Bringing with them a kaleidoscope of colours and trailing behind an enchanting scent, flowers can captivate the heart, soul and eyes in a magical allure of romance. Given a wedding is filled with intimate moments in an air of passion, wedding florals are a partnership of perfection. However, the garden of love is no longer just restricted to the bouquet where a bride holds it down the aisle. Instead, floral arrangements are appearing all throughout a wedding day, spreading the vines of love to every corner of the day. The team at Hills Botanic, led by Dickson, is more than aware of this shift; they understand it.
“Florals are now treated as storytelling tools, rather than just decoration where every floral detail feels connected to the bigger picture,” Dickson says.

EXPLORING A BOTANICAL WORLD

There’s no denying the power of a simple bouquet and their place at a wedding will never be stripped away, but, as Dickson explains, “we’re seeing a shift away from designing everything strictly around the bouquet.” The question to ask now is why? Wedding cohesion is difficult to achieve, as locations are shifting, emotions changing and sections of the day can, at times, feel isolated from each other. Harnessing the power of cohesive floral design can subconsciously guide your guests through each transition and seamlessly shape the wedding day journey. Dickson uses the repurposing example of “aisle arrangements which can draw guests into the ceremony space, which then transitions into a focal installation that later becomes part of the reception” acting as a visual thread guiding guests from one space to the next. To achieve this, it comes down to “designing with intention from the start,” and with a florist like Dickson. This where expert advice on unity,
such as adding florals in the in-between areas, “entrances, walkways, bar fronts, lounge areas, bathrooms, or even the path from the ceremony to the reception” can help guide you as a couple when designing your own wedding florals.
While a cohesive feel is important, using florals creatively, in a way which extends past the hands of the bride, creates visual awe for your guests. Open the mind’s eye and imagine florals sitting on bar tops, climbing around the shelving, edible blooms wrapping around a cake to tablescapes inviting conversation or flowers cascading down the welcoming sign. Moreso, as Dickson points out, there’s the option for “take-home floral elements … small posies at each place setting, mini potted plants, or dried floral bundles,” doubling up as bonbonniere. Make your wedding foliage more than simply petals.

IT’S NOT A LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE

Feeling inspired? Ready to start growing your own wedding floral ideas? But stuck on the logistics of it all? Dickson has seen, heard, and worked through it all.
Firstly, let’s address the budget concern, as you might be thinking, well this sound like more flowers so more money, but Dickson says, “when designed thoughtfully, especially with repurposing in mind, couples can often maximise impact without needing to increase spend significantly.”
Secondly, there comes a concern with bare coordination. Dickson says, “repurposing ceremony flowers into the reception sounds simple” but when she delves into the behind-the-scenes, “it often needs a dedicated team, a tight timeline and a clear plan to make sure everything is moved and restyled seamlessly without disrupting the flow of the day.” While this sounds like tightrope coordination, it’s a tightrope walk the team at Hills Botanic can do blindly, removing any stress from the couple themselves.
Thirdly, it’s important to know how to create a blossoming balance with restraint. Through her experience, Dickson has developed the key in this success by “making sure each floral moment has a purpose … rather than competing for attention.” To place in practical terms, this means avoiding “spreading arrangements everywhere, concentrate florals in areas where people naturally gather … such as entranceways, bar areas, statement tables or behind the couple’s seating.”
Finally, the venue has an influential weight on your wedding style, and botanical design shouldn’t be jarring head-to-head competition. As Dickson simply puts it, “if a space already has beautiful natural light, timber finishes, or greenery, you can echo those tones and textures in your floral choices to create harmony rather than excess.”