An integral part of most weddings is the flowers, which bring festivity and freshness to the celebrations. While different cultures have specific needs and ceremonial specifics when it comes to wedding flowers, below are some general ideas to help you budget and plan.
Church or ceremony: Wherever you are holding your actual wedding ceremony ie. stating your vows and performing the legal and traditional rites of marriage, you may wish to decorate it with flowers. This would potentially include the ends of church pews, free-standing arrangements with our without candelabras for the altar or dais*, and possibly a flower archway if the wedding is outdoors.
Bridal party and other key guests: A wedding bouquet for the bride is the key item in this list; also included will be flowers for all attendants, including boutonnieres for the groom and groomsmen. The parents of the bridal couple and other key guests may warrant little corsages and boutonnieres as well.
Tables and head table: At the reception location, more flowers will usually be in order, to decorate both the guest tables and the head table, if you are having one. *Often, couples will think ahead by ordering freestanding flower arrangements that can be ported to the reception site and used at the entranceway or the edge of the dance floor.
There are as many ideas for flower combinations as there are couples, but some ideas include:
A color scheme that complements your wedding party outfits. Matching or complementary colors are good places to start when choosing flower arrangements. If your bridesmaids’ dresses are pink, for example, you could select flowers in various shades of pink, and perhaps pick a deeper pink color for the gentlemen.
Many brides choose a monochromatic color scheme for a classy and dramatic effect. All-white, cream, pastels or deep colors – whatever the hue, an arrangement made of all one type and color of the flower, or even several different varieties all in the same color makes a showstopping statement.
Greens: Some brides choose a variety of greenery, such as variegated ivy and ferns, to showcase a few stunning flowers or just on their own, to offset the paleness of a wedding dress.
