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Which Flowers are Good for Use in Wedding Bouquets?
Wedding bouquets and floral arrangements are often the centerpiece of a beautiful wedding, whether they are casually arranged wildflowers or ornately structured floral masterpieces. Choosing the right flowers for wedding arrangements is dependent on a number of things: color, cultural values, and season. Some celebrants forgo fresh natural flowers altogether and create memorable and lasting arrangements of silk and tissue flowers or dried flowers. Many prefer to choose seasonal flowers, as they give the wedding a natural and organic feel.
For spring weddings, there are a number of flowers suitable for use in wedding bouquets including roses, tulips, anemones, daffodils, lily of the valley, and gardenias, along with a profusion of spring greenery. All of these flowers can be used in formal arrangements for an elegant look or combined more loosely for casual but still beautiful wedding bouquets. The important thing to remember with spring flowers is that they tend to be very delicate and they fade quickly: use a florist who has a steady supply of fresh seasonal flowers and a light hand.
Summer weddings offer more opportunities for wildflowers, along with sturdier flowers like chrysanthemums, dahlias, and daisies. Many orchids including dendrobium orchids are available in the summer, along with calla lilies and baby's breath, two pure white flowers which are sometimes used in highly traditional wedding bouquets. Summer is a fun season for flowers, especially for people throwing weddings on a budget, as wedding bouquets can be gathered from fields, parks, and gardens (assuming appropriate permission).
In the fall, many wedding bouquets switch to a focus on greenery, fall color, and late blooming flowers like chrysanthemums, statice, zinnias, and marigolds, along with grasses and berries. Fall colors of gold, brown, and red can be integrated into the garments of the wedding party as well for a unique and beautiful ceremony. In addition, many fall flowers lend themselves well to drying, so wedding bouquets can be preserved to mark the occasion.
Winter weddings pose unique challenges: if the wedding is early in the winter, greenery and berries are essentially the only seasonal options. In December, winter classics like poinsettia, holly, and fir can be used to make elegant winter wedding bouquets which can contrast beautifully with the clothes worn by the wedding party. Late winter weddings in January and February can take advantage of beautiful bulbs like crocuses, daffodils, freesia, narcissus, and others to create sweet smelling, beautiful wedding bouquets.
In addition to seasonally available flowers, most greenhouses grow flowers year round, so you can compose a wedding bouquet of favorite flowers, flowers traditionally associated with weddings in your culture such as roses, hyacinths, and lilies, or flowers that are of a uniform color. In addition, tropical flowers are available year round via next day air for striking, unusual, delicious smelling wedding bouquets. Consult several florists to talk about your vision for the wedding, and do not be afraid to have specific ideas in mind about your flowers, as they are often the most memorable part of a wedding.
Discussion Comments
Flower bouquets are always an attraction at every wedding. Bouquets are a vital part of the wedding traditions in all races. The bouquet symbolizes the blossoming bride and reflects the emotion that she goes through. Thanks for the post!
whitewater, God gave us this planet to use. If I want to have wildflowers, I will go pick some from some field. Who's stopping me, the wildflower police? Get real. It's people like you, and those vegans that protest about cows being milked are ridiculous!
The option to choose flowers for the wedding ceremony it really means so much. thanks for the choice you provided.
I'm afraid the wise geeks aren't being too wise today. I love weddings but I also love wildflowers and the suggestion that wildflowers can "be gathered from fields, parks and gardens" is a bit reckless. Gardens - fine with permission. Parks - almost certainly illegal. Fields - never, unless you know the flower well, know that it's common and know that it is not rare or endangered.
Sadly native plants in the U.S. do not yet have the protection that rare and endangered animal species have, so unless you know the status of that beautiful flower, please leave it alone so the lovely children your marriage produces will be able to one day enjoy them too.
The preferences of the bride probably play the biggest role in the choosing process.
If the bride likes roses for example, then roses would be the best choice.
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