BEYOND THE ARCH: FLORAL URN IDEAS FROM A COTSWOLD WEDDING FLORIST

As an experienced Cotswolds wedding florist, with seven wonderful years spent crafting dreamlike celebrations across this stunning region, I've had the pleasure of designing countless wedding ceremony backdrops. For the past couple of seasons, the romantic floral arch has reigned supreme as the go-to choice for framing those precious "I dos." And they are undeniably beautiful! However, I'm here to share some compelling reasons, straight from an expert florist's perspective, why a thoughtfully designed, flower-filled urn can be an equally, if not more, perfect alternative for your Cotswolds wedding flowers.

An urn overflowing with luxurious summer flowers by Cotswolds florists Corky and Prince

Reason One - Space-Saving Ceremony Flowers for Cotswold Weddings

The charm of a Cotswolds wedding often lies in its intimate and picturesque settings. Whether you've chosen a quaint, centuries-old church with limited internal space, a rustic stone barn with a defined ceremony area, or an elegant hotel with specific layout constraints, the thought of a sprawling floral arch might feel overwhelming, or even impossible. But fear not, dear couples! This is precisely where the understated elegance and practicality of floral urns and their accompanying plinths truly shine.

A more contemporary floral urn arrangement with a deep basket next to a plinth with frothy greens and lots of white flowers.

A skillfully designed floral urn offers a significant visual impact right at eye level, where it matters most in your ceremony photos and for your guests' viewing pleasure, all while occupying a surprisingly small footprint. Unlike the often wide and sometimes cumbersome base of an arch, my signature urn designs prioritize width over depth.

Wild and abundant floral urns for a church wedding in the Cotswolds

Bride and groom leaving the church after a ceremony with a floral urn backdrop

Muted pastel flowers urn for a country church wedding in the Cotswolds

In my experience, urns work really well for Cotswolds church weddings as they bring colour and lightness to what can be quite dark interiors. I also use a lot of scented flowers and foliage in my designs, so all the senses are activated as your guests await the arrival of the bride and groom. For this tiny church near Chipping Campden in the Cotswolds, there was room for two floral urns at the head of aisle. The beauty didn't end there – after the ceremony, these versatile urns were seamlessly transported to the family's home and positioned at the corners of their marquee, beautifully framing the long top table for the wedding breakfast

The Grange at Hyde House with colourful sunset inspired flower meadows and urns

Urns work really well at one of the most popular wedding venues in the Cotswolds, Hyde House near the charming market town of Stow-on-the-Wold. The front of the impressive Grange where the ceremony takes place has fabulous deep big windows that overlook the manicured garden and surrounding countryside. Depending on guest numbers, it would be possible to build a floral arch here but I think it would be a shame to hide rather than celebrate the view. For this colourful wedding for my Los Angeles based clients, we agreed that large colourful urns bursting with flowers in every colour of a Caribbean sunset would provide a fitting backdrop to their "I do's" and their matching suits completed the picture perfectly.

Grooms celebrating their wedding at Hyde House in the Cotswolds with brightly coloured urns and meadows of flowers

Sometimes, plans need to change and for this spring wedding in Devon at Deer Park near Honiton, we needed to bring the wedding inside due to the sudden unwelcome appearance of April showers. This garden room was charming and the overall look elevated by the abundant urns. The bride's vision was for elegant neutrals with just a pop of red - her brief to me was to add 'Vivienne Westwood' to the urns and I was more than happy to embrace this design brief.

Spring urn flowers with a touch of Vivienne Westwood style

Reason Two - Timeless Floral Style for Your Cotswold Venue or Church Wedding

There's something timeless and elegant about a full floral urn. We make ours super big with native foliage and then add in all the goodies from the season - blousy hydrangeas, billowing peonies and roses, dramatic tall delphiniums, dainty cosmos. I love the way that each urn can tell its own story of the colour palette and mood of the wedding.

