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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Trending Tuesday

Let's Talk Bouquets.
White Wedding Day Events.  Photography by Siegel Thurston Photography

Left: Indulge Flowers. Photography by White Haute Photography
Right: Cherry Blossom Floral Design. Photography by Siegel Thurston Photography

Tailored Florals & Events by Jeri. Photography by Siegel Thurston Photography

Left: Moments in Bloom.  Right: White Wedding Day Events
Both photos are by Siegel Thurston Photography

Floral Inspiration: Bouquet Trends
By: Kristen Castillo

Your bouquet is the star of your wedding flowers.  You’ve got lots of colors, styles and trends to consider so San Diego Style Weddings is consulting with local floral designers to help you create a one-of-a-kind bouquet.

COLORS
“Cream, white and hints of coral,” are popular colors according to Dawn Stone of Embellishmint Floral Event and Design Studio who says color palettes “are more sophisticated because of inspiration boards.”


Dede Barnes and Tara McClurkin of Moments In Bloom “predict that most brides will be going back to a traditional look. Lots of whites and creams with a touch of color.”

Patrick Higgins of Artistic Florals and Plants has seen lots of light yellow and white flower combinations, but he can’t pinpoint any one color as the “it” hue of the moment. “I’ve seen a lot of girls do black dresses for their bridesmaids,” says Higgins. “With black, you can go in any color direction.”

Bold colors are a wedding option too. “I’m seeing a lot of bright colors mixed with white,” says Jenna Severson of Flowers by Coley who is also “seeing pops of orange, red and yellow.” She says color combos like tangerine orange and turquoise are trendy as well.

FLOWERS
Your bridal bouquet can have any flower you want. Still some blooms get lots of wedding attention. Severson says some top flowers for bridal bouquets include orchids, calla lilies, peonies, hydrangeas and David Austin garden roses.  “Since we live so close to the flower market in Carlsbad, anything is accessible to us,” she says. 

Stone’s favorite wedding flower is peonies: “I don’t think it’ll go out of style,” she says.

As for trendy arrangements, Barnes and McClurkin say brides will be “using a lot of traditional wedding flowers like roses, hydrangeas and mini callas.”

They also say many brides want to “’re-create’ their Mother’s bouquet but with a bit more of a modern twist.”

PERSONALIZATION
Bouquets are getting more intricate and interesting.  Higgins says many of his clients have used curly willow to add texture to a bouquet; one wrapped a boutonniere in bark; and another client used a bird’s nest as a place for the ring bearer to hold the wedding rings.

“I like the fact that people are adding more personality,” he says noting many couples are using unusual containers for wedding flowers, including teapots and mason jars.

Severson has been “seeing a lot of rustic elements like feathers and seasonal accents like berries or pinecones.”

Other touches of personality include using “vintage accents like velvet ribbons and cameos pinned to the nape of the bouquet wrap,” says Severson.

Stone agrees, saying: “They’re doing something personal like adding their grandmother’s rosary or their mother’s lace from her veil to remind them what the day’s all about – family.”

She says bouquets can have snazzy touches including antique buttons or rhinestone bracelets (which can double as bridesmaids’ gifts).

ROYAL INFLUENCE
For the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton, the floral scheme was simple and elegant.

According to the Royal couple’s wedding website, flowers at Westminster Abbey,  their ceremony site, included “azaleas, rhododendron, euphorbias, beech, wisteria and lilac.”

They also had six English maple trees and two hornbeams at the ceremony – all of which were replanted after the wedding.

“The trees gave it more personality,” says Higgins who says he found the Royal Wedding to be a very personal occasion. “It was more about the people than the event itself.”

Kate Middleton’s small bouquet fits the simplicity trend too.

But Barnes disagrees with the idea that San Diego brides will embrace simplicity.

“They are more aware of all the great things a wedding can be, including lots of flowers!” she says. “I think a lot of people felt that the Royal Wedding could have been more romantic if there were more flowers!

“I do however feel that the brides may be reusing trees, plants, etc. Everyone is going green and this is a great way to help decorate your wedding and still re-use! Brides have been giving seeds, miniature plants, etc. as favors.”

Whether you choose tulips or hydrangeas; whites or bold hues; a simple scheme or something more elaborate; show some personality in your floral style and showoff your bouquet!

Bouquet Basics: You’ll hear a lot of floral terms when you’re shopping for wedding flowers. Here’s a look at five of the most popular wedding bouquets styles.

Hand-tied bouquets have a fresh-from-the-garden feel. They’re typically assembled into a clutch style and can feature tulips, freesia and stephanotis, as well as other flowers. Many times the handle is wrapped in ribbon and embellished with personal touches such as a family brooch or fabric from the bride’s mother’s wedding dress.

Cascading bouquets have a waterfall feel since they seem to flow and trail down from the bouquet stem. This style was very popular in the 1980’s (Princess Diana had a cascading bouquet!) and is now starting to make a comeback. Orchids and stargazer lilies are two popular flowers in cascading bouquets.

Arm bouquets, also known as presentation bouquets, are generally long stemmed bouquets that nestle in a bride or bridesmaid’s arm. Calla lilies are a popular bloom for this style.

Pomander bouquets are rounded “balls” of flowers. Ribbon is attached to one side of the ball so the bouquet can be carried. Roses and peonies work well in pomander bouquets.

Nosegays are rounded bouquets that are a very full style. This Victorian style, which dates back hundreds of years, is also called “Tussy Mussy” or “Tussie Mussie.”