The Pollen Flowers FAQ

Listed below are most common queries regarding Pollen Flowers services.

I’m not sure which type of bouquet or vase arrangement or actually even what flowers to have for my wedding!?

The best thing to do would be to come to the studio, and have a look round at all the stock and the different types of vases, pedestals, mirrors and tea light holders. Another good thing to do would be to come to one of the wedding fairs where we will be. You can then hold the arrangements and see how they look and feel. Another good idea is to ask someone with you to bring a camera to take a picture of you holding the bouquet, so you can see what it looks like too.

For some people a particular flower has significance e.g. the first rose bouquet they were given by their partner. Or a significant relative or family member’s favourite flower can also be incorporated to be a timely reminder of happy memories.

 

Who will make my bouquet on the day?

Donal Casey the chief designer makes all the bridal bouquets personally – guaranteed. None of the rest of us get near them! Seriously though the rest of the team are involved of course in keeping the flowers in the best possible condition prior to the day, creating vase arrangements and setting up on the big day. Donal does all the bouquets though and where possible he will try to deliver it to you personally, this cannot always be guaranteed though.

 

I would like to find a matching colour of rose to complement my bridesmaids’ dresses, can you help?

We make every effort to provide the nearest colour match and if you provide us with a swatch of material we can research the available options.

One of the things to bear in mind is that within each variety of rose you will find variations in colour, particularly with the vintage style roses like Illusion.

Some roses like Sweet Avalanche (shades of pink) and Metallina (shades of lilac) have slightly green tinged outer leaves, which adds to the vintage cottage garden effect. As organic living things these roses can show different colour hues as they bloom and have been bred specifically for this.

When you have your consultation with Donal you can discuss the style you are trying to achieve and then he can advise you and show you different options. We will always do our best to achieve the effect you are after, but realistically we cannot guarantee an exact colour match.

 

I am getting married at Buxted Park and I would like Pollen to do the flowers but we live in London – is that a problem?

Donal says – “I can always meet you at Buxted Park or any wedding venue in Sussex for that matter. Perhaps when you come for a food tasting? We have had brides who live in New York so distance should not generally be a problem!

I really like to meet all the brides personally initially but once you have booked we can keep in touch by email with any changes or updates and it is not necessary for you to live round the corner from the Pollen studio to have a personal service.”

 

Do you do more than one wedding in a day?

Yes, sometimes we do. If we are at Buxted Park we may also do a wedding later in the day at Horsted Place or Newick Park as they are geographically close by. We do not have a shop to run so all the team are involved on the day with the design and delivery of your flowers.

Donal will always try to deliver the bouquets himself wherever possible; the rest of the team will be wearing Pollen t-shirts and will be easily identifiable at the church or wedding venue.

 

Will you deliver the buttonholes to a different address to the bouquet?

We try to be as accommodating as possible to ensure everything runs smoothly and this request is not a problem as long as the distance is reasonable. We would not charge extra for this either.

 

The reception venue are keen for us to have their own florist as part of a package but we would like to use Pollen, what should we do?

At the end of the day, we think it is your special day so you should have what you really want.

At Pollen we are happy to work anywhere and have been to the majority of the venues in Sussex at one time or another. We make a point of working tidily, being approachable and polite to all staff and guests, presentable and identifiable in our Pollen logo t-shirts and for that reason we have seen many happy brides and venues. Ask to see the compliments file when you have a consultation  or see some on the website.

We supply all the flowers on a weekly basis to Buxted Park Hotel and we do work there a lot as we are recommended. However we believe in customer choice and we are not tied to any financial agreements with any venues. We work independently and have made our name and business by word of mouth and many happy customers.

 

Can you just give me a price for a bouquet over the telephone?

Donal says “A short answer would be no. The Pollen wedding service is personal to each bride and I like to meet you and no bouquets are designed to be exactly the same”

Whenever feasible we prefer for you to meet with Donal for an informal consultation (free of charge) and then a quote will be sent for you to look at.

There are so many variables, for example red Grand Prix roses become expensive at Christmas as everyone wants red at this time so at the auction in Holland the price tends to skyrocket. The only way to price accurately for you is to sit down together and discuss your requirements.

If you live aboard we can work around this, if you have a friend or family member who knows you well in the UK we can liaise through them, ideally if you have any pictures you could send, material samples/swatches for colour matching, plus date and wedding venue, then we can work with you very successfully.

 

I am getting married in Manchester and I want a bouquet that I have seen on the website.

The best thing to do is find a florist you like locally and ask them to look on the website to see if they can create something similar for you.

We are very happy to assist if another florist from around the UK or abroad rings us for more details as we see it as a compliment.

In the future we plan to try and make the Pollen wedding floristry service more available around the UK but currently this is a bit top secret but watch this space, we want more brides to be able to experience the Pollen level of design and service.

 

How long should we leave it before we book?

To be honest we take bookings years in advance as we get so busy and during the summer months we unfortunately cannot always do every wedding, so to avoid disappointment don’t leave it till the very last minute!.

It’s always worth giving us a call though or send an email, we realise a wedding or commitment ceremony can be a spontaneous thing too and wherever possible we will always try to assist you.

 

Do we need to pay a deposit to secure Pollen for the day?

Yes. We ask for a deposit to secure any booking. The final balance is due 14 days before your wedding day. Our full terms and conditions are available to view on the website or please ask us for a copy of them.

 

Do you supply pins with the buttonholes?

Yes we do – no problem

 

If it is a very hot day will my bouquet last all day out of water?

