The hit Netflix series “Bridgerton” has taken the world by storm, and while the romance between Daphne and Simon is breathtaking, perhaps the only thing more so is the florals at their wedding. The classic English chapel dripping in rich greens and pure whites, towering urns punctuating the sanctuary, and delicate white petals engulfing the center aisle. Despite the uncertainty and scandal surrounding the whispered-about wedding, the scene is nothing short of romantic perfection.
We wanted to find out what goes into creating an aesthetic like this, so we turned to three top Southern florists to learn about the flowers, the cost, and how to recreate a budget-friendly version at a wedding or event of your own. Plus, feast your eyes on some of these professionals’ stunning arrangements that could have fit seamlessly into the “Bridgerton” nuptials. And if you have ever wondered what the wedding team does with the flowers once the party’s over and the sparklers fly, we get into that, too. Without further ado, let’s begin with some still scenes from the episode.
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To the best of your knowledge, what types of flowers were used in this stunning wedding scene?
Mary Cox Brown of Marigold Designs in Birmingham, Alabama: These are very English garden style arrangements in style. In the big urns (of which there are at least eight), I see lemon leaf greenery, hydrangeas, peonies, roses, lisianthuses, delphiniums, white wisteria, hypericum berries, and Lysimachia. In the pew markers, I see lisianthus, hydrangeas, roses, and peonies. The greenery and flowers hanging around the exterior of the church appear to be lemon leaf and white wisteria.
Rachel Gang of Helen Olivia Flowers in Alexandria, Virginia: It’s difficult to get a clear picture of the exact varieties, but hydrangeas, stock, roses, hybrid delphiniums, or foxgloves.
Mary Steverson of Rose Hill Flowers in Nashville, Tennessee: The flowers are silk. The greenery is fresh. For the flowers, they are mimicking wisteria with snapdragons or a stock flower since white wisteria is tough to come by commercially. The greenery is salal. The large arrangements in the urns are hydrangeas, spray roses, peonies, and are greenery-heavy.
TAKEAWAY: There are several ways to achieve this look, with either fresh or silk florals, but, either way, this “Bridgerton” wedding incorporates a wide variety of florals.
What do you think the “Bridgerton” floral design would cost in real life? How much time and labor would be involved?
Mary Cox Brown: I’d say it would probably cost $10,000 to $15,000 to create this look. A lot of that money would be for the actual flowers and greenery, but it would also be labor-intensive to hang and put up all the hanging greenery and flowers around the edge of the church. Ladder work always costs more. It would be labor-intensive. If we were doing this, we would have at least five to six people working to create this look.
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Rachel Gang: $18,500 would be my estimate for the florals as pictured. The good news for brides looking to replicate this design: there isn’t dense floral. Many of the designs are greenery heavy and don’t appear to have super-premium selections either. For example, the designer may have used hydrangeas and stock rather than peonies and lilies of the valley. The bad news? Many of these designs are very labor-intensive, which is driving up the bottom line. The design would take a team of 10 eight hours to install and would require a lot of ladders.
Mary Steverson: This would likely cost tens of thousands of dollars due to the cost of the product itself as well as the labor. It would be very labor-intensive and take several people to pull something like this off. You would need to pay a fee for the setup as well as a fee to take it down. This would include ladders and many bodies.
TAKEAWAY: These flowers will likely cost between $15K to $20K to replicate. Keep reading for more budget-friendly options to achieve a similar look.
Do you have any pointers on how to achieve this “Bridgerton” wedding floral look on a budget?
Mary Cox Brown: I think you could half your cost by not using peonies at all. I would use beautiful standard roses and have them reflexed (where the petals bend back) to make a bigger impact. I also think for the pew markers you could choose just one flower, like a big, beautiful hydrangea, and tie it with ribbon on to the pew to achieve a full look. This is a beautiful look and so romantic!
Rachel Gang: For anyone looking to achieve a similar look on a budget, the key would be to remove, or simplify a great deal, the hanging floral installation. If you can’t live without the drama of suspended florals, switching to beautiful smilax greenery would cut costs significantly, as well as labor.
Mary Steverson: Go with regular roses that are more open rather than garden roses or peonies. Add carnations. Sometimes people in the U.S. avoid carnations, but they are used in Europe all the time. We would love to see them make a resurgence. They last a long time. If you want the hanging flowers, you should go with a high-quality silk option.
TAKEAWAY: These florals can be more budget-friendly by simplifying the flowers used, eliminating peonies, and using smilax greenery.
What do you and your brides do with the flowers after the wedding is over?
Mary Cox Brown: After the wedding is over, we like to donate any flowers the bride’s family doesn’t want to Repurposed Blooms, a Birmingham-based organization that rearranges them and sends them out to nursing homes and hospice patients. Some brides like to take as many flowers as they can and enjoy them the week after the wedding or gift them to family and friends. But lately, we have donated most.
Mary Steverson: You can donate them to nursing homes or hospice in your area. Some churches are strict about how many flowers you can set up, so be sure you check with the venue first.
TAKEAWAY: Make sure to ask about upcycling your wedding florals in your hometown!
Thank you, Mary, Rachel, and Mary, for contributing such enlightening intel to our piqued “Bridgerton” interests!
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