Lily bouquets

A lily does more with one stem than almost any other flower — which is why a handful of them fills a hallway, and why they turn up in both wedding and funeral work. This collection runs from a simple white lily bouquet to architectural calla designs made for a bride to carry, with fourteen designs in the grid and prices from £39 to just over £400, the middle sitting near £149.

Calla Lily Bouquets, Including Bridal Designs

Calla is the lily most people are picturing when they type “lily bouquet”. It is not a true lily at all — botanically it is Zantedeschia — and that single long, clean, curving stem is why it has become the flower of choice for modern wedding work. A calla lily bouquet holds its shape all day without wilting in a warm room, photographs cleanly against any dress, and needs no filler around it.

We make calla bouquets three ways. A sheaf carried down the arm, with the stems left long and bound in ribbon, is the most striking and the one you have seen in wedding photography. A compact hand-tie sits in the hand like a posy and suits a smaller ceremony or a registry office. A mixed design puts calla stems against hydrangea, spray roses or anthurium, which softens the look and brings a second colour in. Our Calla lilies with pearl details bridal bouquet and Calla & pearl couture bridal bouquet are the dressed versions of the first; the Lunar touch design pairs calla with anthurium for something more sculptural.

On colour: white and ivory are the wedding standard, and deep burgundy is the one people go looking for specifically. Our Deep burgundy calla lilies bridal bouquet is that colour done properly — a true wine tone, not a dyed purple — and it works against ivory and champagne fabric better than red roses do. Buttonholes and bridesmaid posies are made to match any of these; ask when you order rather than after.

If you are planning a whole wedding rather than buying one bouquet, our wedding flowers section holds the full range, including table work and ceremony pieces.

White Lily Bouquets for Sympathy and Funerals

The white lily is the traditional flower of condolence across most of Britain, and it carries that meaning without anyone having to explain it. Its scent and its size mean a small number of stems reads as a serious gesture, which is the reason it appears in sympathy work far more often than showier flowers do.

Three designs in this collection are made for that purpose: the Ivory elegance sympathy spray, the Single-ended casket spray and a sixteen-inch funeral wreath. Sprays and wreaths go directly to the funeral director or the crematorium; a hand-tied bouquet goes to the home, and for the home a bouquet is usually the kinder choice because it needs nothing done to it beyond a vase.

One practical note that matters more than it sounds: if flowers are going to a family home rather than to a service, check whether there is a cat before you send true lilies. More on that below. Our fuller sympathy flowers and funeral flowers ranges give you options in both directions.

Which Lily Is Which

Four quite different plants are sold in Britain under the word “lily”, and the differences are worth knowing because they behave differently in a vase.

Oriental lilies — the big, heavily scented, often pink-flushed ones. They open over several days and perfume a whole room. Asiatic lilies are their upward-facing, unscented cousins, brighter in colour and better where a strong scent would be too much, such as a small flat or a hospital room. Calla lilies are the smooth trumpet on a bare stem described above, unscented, and technically not a lily. Peace lilies are houseplants (Spathiphyllum), not cut flowers at all; if that is what you are after, look at our plants instead.

When you order a lily bouquet from us and have a preference, say so. Scented or unscented is the difference that catches people out most often, and we can build either.

What We Put Lilies With

Lilies are large-headed and want space, so we build around them rather than crowding them. Eucalyptus and soft greenery give a white lily bouquet its shape without competing — that is the pairing in our White lily bouquet with purple hyacinth & eucalyptus. Hydrangea heads work as a base under calla stems and hold a mixed design together. Spray roses add small-scale detail next to a big lily head without turning the bouquet into a rose bouquet.

What we avoid is putting lilies with other strongly scented flowers. Two competing perfumes in one bouquet cancel each other out and can make a room unpleasant rather than lovely. If you want the scent, let the lily carry it alone. Our white flowers collection is the place to look for an all-white arrangement built on the same principle.

Lily Delivery Across London and the UK

Lily bouquets go out from our studio in Bermondsey the same day across London when you order before the daily cut-off at 10 PM, seven days a week, and to the rest of the UK in two to three working days. Everything is hand-tied here, not shipped in a flat box, and a bouquet travels standing in water rather than lying down.

The delivery rate and the free-delivery threshold are shown in your basket. If something arrives in poor condition, send us a photo at info@floritta.uk within three days and we will replace it — we would rather know.

For a bouquet meant to last, order lilies in bud. See flower care for what to do when they arrive, and how long flowers last for a species-by-species comparison.

Lily Bouquets — Questions We Are Asked

Are lilies dangerous for cats?

True lilies are, and this is the one thing we would rather you knew before ordering. Every part of a Lilium or Hemerocallis lily — petals, leaves, pollen and even the vase water — is severely toxic to cats and can cause kidney failure from a very small amount. If the flowers are going to a home with a cat, tell us and we will build the bouquet without them; there is always a good alternative. Calla lilies are a different plant altogether (Zantedeschia) and are not in that category, though they can irritate a pet’s mouth if chewed. Dogs are much less affected than cats.

Do you make calla lily bouquets, and for weddings?

Yes, and calla is the lily most people are actually looking for when they search. Its long clean stem makes the most architectural bridal bouquet there is — a sheaf of white callas carried down the arm, or a compact hand-tie of burgundy ones. A calla bridal bouquet usually runs to between nine and fifteen stems depending on the size you want, and we make matching buttonholes and bridesmaid posies to order.

How much is a calla lily bridal bouquet?

The made-up bridal designs in this collection start at £99 and run to around £249 for the fully dressed couture versions, with most brides landing near £149. Callas cost more per stem than roses, but you need far fewer of them, so a calla bouquet often ends up in the same place as a rose one. For a wedding with buttonholes, bridesmaids and ceremony flowers, tell us the date and the numbers and we will price it properly rather than guess.

Can I order burgundy calla lilies?

Yes. Deep burgundy is our most-asked-for calla colour after white, and it is a genuine variety rather than a dyed white flower, so the colour is even and does not mark the fabric it touches. It sits well with ivory, champagne and dusty pink, and it photographs far darker than it looks in the hand — worth knowing when you choose it from a screen.

Are lilies right for a funeral or for sympathy flowers?

White lilies are the traditional British choice for both, and they need no explanation from the sender. Sprays and wreaths are for the service and go to the funeral director; a hand-tied bouquet is for the family home. The one thing to check is whether the household has a cat, in which case ask us for calla lilies or a lily-free design instead.

Can I get lilies delivered the same day in London?

Yes, across London seven days a week when you order before 10 PM. Say in the order notes if the bouquet needs to be open on arrival rather than in bud — for same-day delivery to a hospital, a birthday or an event we will pick stems that are already showing colour instead of tight buds.

Do you deliver lily bouquets outside London?

Yes, to the rest of the UK in two to three working days. The bouquet travels hand-tied and standing in water, which is why lilies arrive from us in better condition than flat-packed flowers do. For a wedding outside London, talk to us about timing before you book: bridal work is best delivered the day before, not the morning of.

How do I look after lilies, and how long do they last?

Ten days to two weeks, which is longer than most people expect. Buy them in bud — they open over the first few days and the bouquet looks better on day four than on day one. Pinch out the orange anthers as each flower opens: the pollen stains fabric permanently and shortens the flower’s life. Trim the stems, keep the water fresh and change it every two days. Calla lilies want shallow water rather than a deep vase, and their stems will curl attractively as they age rather than flopping.