As each year goes by the summers do seem to be getting hotter and what we can do is provide a vase for the bouquet to be kept in prior to the wedding ceremony and you can always pop it back in during the day. We can’t make any guarantees but we make every conceivable effort possible to ensure the flowers arrive and remain in top condition.

If you have a trailing bouquet in a holder this will not be possible but you can discuss all your options with Donal at the consultation if you are worried.

He will advise you on flowers that are particularly robust out of water and tell you honestly if you are specific about wanting flowers that are fragile and may not last well. Then you can make an informed decision.

We buy only A grade flowers and have them shipped direct to us and have completed our own tests on bouquet longevity.

 

What time will my bouquet be delivered on the day?

Prior to your wedding day all the arrangements will be reconfirmed with you. If you are having hair flowers quite often the hairdresser wants these early. Also some photographers want to take pictures of the brides wedding preparation in a reportage style  so we are happy to deliver early if needed. Please be aware this may also be necessary if the team are off to dress the reception venue and church.

 

I am having a civil partnership ceremony with my same sex partner and I am not sure what flowers we need?

Donal says – “I have been involved in a number of these special occasions. There are no rules on what you can and can’t have. Some couples have chosen very traditionally and some have gone for a very contemporary look. Come to the studio and we can discuss your ideas and take it from there. Also you are very welcome to come to any of the wedding fairs we will be at , the word wedding is used a lot but we can supply flowers for any form of commitment ceremony between two people. The Seattle Hotel at the Marina is a very popular venue with couples and we work there a lot. We do some really cool large goldfish bowl style vases that looks great there, you can have one either side of the registrars table on a pedestal for the commitment ceremony and then when the room is turned around for the reception we set more up on the tables with tea lights and petals, very stylish. Just an idea!”

 

Do you charge a deposit for vases and tea light holders?

Currently we do not charge a deposit as we rely on the goodwill of our customers and this has worked well. We hope it will not be necessary to have to introduce this.

Of course your guests may want to take the flowers (we can leave paper for them to be wrapped in if needed) and we accept that the odd tea light holder may go ‘missing’ but please remind any guest that you see trying to sneak out with a large vase and pedestal  arrangement that only the flowers have been paid for!

Seriously though ,we often need the vases again quickly for the upcoming weddings and will be coming back to the venue to collect them as part of the service. As a gesture of continued goodwill all-round we expect them to be left, as they are hired and not purchased unless by prior agreement.

 

What is the best way to contact Pollen as I am at work all day in London and it is difficult to call?

The best thing to do is send an email initially and then Donal will contact you. He often replies to messages in the evening.

We really try not to put the answer phone on unless we are with customers or actually doing a wedding. It is not always appropriate for the phone to be going off when we are in a church for example so please bear with us and leave a message and we will get back to you.

 

I am thinking about doing my own flowers at the reception what do you think?

Talk to Donal  first and then decide. He was formerly a tutor at Plumpton College on their floristry courses so he will have a good idea about how realistic that might be.

Pollen can always supply the bouquets and flowers for the wedding party if you really want to decorate the tables yourself.

In our experience the bride’s bouquet and the table arrangements are the ones the guest remember the most so if you are worried about the budget concentrate on those things first.

Flowers create a fantastic ambiance and often we arrive in a rooms that appear quite stark and plain and by the time we have finished they are transformed by the flowers.

We can supply all sorts of flowers for different occasions in people’s homes, marquees, country houses, hotels and castles, you don’t have to have a massive budget and we can help you to get the most out of it.

 

We are thinking about thank you gifts and are not sure what to give?

Donal says- “I can create bouquets in the theme of the wedding flowers and then pack them in water packs for transportation. They look really good and they can be given as gifts and then if the recipient is staying the night at the venue they can keep it in the water pack overnight, then take it home with them with no fuss.

Alternatively our Dutch supplier can source bay trees, olive trees, designer orchids and other plants which also make great gifts if you want something different.”

(At Pollen we don’t use any carnations or chrysanthemums in our bouquets so you can feel confident that the bouquet will be stylish and contemporary)

 

I don’t want to throw my bouquet, I want to keep it and have it preserved.

Lots of brides are not all that keen to throw their bouquets as they love them so much! Plus if you have calla lilies for example they will last well as a reminder of your wedding day, if you are not going immediately on honeymoon you can have them at home.

What you could do is have another bouquet to throw, as it is traditional and there will be some expectant brides-to-be hoping to get their hands on it!

If you do decide to throw it then don’t worry as we keep all your details on file of the flowers you had, so if in the future a certain person wishes to buy you an anniversary bouquet of similar flowers as a reminder- we can do our best to replicate it (husbands/partners/significant others – this bit’s for you!)

 

I have been told that I should see more than one florist and get different quotes.

We feel that this can be a good idea but not if you just want to find the cheapest-  in our experience you invariably get what you pay for.

Budget is always a consideration and at Pollen we work with you. We offer a specialised ,professional and  comprehensive wedding floristry design service and it may be possible to find someone to do the flowers cheaper for you. What other florists may not be able to offer is Donal’s reassuring approach and vast experience and  your subsequent confidence in our ability to deliver, we can advise you as to what will work well at certain venues and be cost effective too. We know how the venues operate and what they like from us as the florists. We ensure we are very visible at all times and try to keep everything stress free and relaxed for you. We are established as a limited company (5 years since inception) VAT registered and Pollen is a registered trademark. We have full liability insurance so you can have confidence in us as a business.

We have premises at the Knoll Business centre where we are based permanently and all our contact details for correspondence are shown clearly on the website.