Impactful wedding styling without overloading on fresh florals
August 20th, 2025
When it comes to wedding styling, florals often take centre stage but lots of florals are not for everyone and there’s many reasons for this:
- Not everyone connects with a floral-heavy aesthetic. Some couples prefer a cleaner, more minimalist look.
- Many couples today are more environmentally conscious and look at ways to be less wasteful by opting for more sustainable alternatives such as faux florals, foliage or dried flowers
- Fresh flowers can be expensive, especially if a couple dreams of elaborate floral installations. For some, allocating a large portion of the wedding budget to florals doesn’t stack up when that money could be spent on experiences, photography, catering, or the honeymoon.
- For couples, or guests with allergies, being surrounded by heavily scented flowers can be uncomfortable, Choosing low-pollen foliage or non-floral decor is a thoughtful way to ensure everyone enjoys the celebration without watery eyes and runny noses!
Impactful styling without overloading on fresh florals
So how do you create a wedding that feels lush and full of impact, without relying heavily on florals? The good news is that you don’t need an abundance of blooms to make a statement. By incorporating fresh foliage, you can craft a stunning and botanical aesthetic that stands out in all the right ways. What’s even better is, foliage works in any season so regardless of if you’re planning a winter wedding or a summer wedding, greenery is the ideal substitute to fresh florals.
Stand alone beauty!
The beauty of foliage is that it can make a striking visual statement on its own, without competing with or overshadowing other design elements.
Styling that captures the heart of the Mediterranean
Here in this Mediterranean-inspired design at Fable Yard, created by the talented Emma at Ambience Derbyshire alongside an A star team of suppliers – mixed foliage including olive branches, pistacia leaves and eucalyptus, have been teamed with lemons for a vibrant, fresh summer feel. In 2026 we’ll see lots of styling incorporating fruit into centrepieces and tablescapes. Citrus fruits provide a zesty energy to your wedding styling, serving as a focal point in your arrangements – whether scattered across tables, nestled in greenery, or used as part of a striking centrepiece. Their bright yellow hue provides a pop of colour that contrasts beautifully with the deep greens of foliage, creating an overall sense of freshness and warmth that’s perfect for an outdoor, summer or destination wedding.
Bespoke details
It immediately transports guests to the sun-drenched coastlines of Greece or Italy, setting the tone for a celebration that’s both relaxed and refined. Accessories with bespoke touches like these hand painted lemon candles, are an incredibly effective way at adding a subtle nod towards the theme of your decor.
Coordinated styling throughout
Beyond the ceremony and wedding breakfast, lemons and foliage can be incorporated into many elements of your wedding, from invitations and menus to party favours and cocktail garnishes. Think of using fresh lemon slices on your welcome drinks and bring the green tones of the foliage into your welcome signage like here where a hanging fabric sign adds a gorgeous, personalised feature to the day. The combination of these elements creates a harmonious and cohesive look. You’ll capture the essence of a Mediterranean escape, while keeping things fresh and modern.
Ultimately, choosing to focus on foliage and citrus instead of an overload of flowers gives your wedding styling distinction. The key is finding balance and allowing the greenery and fruit to shine in their own right. Whether you’re planning an intimate affair or a grand celebration, this styling approach proves that less can definitely be more.
Credits:
Venue- @thefableyard
Photography- @ellen_mariephotography
Styling and floristry- @ambiencederbyshire
Stationery- @withlovewedding
Content creator- @thesocialhun_
Dresses- @theknotbridal
Cake- @lucyclairebakes
Hair and MUA- @bridalartist_hayleighlouise
Model- @rosie_massey_
Cardigan- @niamhdesigns
Hand painted taper candles – @ambiencederbyshire
Veil- @rebeccaannedesigns
Veil- @annadsouzadesigns
