Flower Power

Choose wisely. Think about the style of your wedding. The theme. The colors. Your wedding bouquet will be with you and photographed consistently. Below are just a few selections of gorgeous and unique bouquets designed by the experts of the industry. I hand picked a few of my favourite bouquets within the family colour of purple and red but you can check out more bouquets on InStyle Weddings.

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Fresh Centerpieces

Martha Stewart Weddings

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White Wedding Bouquets

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CLASSIC BLOOMS

LILY OF THE VALLEY: With their dainty, bell-shaped florets and their heavenly fragrances, lily of the valley look pretty alone (as a ribbon-wrapped posy) or mixed with other relaxed looking blooms, such as sweet pea or garden roses. Though typically pure white, there exists or rarer pink version. The high price and short growing season of lily of the valley means it isn’t the best options for every bride.

HYDRANGEA: Round, bushy heads of scentfree blossoms most often found in shades of blue, pink, purple or white (though green ones can also look chic in a like-hued or white bouquet). Moderately priced with a casual, romantic feel, hydrangea works nicely with lilacs, delphinium and other garden blooms, but can also help to fill out bouquets composed of more formal-looking flowers.

GARDENIA: Creamy petaled, ivory hued gardenias have a rich perfume and a high price tag. To keep costs down, use them sparingly: Two or three floating in a low bowl makes a clean, modern centerpiece, while a smaller posy, offset by the flowers waxy green leaves, can be quite pretty as a bouquet. Because they tend to wilt and bruise easily, think twice before carrying gardenias in hot, humid weather, and wet your fingers before handling them: even oil from your skin can harm the petals. Gardenias show especially well at a softly lit nighttime wedding.

ORCHID: One of the most exotic, seductive-looking wedding-day blooms, orchids come in shades from white to vibrant pink to chartreuse. Only a few of its species are used in weddings. Fragrant, star-shaped cymbidium orchids and wide, flat petaled phalaenopsis orchids are the most expensive. Long stemmed dendrobiums are perfect for cascade bouquet as well as cattleya orchids with their thin, curved petals. Used commonly as accents are tiny onicidium orchids [spray orchids].

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Budget Tips

Flowers are an important element in a wedding. It can simply be an accessory or set the stage or create the mood for the celebration itself.

There are a few criterions to keep in mind in selecting wedding flowers.

The shape of the brides bouquet should reflect the shape of the dress. A full, elaborate ball gown with a beautiful train needs classic blooms. A lush arrangement of lily of the valley mixed with bouvardia or a lush arrangement of roses would beautifully accent a ball gown. A voluminous circle or cascade would be your best bet!

A plainer, slimmer style of gown requires less traditional blooms such as a loose arrangement of calla lilies or lavender sweet pea. If you are tall or full-figured you might opt for a fuller bouquet. If you are petite steer far from a huge cascade.

There are several cost saving tips when purchasing the floral for your wedding.

i) BUY IN SEASON– with the aid of your florist choose a flower that will be grown naturally at the time of your wedding. This alone can save you a vast sum. To ensure that you receive the best deal, get your florist to purchase the best available flowers in your color palette a few days before the big day.

ii) AVOID HOLIDAYS– In a year there are specific days in which the prices of flowers soar. Eg. Valentines Day, Mothers Day. Avoid setting your wedding day on those days!

iii) FAKE IT– Replace those expensive flowers, such as orchids or lily of the valley with something that looks very similar and inexpensive. Your bouquet will still look gorgeous and your SAVING.

iv) USE YOUR SETTING– If you plan on getting married in a backyard, or in park or a vineyard choose a time when you know the flowers and trees will have bloomed. In the case of a vineyard choose the time when the grapes are ready to be harvested.

vi) THE ILLUSION– Using a large amount of small flowers such as lily of the valley or freesia can put a dent in your budget. Therefore try substituting for larger flowers such peonies, open roses or hydrangeas. You would require only a few to make a beautiful presentation.

vii) PEARS, APPLES, LEMONS– This is more commonly seen, nowadays. You can save extensively by adding limes or lemons to an arrangement. Use berries, ivy or add elephant leaves to fill in the space and cut cost.

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