Floral Preservation & Wedding Planning - in Conversation with Georgie Allen, Founder of Lux Wedding Planner
I had the pleasure of working with Georgie when preserving a wedding bouquet for one of her happy couples. I thought it would be great to have a little peek at her services and talk about my favourite subject - flowers, of course!
Georgie, founder of Lux Wedding Planner, ensures that a couple’s dream wedding - whether it be at a charming country estate, historic castle, or a luxurious marquee within family grounds - is a unique experience full of stylish details.
With a background in elite sport and event management, Georgie’s wedding planning approach is logistics led with unwavering attention to detail. Her collaboration with the very best suppliers in the wedding industry together with her creative design and meticulous planning, sets her apart.
What is your favourite part of helping a couple bring their wedding day vision to life?
I put my heart and soul into the planning of each wedding and take huge pride in designing and delivering a seamlessly planned and bespoke celebration inspired by my couples. My favourite part is getting to know each couple during the planning journey, so on their wedding day, it brings me so much joy to watch one of life's most poignant moments unfold before my eyes.
What made you want to become a wedding planner?
Having a background in elite sport and event management, as well as a passion for weddings, it was obvious that I was destined to be a wedding planner! I will be forever grateful that I get to support couples in the design and planning of their wedding celebrations.
What’s your favourite part of a wedding?
My favourite part of a wedding day is the first alone time the newly married couple have together. It is the first opportunity for them to both take a breath and soak it all up. There are a lot of emotions on a wedding day, so I make sure my couples take some time to just be with one another. The hours of planning that go on behind the scenes to ensure the day runs smoothly all accumulate to this special moment for me, because ultimately, it’s their wedding day.
What advice do you have for couples planning their wedding?
Whilst I get deeply involved in the organisation and logistical elements of a wedding day, I really love the creative process and my advice to any couple is to really think about the styling and floral decor. From bouquets and boutonnières to ceremony aisle arrangements and reception centrepieces, the flowers that are used will embody the overarching aesthetic you are trying to achieve and enhance the overall experience for you and your guests. I also think it’s important to focus on blooms that are in season, so they are at their peak. This also contributes to a far more sustainable and earth-friendly approach, particularly if you are choosing to support British flower farmers.
Do you see any trends in floral wedding design right now?
Statement hanging floral arrangements and bold colour palettes are popular choices right now. As with everything, trends come and go, so for me, the most important thing is for a couple to not feel pressured to adhere to the latest trends. Your wedding should encapsulate the things you love, so make sure that your floral wedding design reflects your personal style.
Do you have a favourite floral style for a wedding?
I love it when florals create a whimsically romantic and sumptuous feel with a contemporary style. Dreamy unstructured floral columns that can be used for both the ceremony and the wedding breakfast are personal favourites and I love a timeless pastel colour palette.
Why would you recommend floral preservation to your couples?
Floral preservation should be right up there on any couple’s wish list. There are only a few things that last forever from a wedding day: memories, photos, personal items such as jewellery and clothing, and preserved floral arrangements. Flowers take up such a large portion of the wedding budget so to me it makes complete sense to invest in preserving the flowers that were expertly crafted for your wedding day. Floral preservation is becoming more recognisable in recent years, but you really want to ensure you choose the right person to take on such an important task. If you’re looking for an extremely reliable and passionate floral preservation artist, I recommend you give Patti a call!
Floral preservation takes place after the wedding when the couple might be going on their honeymoon. As a wedding planner, are you able to help with keeping the flowers fresh and posting them to the couples’ floral preservation artist?
Absolutely! I have been responsible for many couple’s floral preservations. I always ensure I put the flowers in fresh water straight after photographs and keep them in a cool room. A small detail that has a huge impact on the freshness of your flowers. I package the arrangements according to the guidance from the floral preservation artist, and ensure they are posted before the last collection at the Post Office, because it’s essential that they arrive as soon as possible.
What’s your earliest floral memory?
I can’t have been any older than 4 and I distinctly remember standing in my school uniform beside my sister about to have our photo taken. The garden of my childhood home was so beautiful, with manicured lawns, beautiful flower beds, big trees, hedges, and colourful rhododendrons. So, there I stood on the driveway, and behind me were red tulips and I just decapitated this poor tulip…and then hid it behind my back because I knew I shouldn’t have done it!
What’s your favourite flower?
I’m always torn between dahlias and roses…can I say both! My favourite floral design on a wedding day is the bouquet because that accumulation of flowers is always perfection. Playing with height, shape and depth, bouquets subtly emphasise the beauty of each chosen flower.
Thank you for your time Georgie!
If you’re getting married and would like Georgie’s expert advise, you can find her services here:
http://www.luxweddingplanner.co.uk/
Patti x
Photo credits: Gemma Gaskins Photography, Cat Beardsley Photography & Rebecca Searle