Petal Power: Choosing Your Bridal Flowers
By Katrina Gersie & Stephanie Avent
Couples have incorporated beautiful flowers into their wedding celebrations since ancient times, in the form of festive garlands, decorative wreaths, brides’ bouquets, and kissing knots. For centuries wedding guests have sprinkled herbs or flower petals, a tradition that began as a means to ward off evil spirits. And before flowers were used betrothed couples donned wreaths of herbs and garlic as their own spirit deterrent!
While today’s brides and grooms typically choose to forgo the garlic wreath (thank heavens!), flowers are essential to almost every wedding celebration. From traditional to uniquely modern, here’s a look at what’s appealing to couples this season.
Pump up the Color
Flowers can be bold and beautiful and trends show that modern couples are making the most of these qualities. Many bouquets are currently showing up in delightful, unexpected shades, such as cool blues and deep purples, chartreuse, hot reds and fuchsias, and sassy citrus shades such as bright oranges and yellows. In one color or many a boldly colored bouquet can produce a surprisingly dramatic effect.
Tip: The correct way to hold a bouquet is by placing your elbows close to your hipbones and holding the stems or handle with both hands at belly-button height.
Au Naturel
If you are looking for a different feel explore nature for an ever-expanding garden of options that go beyond flowers: crisp, bright-green grasses; ivy; fruits and berries; delicate branches; and sprightly herbs (they’re back!) have made recent appearances in the arms of modern brides and bridesmaids, on men’s boutonnieres, or in ceremony and reception decor. Wheatgrass, lemons, pears, raspberries, lemon thyme, rosemary, and lavender are but a few of nature’s rising stars.
Cool Classics
Romantic couples who prefer to honor tradition will be happy to know that elegant bouquets of roses, lilies, tulips, daises, and peonies are still quite popular. These timeless bouquets are typically created with a palette of soft pastels or shades of white—colors well suited to wedding celebrations.
Chic and dramatic, orchids are quite versatile (and available in a variety of colors and styles) and can be used to create traditional or contemporary styles—and they are always in fashion. Hot new additions to classic bouquet styles include hydrangeas and dahlias.
Thinking outside the Vase
Be innovative with your wedding decor! Not only will this allow you to express yourself and to expand creatively, but also (and most importantly), it will allow you to have some fun! In centerpieces we are seeing big trends in seasonal themes, such as the use of terra cotta pots containing one kind of spring flower, such as tulips or daffodils, at spring weddings. Potted flowering plants are are another great alternative to cut flowers, as are silk flowers (which are growing in popularity).
White baskets, more terra cotta, and assorted ceramic pots are popular for summer celebrations, with the pots often combined with floating fruit candles. A pumpkin shell makes an attractive container for asters and marigolds at a fall wedding. Add some other seasonal fruits and you’ve got a stunning display! For winter months consider painted branches, berry clusters, and pinecones. Decorated miniature trees are a lovely addition to a holiday wedding.
For a striking look that works for any season experiment with alternative containers, such as oversized martini glasses, bowls in various sizes, watering cans, Mason jars, trumpet vases, jewelry boxes, and tall cylinders (which can also be filled with colored water; natural objects like rocks, branches, or seashells; or small floating candles).
Candles—from tapers to hostess and votive—are always a hot ingredient for tabletops and centerpieces (often accented by beautiful buds), and smaller versions are often used in multiples to create romantic, fairytale-like settings. Metallic boxes, mirrors, and trays can be incorporated into these flickering displays to add extra dazzle. Other trends in decor include fountain displays, hanging arrangements, and bursting blooms arranged high on decorative poles.
Shapely Stems
Wedding bouquets come in three basic shapes. The most traditional of these is the posy (or the nosegay, the larger version of the posy), a simple circular cluster bouquet composed of flowers and greenery, wired and tied together.
Two more modern bouquet shapes are the teardrop (or cascade), which is wide and full at the top and tapering to a point at the bottom, and often finished with ribbons at the bottom; and the sheath (also known as a presentation or pageant bouquet), which typically consists of bunches of long-stemmed flowers arranged in a long shape that rests across the inner bend of the elbow.
Seasonal Options and their Romantic Meanings
Spring
Daffodils: respect, chivalry
Fruit blossoms: good fortune, fertility
Daisies: innocence
Tulips: charity, perfect lover
- Red tulips: declaration of love
- Variegated tulips: beautiful eyes
- Yellow tulips: hopeless love
Roses: love, passion
- Red roses: love, passion, I love you
- Pink roses: friendship, perfect happiness, appreciation
- White roses: eternal love, innocence, purity, heavenly
- Yellow roses: joy, friendship, true love
Hydrangeas: thank you for understanding
Anemones: unfading love, expectation
Peonies: happy life, aphrodisiac, happy marriage, good health, prosperity
Sweet peas: lasting pleasure, blissful pleasure
Summer
Calla lilies: magnificent beauty
Orchids: delicate beauty, rare beauty, refinement
Chrysanthemums: cheerfulness, optimism, and “You’re a wonderful friend”
- White chrysanthemums: truth
Carnations: fascination, divine love, bonds of affection, health and energy
- Pink carnation: remembrance, “I’ll never forget you,” a mother’s love
- Red carnation: admiration, my heart aches for you
- White carnation: innocence, faithfulness, sweet and lovely
Tuberoses: dangerous pleasure
Sunflowers: adoration, loyalty, wishes
Larkspur: ardent attachment
Queen Anne’s Lace: fantasy, haven
Daisies, roses, hydrangeas, and tulips extend their season into the summer.
Autumn
Amaryllis: splendid beauty, pride
Grape ivy: fidelity, friendship
China aster: love, daintiness
Fuchsia: taste
Zinnia: thoughts of friends
- Magenta zinnia: Lasting affection
- Scarlet zinnia: constancy
- White zinnia: goodness
Yarrow: healing
Chrysanthemums transition to autumn in shades of yellow, bronze, and orange.
Winter
Eucalyptus berries: protection
Juniper pine gardenias: “You’re lovely,” sweet love, good luck
Holly: goodwill, domestic happiness, foresight
Poinsettia: “Be of good cheer”
Snowball mums: cheerfulness, optimism
You can personalize a bouquet for the season by adding pinecones, evergreen, or berries.
Many of the flowers for spring, summer, and autumn, especially favorites like roses and lilies, are available all year.
Create Fragrant Memories
The following is a list of aromatic flowers that are sure to make a lasting impression on you and your wedding guests:
- Amaryllis
- Daffodils
- Gardenias
- Jasmine
- Lilacs
- Freesia
- Magnolias
- Roses
- Violets
- Lilies
- Iris
- Hyacinth
- Phlox