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Despite the chilly temperatures of dwindling winter, wedding flower trends are in full bloom already, combining unique groupings of flora and fauna in interesting and creative ways. Take a look at how these top florists and event designers are reinterpreting bouquets, centerpieces and more for the hottest flower trends in 2011.
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Event planners Katie Smith and Devra Glauberman of MarieMerin Productions in NYC love the organic feel eluded from natural-inspired decor. The pair worked with floral designer Emily Thompson on a recent wedding with centerpieces that utilized tree stumps, birch for table numbers, black urns with huge floral arrangements cascading out and tree limbs that held candles. To extend the earthy theme into the ceremony, try using huge thin tree stumps with sticks and flowers for a unique set-up. "We can see this type of theme becoming popular for all seasons," Smith says. "While this was in the winter and dark colors were used, this can easily be transformed with white flowers, light-colored tree stumps and chartreuse greenery to transform a summer wedding."
Bouquets and centerpieces need not be matchy-matchy, says Lisa Roy of Flora Bella in Minneapolis. Roy encourages brides to "avoid perfectly matching elements of their weddings, and to not be afraid of mixing it up a bit with personal touches." Use a sampling of similar blooms to create a unified look -- for example, several distinct bouquets using similar flowers make for a fresher palette (much like bridesmaids dresses in varying but complementary styles or hues). And instead of repeating the same centerpiece on each table, "it's refreshing and playful to see a range of centerpiece styles and focal pieces at the reception," Roy says.
"Tablescapes have become a really fun trend in the realm of wedding decor because they enable brides to go behind the more traditional floral centerpiece," says Sandra de Ovando of floral and event design company Ovando in New York City. Try using different vase sizes and shapes and repeated patterns to create a more dynamic and unique feel. "The tablescape design is then woven together via a harmonious use of the selected materials, be it the color palettes, the flowers themselves or materials above and beyond flowers," de Ovando says. Here, the aubergine, green and pink accents help create a fluid feel among the varied vases.
Forward-thinking arrangements now combine traditional florals with an unexpected twist. This contemporary spin on a vintage look "works beautifully for weddings because you can achieve a romantic look without being overly old-fashioned and predictable," says Beth LeonGuerrero of WildFlowers Inc. in Charleston, SC. "The colors can be bold and contrasting or soft and muted, but almost always use a color family for impact," she says. Featured flowers can include everything from traditional roses to seasonal garden florals matched with unique and modern varieties of calla lilies.
Local, seasonal blooms (a greener and more economical choice) are reigning over stems flown in from overseas. For destination weddings, wedding planner Shanoya Watson of Half Moon, a Rock Resort in Jamaica, says her couples prefer local island flowers like orchids, anthuriums, birds of paradise, ginger lilies and roses. "Brides are more excited about natural-looking, hand-picked bouquets -- nothing too organized," she says. Couples are also getting more creative with their centerpieces and are forgoing traditional arrangements for submerged petals and ferns.
"We feel like brides today are a little more adventurous with their flowers and they want something unusual, but yet still very chic," says Laurence and Armando, co-owners of L'Oasis Floral Design in New York. For example, L'Oasis is using succulents as the perfect complement to orchids and roses ("We love them, even if they have a very different character.") The pair say that organic is also in fashion, with lots of green and vine. And don't be afraid to use inexpensive arrangements to pepper your wedding decor: "Many people get the wrong idea that carnations or other cheap flowers are not worth being in a floral arrangement and even less in a wedding, but like every flower they are beautiful. As long as you use them correctly, carnations can have a very lush and gorgeous effect."
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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)
Of course each is most interesting and lovely...however, at table we never want to block the face siting opposite us, especially at a wedding. The reasons, conversation, flirts, assignations sometime leading to a tryst or even romance and marriage. Styles come, styles go, traditional is never out of date- Lovely those bent calla's gracefully arching toward one another - right now I've the most incredible, delicious, luscious long stem roses a most extraordinary bouquet of unusual rare color placed simply in one of my dining areas-on another it's orchids and on other simply fruit - poolside or deck the tables are always full of blooms -these provide addtional inspiration THANKS!
When we were talking to the florist during out wedding planning, I didn't realize that roses and orchids can be pretty comparable in cost. So much of floral pricing depends on the season too. HtTp://bIt.lY/WeddingSaver had some nice ideas we liked and the freebies page on their site has makeup, fragrance, and beauty product samples as well as free bridal magazines.