Today we’re excited to welcome Brides Up North Sponsor Jo of
natural confetti
company Shropshire Petals to the blog. Shropshire Petals is unique in that it lovingly grows, picks and dries flower petals from its farm in rural Shropshire to create gorgeous natural confetti that’s friendly to the planet.As well as having their own budding collection of colourful mixes, Shropshire Petals also gives couples the option to make their own unique mix of confetti to suit their individual wedding theme and setting.
So let’s hand over to Jo to fill you in on all the pretty details…
When did Shropshire Petals launch and what its background?
This year, Shropshire Petals will be celebrating its tenth birthday! It all started when owner Michael Bubb’s mum was given some land on the farm, which was originally an arable farm, to grow flowers. The flowers she grew were perfect for drying and as it was during the Laura Ashley era, these were a huge hit at local Women’s Institute markets, which soon led onto them selling through retailers and wholesale. In 2005, we were approached by someone asking if we could dye our flower petals for confetti…and this is when Shropshire Petals was born. Already growing delphiniums, these made the perfect confetti petal, as they are small and light giving that perfect flutter when thrown over a newly married couple. We grew a variety of colours and dried them naturally, which meant we didn’t have to dye any of our petals, ensuring they were 100% natural and biodegradable.
What services/products do you offer and to who?
We grow natural petal confetti and wheat for our wheat sheaves on our farm in Shropshire. Our customers love that we give them the opportunity to create their own confetti mix. Using our unique pick and mix tool, they can choose the colours and petal types they want in their confetti mix, which enables them to match or contrast their wedding theme. We have a mix of the month each month, which is very popular as it ties in with seasonal trends or themes.
We offer a variety of different packaging options from confetti baskets and pails to Shropshire Boxes with cones and individual confetti bags for couples to display in other items such as jars, vases or even a vintage suitcase.
What is Shropshire Petals’ unique selling point?
Our petals are 100% natural, biodegradable and eco-friendly and are available in a large range of colours – so there’s a confetti mix for every wedding!Customers can use our pick and mix tool to create their unique confetti mix. They can match or contrast it to their wedding theme. We have developed a confetti calculator to help customers to decide how much confetti they need depending on the amount of guests they have and what they want to do with it – throwing, decorating, flower girls or even creating a petal path.
Where are you located?
The Shropshire Petals farm is located in the beautiful Shropshire countryside where we grow, pick and package our petals which are then sent out nationwide.
Can you give Brides Up North an idea on price?
The prices really depend on the products you order. We always recommend that you buy enough confetti for half of your guests as not everyone will throw. A litre of confetti, which will provide approximately ten handfuls, starts from £11.50. The Shropshire Box, which contains 25 cones and all the confetti to fill them, will be enough confetti for 25 guests to throw, and is priced at £42.50.
What is your current favourite item that you stock and why?
Every member of the team has their own favourite – and they’re all different! I personally love the confetti basket. It’s a lovely wicker basket with five litres of loose confetti so guests can just grab a handful and throw!
Is there a particular colour of confetti that is popular with your brides at the moment? What colour schemes do you see being popular this year?
We’ve just exhibited at seven wedding shows and have noticed a few themes and colours that are really popular. A lot of brides and grooms are going for a ‘natural’ themed wedding and have a colour scheme to match. Our green and cream ‘Enchanted Woods’ mix was a big hit along with our light pink ‘Pink Lemonade’ and grey and cream ‘Winter’s Morn’ mix. These mixes are perfect for a natural theme as they offer a subtle hint of colour.
We have just launched two new confetti mixes, based on what brides have been asking for, called ‘Vintage Daydream’ and ‘Coral Reef’ which we see being popular. ‘Vintage Daydream’ is a lovely mix of light pink, vintage grey and cream while ‘Coral Reef’ is a very summery coral mix. We have had lots of brides asking for confetti to match their vintage theme and coral has been a very popular wedding colour so we wanted to make sure they could select the perfect mix for their big day.
Do you stock items other than confetti?
We also grow wheat on the farm to make our wheat sheaves and wheat wreaths which are all made by hand. The sheaves come in three different sizes and are available as a plain sheaf, with lavender, with thistles or with lavender and cream roses. We’re just about to launch a new wheat sheaf which is very exciting, so watch this space!
Who would be a Shropshire Petals bride?
The great thing about Shropshire Petals confetti is that it’s perfect for every bride. With a range of confetti colours and confetti packages to choose from there’s confetti for every wedding!
Would you have natural petal confetti on your wedding day and why would you recommend it to others?
I’m not currently married – but I will definitely be having confetti on my big day when/if it comes around! I thought I’d chosen my perfect confetti mix already, but then I keep seeing mixes that our customers have created and constantly change my mind!
I would recommend that everyone has confetti for their big day because you can create your own bespoke mix that is completely personal to you and your partner. We often hear that the confetti photo is a favourite because everyone looks so happy and you get some great expressions as the confetti is thrown! Throwing confetti is fun – and it shows in the photos!
How can Brides Up North get in touch with you or find out more?
Vist our website www.shropshirepetals.com, follow us on Twitter, find us on Facebook, email us at enquiries@shropshirepetals.co.uk or call 01952 691553.
