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Spring may be just around the corner, but if you're planning a wedding in the winter months then you might be wondering what kind of seasonal flowers (and foliage) could possibly be used for your arrangements. Typically, yes, this is outside the British growing season, making it very difficult to source locally grown flowers. However, incorporating foraged items from your garden or that of a loved one, choosing dried stems and being intentional with your choice of imported flowers are all ways florists can give a nod to the winter setting of your wedding. Part of the beauty of choosing an independent seasonal and sustainable studio florist for your big day, is that you will be working with someone who can take the time to understand what you're looking for and execute that vision with the kind of care, creativity and consideration that wouldn't always be possible in a busy shop setting. So, without further ado, here are some seasonal flower considerations for winter. Photography by Katrin Hauf Hellebore So many people describe Hellebores are one of their favourite flowers, and it's easy to see why. Just when the glumness of winter has hidden away most signs of life, it's the dainty Hellebore, in its range of hues from deep plum through to pink, green and finally a milky white, that carpets the floor with colour and first steals the show. Synonymous with the cooler months, adding these gorgeous blooms to your wedding flower designs will give a seasonal garden-gathered vibe to the overall look. Photography by J-Photos Iris One of the earliest flowering buds of the year in the garden, irises are available to buy at wholesale as early as December. The elegant shape and vibrant colour markings of the iris might not be suitable for all wedding styles and colour palettes, but they make a wonderful choice for many winter weddings. Usually associated with a deep violet or pale lilac hue with accents of yellow, you can also find them in white and yellow. Photography by Yoksel Zok Snowdrop The delicateness of these diminutive flowers is all a part of their charm, as they peek through the earth in little clumps from January onwards. Known as a classic winter flower, they are so tiny they could potentially get lost inside a bridal bouquet, however they're a super-cute addition to a table centrepiece or bud vase. Add to this the fact that they traditionally represent new beginnings, hope and rebirth, and they're a wonderful choice for a winter wedding. Photography by Nina Storz Winter herbs I love adding herbs to my floral designs as they're a great way to add both texture and scent to an arrangement. Even better, there are various different varieties of herb that can be grown during the winter months, including thyme, sage and rosemary, so you will be spoilt for choice. Using a selection of potted herbs as table decor is also a great way of minimising wastage from your floral decor, as you can distribute them to friends and family or take them home to plant in your garden after the wedding day. Photography by Earl Wilcox Dried Strawflower While technically not seasonally specific to winter, these flowers are great to use in wintry bouquets and buttonholes as they can be grown and then dried, ready to be used for wedding florals in the winter season. Strawflowers, or Helichrysum, already have a paper-like quality to their petals, and when they're dried they retain their size, shape and colour perfectly. They're also available in a whole range of colours, from deep black, red and purple tones to white and bright pink and yellow. Of course, if you're set on using only locally grown flowers, then one good option could be asking for a bouquet of wholly British-grown dried flowers, which is a great option for a small wedding or one that requires an element of travel. The main thing is, there are plenty of options available to you - so, if you would like to chat about seasonal flowers for a winter wedding, please get in touch. Mel x

I'm always looking to enhance my skills and develop new floristry techniques, so when I saw this wedding workshop with Charlie from the Flower Fairies , I just had to give it a go. Charlie is a wedding florist with tonnes of experience under her belt, as well as championing a wispy yet flower-heavy style that I wanted to explore. It was so lovely to chat about various aspects of wedding floristry work with Charlie and the other workshop attendees, and I could have stayed there for days. As it was, Charlie's one-day wedding workshop, held in her dreamy studio space in Oxfordshire, packed plenty in a short space of time. First up, her signature hand-tied wedding bouquet style, and we were lucky enough to be given a selection of the most beautiful British and imported fresh flowers to work with. I chose one of my favourite colour palettes of pink and burgundy, mixing the most stunning statement roses and dahlias with daintier rudbeckia, cosmos, scabious and phlox. Charlie is known for a style that includes a lot of dimension and movement, with flowers at varying heights and soft, airy details such as sanguisorba, thlespi and astilbe to break up the larger flowers, and so I did just that with my design. In the afternoon we focused on creating centrepieces using sustainable methods. It's not something you're taught at college, which made it so helpful to see how another florist approached a design like this. I deliberately chose a hot red colour that I don't naturally like to design with, and found it to be a great exercise in colour theory - you don't often get to just play around with different tones like this on a day to day basis, and creatively it was a really freeing experience. I plan to take an opportunity to expand my design skills and play like this at least a couple of times every year as my business grows, and this workshop was a very worthwhile break from the norm and a chance to do just that! I loved every minute. Mel x

A few months ago I was delighted to take part in this fun retro-styled shoot over at the wonderful Tipis at Riley Green, a unique purpose-built tipi marquee wedding venue near Preston. There were a huge amount of talented people involved and it was so lovely to have the chance to meet and work with them. The brief was bright tones of pink, orange and red, so I designed some vibrant bouquets in this colourway, including Missy Piggy roses, red scabious and sugar-pink campanula as well as the very retro daisy-like tanacetum and pampas. I also added a fuchsia hydrangea to one bouquet to differentiate it from its counterpart, and I loved the finished look - it really made a statement! These images by Natasha Coco aka Cocobella Photography capture the fun vibe of the day with our brides. I also made a third bouquet for a second model couple, pictured here by Westview Photography, and I loved the contrast of white button tanacetum in this one. The whole retro look came together with hair, make-up and bridal gowns as well as the flowers, and what better venue for a groovy shoot like this than a tipi! Thanks so much to everyone who took part and helped to create these gorgeous photos. Here's the full list of suppliers for this shoot: Venue @tipisatrileygreen Organiser & celebrant @gill_charlton_celebrant Photography @westviewphoto21 , @ cocobella.photography Florist @a_pocketfulofposies Glassware @clink.crystalware Makeup @makeupby_laurakilfoyle, @graceyhart4 Axe throwing @axestoashes Accessories @silversixpenceinhershoe Newspapers @photopressuk Couple @zoe_harty @scojacks @the_lancashire_brides Hair @kate_sutcliffe_hair , @minkbone_bridal Car @warrensvintagevwcar_hire_ Dresses @thedressingroomwigan Stationery @newcardsontheblock_ Banner @bannerdepartment Cake @short_butsweetbakery Venue styling @somersetblooms Menswear @menswear_amelias Lollys @emilys_lollies Mel x