Spring Wedding Advice
Now that we’re into April – spring is in the air! The wedding season will soon be upon us, so I thought I’d write a post with a bit of spring wedding advice and inspiration, and some thoughts and tips from some of my favourite local suppliers.
If you’re planning your wedding, you might be considering the merits of the different seasons to find which works for you and your vision for your big day. There are many reasons to opt for a spring wedding, over summer, autumn or winter. Here are some nuggets of spring wedding advice if you’re still debating about which season to go for!
Light Light Light!
The evenings get lighter and lighter the closer the calendar creeps to the end of March, but nothing quite says ‘spring’ to me like the light evenings that come once the clocks change! Videographer Rachel from Veiled Productions says ‘I love the fact that it stays light into the evening, but not too late! Guests can start dancing a bit earlier than in summer when it stays light until 10pm, so there’s a lot more evening party atmosphere earlier on. The sunsets are beautiful too!’
I definitely agree with Rachel on this – the sun sets later than it has been over winter, but also not so late that I have to drag my couples away from their festivities for an amazing sunset! Great timing!
All about the blooms
The overriding theme I heard when asking other wedding suppliers for their spring wedding advice was the flowers! Not just from florists either – Wedding Planner Katie from Songbird Weddings says ‘Couples need to be open minded about which flowers will feature in their wedding. You get some amazing blooms at this time of year, but when seasons are changing over you could have ranunculous one week and not the next!’ Katie suggests talking to your florist and working closely with them. If you choose a florist offers it, you may be able to go down to the flower market and have a look at what is in season a couple of weeks before your wedding.
The lovely Becky from Feather and Ferns told me all about her favourite Spring flowers:
‘Spring time is one of my absolute favourite seasons as a florist because there are so many beautiful floral gems available. From Frittilarias to Parrot Tulips, Muscari to Ranunculus, and pretty faced Anemones with the black panda eyed centres, to the highly scented Mimosa, Hyacinths and the gorgeous Butterfly Ranunculus, the list goes on!
There are some real jewel colours available in springtime so if your looking to embrace a brighter colour scheme then getting married at this time of year is great. Equally if you wanted a more muted colour scheme with very subtle tones then you can also achieve this from spring flowers as Butterfly Ranunculus, Hellebores, Anemones and Tulips all come in some beautiful blush shades.’
There’s really no limit when it comes to the possibilities with spring flowers, and even florists are coming across new things that are in bloom at this time of year! Becky said ‘I’ve recently stumbled across some very exciting “brownie” varieties of Anemones and Iris and I have to say they have quickly become my new favourites!’
Beautiful Spring buttonholes by Feather and Ferns
Stunning Stationery suite by Olive and Millicent
Make a spring theme central to your wedding
There are so many ways to bring a fresh spring feel to your wedding design and décor. You can incorporate fresh spring colours throughout your stationery, your table décor and even your wedding cake and bridesmaids dresses! How beautiful is this spring-inspired stationery Suite by the wonderful Olive and Millicent?
I absolutely adore this gorgeous spring themed installation created by Sophie from SA Floristry. I mean, look at it – this beautiful spring meadow creation really caught my eye! Why not consider making the most of all the beautiful varieties of available flowers in spring, and create something amazing with your florist like this?
Beautiful spring floral installation by SA Floristry
Sophie said ‘Spring is my favourite time of year. As a florist when buying flowers you see a flurry of amazing and beautiful flowers and foliages come in. I love working with seasonal materials knowing I am giving my couples something unique to their day and the best possible quality. This piece was created after seeing some beautiful handmade willow wreaths that I knew I had to have. It includes flowers such as; Anemones, Ranunculus, Muscari, Hellebore and much more! I see this being perfect on the ground in front of the top table. Adorning a huge Mantle piece or even a beautiful photo opportunity for the couple and their guests to stand behind and peer through the flower meadow for a photo.’
Flavours of spring
It’s not just flowers that are particularly seasonal – it’s food too! If you’re planning a spring wedding, consider what food will suit the season best. By working with a caterer who creates seasonal dishes with locally sourced ingredients, not only will you be supporting local farmers and business, but also reducing the carbon footprint of your wedding – your ingredients won’t have travelled as far to reach your plate on the day.
Lots of foods come into season in spring, including meat and fish like spring lamb, crab, prawns and lobster; vegetables like asparagus, spring greens and spinach; and fruits like rhubarb and gooseberries.
Provenance Kitchen, based in Cambridge, create delicious menus from locally sourced ingredients and their Spring menu features lots of delicious seasonal produce like purple sprouting brocolli, leaves and greens and asparagus.
A word about the weather…
Not to put a dampener on things after all this talk of pretty flowers, but they don’t call them April Showers for nothing!! An article about spring wedding advice would not be complete without mentioning the great british weather! If you opt for a spring wedding, it’s a good idea to plan ahead for every eventuality when it comes to the British weather.
Katie from Songbird Weddings said ‘You should treat a spring wedding like an October wedding. Be prepared for dips in temperature, and how you might deal with adverse weather! You could think about heaters and certainly consider wet weather cover if you’re planning on having an outdoor wedding.’
If your venue has outside space for getting married, speak to them about what alternatives they have in place should the heavens open right before the ceremony. Do you like the indoor space just as much as the outside space? You don’t want to be disappointed on the day if the weather doesn’t go your way. Also check at what time the decision will be made about where the ceremony will be.
For more tips on planning for a wet weather wedding, take a look at my blog post all about this very topic!
I hope you’ve found this spring wedding advice post helpful! If you’re still working out which season is right for your wedding, take a look at my summer weddings post too. I will be working on posts about autumn and winter weddings at some point too, so look out for those!
Thanks to everyone who contributed to this article – a little list of them is below! If you’d like to see more of my Hints and Tips blog posts, take a look here.
If you’re planning a spring wedding and you’re looking for your wedding photographer at the moment, then I would love to hear from you! Please pop over to my contact page to say hello!
Veiled Productions – https://www.veiledproductions.co.uk/
Songbird Weddings – https://songbirdweddings.co.uk/
Feather and Ferns – https://featherandferns.com/
SA Floristry – http://www.safloristry.co.uk/
Olive & Millicent – https://www.oliveandmillicent.com/
Provenance Kitchen – http://www.provenancekitchen.com/