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Other than the bridal party clothes, it is the flowers that literally add colours to a wedding. Thus, without their presence, a wedding becomes bland, flat, and unexciting.
A bridal ensemble is never complete without a bouquet. It adds a stylish accent to the bride's gown and softens her overall look. To assure a perfect bouquet, there are several important details that are taken into account like the height, the built and skin tone of the bride, the style of the wedding gown, and the theme of the wedding.
Several arrangements have been particularly used for wedding bouquets. The posy or round bouquets create a classic look, and tulips, roses, and peonies are usually used for this arrangement. The sheath or arm bouquet, on the other hand, is a line arrangement of lilies or long-stemmed flowers that create an elegant appearance. Meanwhile, the cascade bouquet, also known as shower or waterfall, creates a romantic look with its big and trailing floral arrangement. What's more, the modern-style bouquet uses exotic flowers and foliage to create a unique trendy arrangement to suit a more contemporary wedding theme.
Large and detailed bouquets suit the willowy or full-figured brides, whereas petite brides should opt for small and well-shaped bouquets. Brides who are fair-skinned are advised to not use bold-coloured flowers as they might appear pale. The colours of the flowers should also blend with the make-up tones of the bride. For instance, it is advisable to use pink flowers for pink make-up tones.
The style and shape of the bridal bouquet are also dictated by the style of the gown. If the dress of the bride has exquisite details, the arrangement of the bouquet should be kept simple and with complementing details to avoid covering the gowns. A full-skirt gown might need an equally lavish bouquet to prevent the flowers from being overwhelmed by the layers of cloth, while an over-the-arm sheath bouquet with a modern twist will go well with a long slim gown.
The bridesmaids' bouquets are usually patterned after the bride's bouquet, but kept on a more minimal arrangement. The colour of the bouquets usually depend on the colour of the dresses and the overall colour theme. Roses and gerberas have been the popular flowers for bridesmaids' bouquets. Posy bouquets are also usually created for them, while baskets containing the same kinds of flowers are prepared for the flower girls.
The flower for the groom's boutonniere should either create a contrasting or enhancing effect on the colour of the groom's suit. Typically, the boutonniere flower is the same flower used in the bride's bouquet, but for grooms who dislike flowers, smaller blooms or foliage can be used instead.
Wedding corsages, tiny bunches of flowers, are worn by the mothers of the bride and groom and other close female relatives. They can be pinned on the dress or hat, or placed around the wrist. Gardenias, roses, and orchids are typically used. It is advised to inquire about the colour of these women's clothes, so the suitable flowers can be chosen.
The wedding ceremony flowers should be a balance of joy and formality but at the same time, parallel to the colour and theme created by the wedding bouquets and dresses. For church weddings, floral arrangements that are lengthy and low can be placed at the altar. Flowers placed at ledges of windows and ends of pews will create additional drama when the bride walks down the aisle, and garlands on church doors will be a pleasing welcome to guests. For wedding ceremonies held in simple rooms such as hotels, pedestal arrangements in the room and a small colourful arrangement on the ceremony table can add colour and air of happiness to the place.
Wedding centerpieces are a big factor in creating the wedding theme. A low but lengthy floral arrangement is usually put on the table for the bride and groom. For the other tables, centerpiece arrangements are usually arranged low or extremely tall so guests can interact freely. Centrepiece wedding flowers commonly used for tall and low floral arrangements are roses and tulips. For tropical themes, exotic flowers like heliconia and anthuriums are typically used. Calla lilies are usually used to create an understated elegant air.
The choice of flowers and the suitable wedding flower arrangement is best discussed with a florist. A florist will need to know the wedding theme and style, colour scheme, venue, and budget to help him present wedding flower ideas and materials. It is best to show to the florist the venue of the wedding, the sketches or photos of the wedding clothes, fabric swatches, and pictures of preferred flowers and floral arrangements from magazines and books. Some of the well-loved wedding flowers are calla lilies, tulips, roses, gerberas, orchids, and roses. The use of silk wedding flower can also be discussed with the florist if the bride wants to keep the bridal bouquet as a wedding reminder, or if wilting of flowers due to the climate or long travel will be a concern. Silk flowers can be bought ready-made or a florist can have them prepared.
Some flowers are readily available because they can be imported from other places, or they can be commercially cultivated in all seasons. However, flowers that are in season are at their most beautiful and are usually cheaper. Wedding flowers that are easily purchased regardless of the season are gerberas, lilies, roses, orchids, anthuriums, and heliconia. For winter, the Cymbidium orchids, although available all throughout the year, come in more colours--pale green, yellow, and white. The tall amaryllis, which comes in pink, red, and white, can be used as table centerpieces, while holly and ivy can provide the greens for a winter wedding. Spring offers more choices with tulips, roses, hyacinths, lily of the valley, and peonies. Calla lilies and roses are in abundance during summer. Delphiniums, stock, snapdragons, columbine, and irises are also summer flowers. Delphiniums and gladioli can be used for table centerpieces, while snapdragons, irises and columbine can be incorporated in other floral arrangements. Autumn brings hydrangeas, chrysanthemums, and dahlias, and the fruits crab apples and physalis can add colour to autumn wedding decors.
