Flower Overpower?
If there are flowers lining the aisle, surrounding the altar and sprouting everywhere else, are they adding ambience or just a blooming distraction?
Flowers – how did something so natural become so stressful for many a bride-to-be? There are entire books dedicated to the simple subject of wedding flowers, in bouquets, boutonnieres, hair pieces and centerpieces, surrounding alters, hanging from chairs and decorating the bathrooms, bar tops, cocktail tables and the cake. With all that pressure, it’s not surprising that it’s so easy to blow your wedding budget on something that will be wilting the next day. If you’re both a style- and budget-savvy bride, where exactly should you really go for it with flowers, and when is it time to do a little weeding?
First of all, if you’re going to do any pruning, make sure you have the necessities taken care of, and that usually includes any flowers directly related to people: bridesmaids’ bouquets, boutonnieres, garlands and baskets of petals for the flower girls and, of course, the most important item – the bridal bouquet. “For us, most of the floral design stems from the bridal bouquet,” says Heather Hollern, co-owner of Quince Flowers & Events in Portland, Ore. “Although it might not be the most noticeable, I think it’s often the most meaningful.”
Once the basics are taken care of, you can move on to the decorative use of flowers. The decisions you make regarding your wedding flowers are important because their presence or lack thereof, as well as their color, shape and variety can set the tone for your big day. “I don’t really believe it’s possible to go overboard, but it is possible to mismatch the flowers with the style you’re going for,” says Anja Winikka, editor for TheKnot.com.
When everything is dripping with lush flowers such as peonies and gardenias, it says you want your event to be over-the-top, romantic, elegant and formal. But if you want a more modern look that highlights the space you’ve chosen or a great view, you should keep the flowers spare, perhaps selecting blossoms that have more structure, such as calla lilies or orchids.
“If you’re in an amazing outdoor setting, you probably don’t need a huge amount of large floral pieces to create atmosphere,” says Hollern. “Instead, put your money towards something that’s going to have a larger impact, like a few great chandeliers to light up an evening orchard dinner.”
Start by thinking about your priorities, advises Winikka. If you’re on a budget, you can still have that opulent, romantic look with lots of flowers everywhere, but you will have to skip the expensive blooms. Luckily it’s easy to make substitutions. A lot of people go head over heels for peonies because they’re gorgeous, full and smell great, but they can be $18 a stem in the fall. An alternative would be that classic wedding flower, the rose, suggests Winikka, but pick ones that have blown so that they are open and full. The goal is to find varietals that provide more bang for your buck
But if your priority is spending your money on an amazing location, it’s best to keep the flowers minimal so as not to detract from the space. Often, in these instances, stylish brides choose to incorporate other design elements that both highlight and harmonize with the few flowers they do have. “A woman here in our PR department at The Knot had her wedding at a loft in New York City, says Winikka, by way of example. “The color scheme was mostly white on white, but for the centerpieces she used bright fuchsia orchids lined up with bamboo stalks in trays of black rocks. The flowers were actually quite spare, but they really popped.” The geometric shapes and bold colors complemented the urban environment.
When resources are limited, it can also be more effective to have one large piece that makes a statement, says Hollern. “We’ve custom designed a large branch that hangs overhead in one of the spaces where we frequently work events,” she says. She also likes to use clusters of interesting containers, like vintage bottles or milkglass vases, but keep the actual flowers quite simple. And she notes that one of the least expensive ways to create a strong sense of color is with a beautiful table linen – you can keep everything on top of it simple and still have it be very striking.
“It’s easy to get overwhelmed or caught up with the traditions when it comes to wedding décor,” says Hollern. “I think it’s important for people to do something that reflects their style and remember that it’s OK to be a little different.”
 |