Summer flower filled urns bring light and scent to dark country church weddings

Consider the incredibly elegant wedding we had the honour of designing at the majestic Hawkstone Hall in Shropshire. The couple exchanged their vows at the front of the venue's dramatic on-site chapel, with two substantial floral urns acting as exquisite frames. During our site visit, the couple and I engaged in a detailed discussion about what would best complement the grandeur of the space. We collectively decided that urns were the perfect choice for the ceremony backdrop, working harmoniously with the existing broken archway that served as both the entrance and exit to the chapel. The urns were brimming with soft, pale pink and pristine white roses, voluminous hydrangeas, and stately delphiniums, all interwoven with the lush greenery of native beech. Deeper accents of dusky pink blooms added depth and a crucial visual cohesion to the overall floral scheme. I have no doubt that the photographs capturing these stunning urns will look just as breathtakingly fabulous in twenty years' time as they do today – a testament to their enduring style.

Floral urns frame the Just Married kiss at Hawkstone Hall in Shropshire

Reason Three - Time Constraints

The logistical realities of wedding setups can sometimes present challenges, particularly at venues that maintain regular public opening hours, such as the historic Sudeley Castle in the heart of the Cotswolds. As experienced Cotswolds wedding florists, we are well-versed in working under tight time constraints and can certainly deploy a larger team to expedite the build if necessary. However, this increased manpower naturally carries budget implications for our clients. If the allocated timeframe for the wedding ceremony setup is under one hour, I would strongly recommend that couples consider the practicality and efficiency of floral urns as a stunning alternative to a more complex arch design. Constructing a full floral arch can easily take upwards of three hours, often requiring intricate scaffolding and on-site construction. In contrast, a pair of beautifully pre-prepared floral urns can be strategically positioned and meticulously perfected in well under an hour, offering a significant time-saving advantage.

Formal floral urns form a backdrop for the ceremony at Hedsor House in Buckinghamshire

We encountered a similar time-sensitive situation for a beautiful Twixmas wedding held at the stunning Hedsor House in Berkshire, near London. The turnaround time between the venue's daytime operations and the evening ceremony was minimal, making the swift and impactful deployment of floral urns an ideal solution.

Reason Four - Budget-Friendly Wedding Flowers from Your Cotswold Florist of The Year

For couples planning their Cotswolds wedding with a keen eye on their budget, floral urns often present a more financially accessible alternative to a full-scale floral arch. This makes them an excellent choice for smaller, more intimate celebrations or for couples who wish to allocate their floral budget across various elements of their day. Furthermore, the versatility of floral urns extends beyond the ceremony itself. They can be moved quickly and effortlessly to your reception venue, providing a beautiful floral flourish to welcome signage, elegantly framing your wedding cake display, or adding a touch of grandeur to the top table. There's truly so much to love about their adaptability and cost-effectiveness! ❤️

So in summary, a well designed floral urn or pair of urns make an excellent alternative to a more traditional floral arch or broken arch backdrop for many reasons. They take up less space without sacrificing design, they bring colour and drama to small, dark country churches, they're quicker to assemble and friendlier on the wedding budget and finally, and perhaps most importantly, they offer a timeless elegance that will still delight you when you look back at your ceremony pictures in many decades time.

A thoughtfully designed floral urn, or a striking pair of them, offers a truly exceptional alternative to a more traditional floral arch or deconstructed "broken arch" backdrop for a multitude of compelling reasons. They occupy less precious space without compromising on visual impact and design. They inject much-needed colour and vibrancy into smaller or darker country churches that are so characteristic of the Cotswolds. Their setup is significantly quicker, making them ideal for venues with tight timeframes, and they often represent a more budget-friendly option for your Cotswolds wedding flowers. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they exude a timeless elegance that will continue to bring joy and beauty when you look back at your cherished ceremony pictures for many wonderful decades to come.

To explore how picture-perfect floral urns can transform your Cotswolds wedding ceremony, I invite you to get in touch with Fi Passey at Corky and Prince Wedding & Event Flowers. We were honoured to be voted Cotswolds Florists of the Year in 2024 and offer a comprehensive and bespoke wedding flower service throughout the entire Cotswolds region and beyond. Let's bring your floral dreams to life!

Credits:

Image 1 - Emily Rose Hamilton Photography

Images 2 - Wild Weddings Photography

Images 3 - 4 - 5 - Katie Ingram Photography

Images 6 and 7 - David Grange Wedding Photography

Image 8 - Tara Statton Photography

Image 9 - Imogen Xianana Photography

Image 10 - Catherine Bradley Photography

Image 11 - Chloe Eley Photography