Eco chic Christmas wedding decorations

Christmas can be a wonderful time to get married with all the atmosphere and decoration opportunities the season can offer. But how do you begin to plan ahead for a creatively green celebration using home grown British flowers and foliage? Wonderful wreaths, simple swags, rich red arrangements and beautiful bulbs...

Plant loads of indoor bulbs in pretty collected containers. Scented "Paper White" narcissi are not only really good value, but gorgeous to look at and have a wonderful perfume that fills a large space with Christmas cheer. Planted in massed groups among lichen twigs with moss covering their bases, they're simple and cost effective. Or buy buckets full from Scented Narcissi in the Isles of Scilly.

Amaryllis come in many different colours of white, creams, pinks and reds and planted in low containers provide really dramatic tables centres where their tall slender stems allow your guests to see and talk across the table. When your wedding's over you can give the beautiful blooms to your guests to take home and enjoy for the rest of the festive season. Remind them to take good care of the bulbs and replant them next Christmas for recycled surprises.

You just need to plan ahead, allowing six to eight weeks to force them into growth. Plant the bulbs into moist compost with the tops just above the surface and cover the compost with moss or fill glass containers with pebbles and water with the bulbs just touching the surface of the water.
Either way its a good idea to arrange a decorative cage of twigs around the bulbs which can support the stems once they grow tall. Keep moist and in a warm light place to encourage rapid growth but if you want to slow growth down, just remove to a cooler spot.

British foliage is plentiful at this time of the year with holly and mistletoe being sold in markets and stalls across the country but if you're looking for something a bit special take a look at Tregothnan's bunches of foliage and garlands all grown without herbicides on sunny slopes in Cornwall.

Add a touch of sparkle with soy wax tealights from Hapi Bean and plenty of LED fairy lights that use only a fraction of the energy of conventional lighting.

Finish off your magical day by sending your wishes into the sky with some chinese flying lanterns.