Think of flowers that you have loved all your life; flowers that are meaningful to you. A fragrance, a favorite flower of Grandma's. Let memories serve as a starting point.
Now consider the style of wedding you are having. Formal might involve lilies or calla lilies.
For a country feel touches of blue say it all, with a diverse set of smaller blooms like you'd find in a meadow. Examples would be larkspur, yarrow, scabiosa, shasta daisy and Black-Eyed Susan.
Contemporary weddings use love lies bleeding, celosia, astilbe and greens with character and texture. Seed pods of nigella and poppies are often used.
Locally grown garden flowers can be especially meaningful. Bear in mind they can be unpredictable due to weather variability. Be open to different flowers with the same color or texture. They are all beautiful.
If you are just now setting a date, consider the flowers you love. Peonies are available only in late spring, hydrangea only in late summer, sweet peas in July only in our climate. Spring such as April and May will limit you to lilacs and spring bulbs in the High Country.
If you are growing your own, you will need lots of plants. Dahlias for example put out just a few bloom per week. A bridal bouquet of just dahlias might have 10 dahlia blooms. A mixed bouquet might have 50 or more stems.
Cut your flowers the day before the wedding, early in the morning, move immediately to floral preservative and store in a cool, shady place until you start arranging.
The Meaning of Flowers; use them to Symbolize your Love
Add the ancient tradition of the 'meaning of flowers' to your wedding.
You can even add a thoughtful note to your groom and guests as to the meaning of the flowers you've chosen for them.
I've added a list of flowers we grow and their traditional meaning.
- Allium - good fortune
- Anthurium/snapdragon - attraction
- Bachelor button - love
- Basil - love, wealth
- Bleeding Heart - love
- Aster - beginnings
- Catnip - beauty, happiness
- Chrysanthemum - hope
- Clematis - artfulness, mental beauty
- Columbine - courage, love
- Daffodil - chivalry
- Daisy - innocence
- Feverfew - protection
- Gladioli - natural grace
- Honeysuckle - bonds of love
- Hydrangea - boastful
- jasmine - good luck
- Lavender - devotion or love at first sight
- Lily - virtue
- Nasturtium - jest
- Mint - money, love, lust
- Pansy - thoughtfulness
- Peony - romance and prosperity
- Poppy - dreams
- Ranunculus - charm
- Rosemary - remembrance
- Sunflower - power
- Sweet Pea - lasting pleasure
- Thistle - strength
- Tulip - hopeless love
- Yarrow - courage, love
- Zinnia - absence
Fun Flowers for Fragrance - you will forever associate these with your wedding day
- Dill
- Lavender
- Rosemary
- Narcissi
- Oriental lily - strong
- Chrysanthemum - peppery
- Dahlia - peppery
- Lilac - sweet
- Sweet Pea - sweet
- Peony - sweet
- Phlox - sweet
- Garden Rose - sweet (regular florist roses have little or no fragrance)
Symbolize with Color:
- Blue - trustworthy, dependable, and committed, the color of the sky and the ocean, blue is perceived as a constant in our lives.
- Green - the color of nature, fertility and life, self-respect, well-being, and balance
- Yellow - shines with optimism, enlightenment and happiness. Shades of golden yellow carry the promise of a positive future.
- Orange - is fun and flamboyant and radiates warmth and energy. Terra-cotta, peach and rust have a broad appeal.
- Red - is the color of passion and commands attention. Using this color as an accent color will immediately draw everyone's gaze to a particular decorative element.
- Pink - ia youthful, fun and exciting, while vibrant pinks have the same high energy as red. Pink is the color of happiness and is regarded as lighthearted.
- White - projects purity, cleanliness and neutrality. It also indicates a fresh start, innocence and simplicity.
- Purple - balances the stimulation of red with the calm of blue. With mystical and royal connotations, purple is a color favored by creative or eccentric types.
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