floral
An expert wedding florist can help you create the effect you’re dreaming of, whether your style is nostalgic, contemporary, formal or fun. If possible, book your florist nine to twelve months out. “I ask my brides to come prepared with a few photos of flowers and ideas that they like,” says Amy Garza, owner of Amy’s Floral Design in Tempe. “I can then get more creative because I have an idea of the direction she wants to go in. Otherwise,” she adds, “the number of choices they have can be overwhelming.”
Show your true colors
The first thing your florist will want to know is your color scheme. “Bright and bold colors are back, like big reds, oranges and purples,” says Jodi White-Guthrie, owner of Flowers by Jodi in Phoenix. “People are now wanting that ‘wow’ factor. The color of the year is a vibrant, energetic honeysuckle pink. The romantic, nostalgic look is also still really popular with ivories and whites and beiges.”
Remember that flowers are seasonal, so you won’t get daffodils in December or poinsettias in July, even if they are your favorite flowers. But don’t worry . . . your florist will be happy to help you select from the wide range of flowers that will be available at the time of your wedding.
Begin with your bouquets
“Brides are still splurging on their bridal bouquets,” says Amy. “It’s the most important floral piece that you get because it’s going to be in all the photos. They’re looking for really lush, full bouquets.” Hand-tied bouquets continue to be popular. “Brides just love looking like they gathered the flowers themselves,” Jodi says, adding that many brides are adding brooches, feathers, crystals, rhinestones and pearls to their bouquets.
Flowers for mothers of the bride and groom are a personal choice. Some may want to skip the traditional corsage in favor of carrying a small nosegay or even nothing at all, so be sure to ask. Some grooms may be reluctant to wear a flower. “We strongly urge them to wear a boutonniere,” says Jim Bullock who owns Sedona-based Events by Show Stoppers with his partner Ken Heflin. “People expect it. Usually, what Ken likes to do is a small dendrobium orchid. They’re really lightweight and they hold up well.” Amy likes to go with really clean, classic lines. “My most popular boutonniere is a calla lily.”
Continue on to Your Ceremony and Reception“I’ll ask about the ceremony site to see how much decoration it needs,” Amy explains. “Then I’ll see if the reception site needs centerpieces that are really tall and grand because it’s in a giant ballroom or smaller pieces if it’s more of an intimate dinner.”
“We’re doing a lot of the submerged arrangements,” Amy continues. “They give you the drama without being that expensive.” Jodi has been submerging pearls and hanging strands of crystals inside vases and adding LED lights. “It’s still all about candles, too,” she says.
Jim described one of the most creative designs his company has done. The bride requested a contemporary look in yellows and greens with a Southwestern touch. “We got golden barrel cactuses and stacked them inside a big glass cylinder, filled it with water and put flowers on top. It made a big, dramatic centerpiece, probably about four-and-a-half-feet tall.”
Events by Show Stoppers also specializes in creating rose petal carpets. “It’s like painting with rose petals to create different shapes and make it look like a rug,” Jim explains. “Everyone gasps when the bride and groom walk through it and mess it up. That’s what’s fun about it. We’re doing a lot of those now.”
Jodi recommends having flowers do “double duty” by reusing arrangements from the ceremony at the reception. She also says that bridesmaids’ bouquets can be turned into beautiful decor for the head table simply by providing vases for them. It's one more creative way to make the most of the petals you've so carefully picked.
