleverly made all the table cards herself including the meaning of the flowers too. Such a sweet idea and it smelt divine!
After champagne and canapes, guests then moved into the Tithe Barn for the wedding reception. Here I used a combination of high and low centrepieces to create the wow factor. The beautiful gold chiavari chairs were hired from Coordination Catering Hire and the fantastic lighting system was created by Creative Spark.

 

Angela’s attention to detail was exemplary and she wanted the wedding cake to feature complimentary flowers so I liased direct with the amazingly talented Emma at Wicky Woo Woo Cakes. All the flowers were sugar crafted and handmade to perfection using the reference pictures I supplied. I just loved how Emma incorporated figures of Angela, Chris and their beloved terrier Frank too!

Thank you so much Angela and Chris for being such a fabulous couple. It was my absolute pleasure to be part of your perfect day. Katherine x