What about me?

So I think we all know about the show stoppers - the flowers that get the most attention and are widely used in weddings.  To name a few....peony, dahlia, roses, orchids and calla lilies.  Many of the brides I meet with will love one of these flowers and want them in their wedding.  Don't get me wrong, I love these flowers too - there isn't a peony that I can say no to and they all scream, "buy me, buy me!" when I'm at the flower mart.  However, I feel as though some flowers get overlooked (it's the part of me that always roots for the underdog) and don't get the "attention" they deserve.  So here are some of my favorites...

Stock: comes in all sorts of colors including white, yellow, pink. burgundy and purple.  They look beautiful when grouped together or arranged with other flowers.

Spider Mums: These flowers take up a lot of real estate and comes in white, lavender, green and yellow.  They add a lot of texture into an arrangement or bouquet.

And here is a bouquet that one of my students made from my Flower Workshop last month.

Anemone: They come in white, red, purple, magenta, and blue.  The white ones come with dark centers or green centers.  I have a love/hate relationship with these flowers.  I love the way they add some pop in arrangements and the dark centers really add some depth - but man, these flowers are a pain in the butt. You have to wait for them to open and they have weak stems.  So you really have to be gentle with them and they require some extra patience.  Something one doesn't have much of when you have a 18 month toddler.

There are a lot more flowers out there - and there is always one that will fit your style and personality!  I'll be listing some more of my favorites soon.

Branches for Wedding Centerpieces 101

Most people don't even give a second thought to tree branches and what they have to offer. In fact, most people don't even consider tree branches at all when they think of flowers. But branches have so much versatility! The creative things you can use them for are endless.

You can showcase the branches alone by using flowering trees like cherry or crab apple, or go more elaborate by decorating the branches with orchids, crystals and candles. Branches are also a great and affordable way to add some height to an arrangement if you have tall ceilings. They have beautiful lines and you can definitely find a type of branch to suit your wedding style. Here are some common branches that designers use.

Curly Willow - Curly willow come in a variety of colors. The most common is green but you can also get them brown (dried) or white (stripped of their bark).

Here are some centerpieces using curly willow:

Mazanita: These are branches are very sturdy that can handle the weight of hanging candle votives and crystals. They naturally come in a dark chocolate brown color, but they can also be sand blasted to a light brown or white color.

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Birch Branches: These branches are sturdy and straighter than curly willow. These are great for filling up space and come in a lot of varieties. You can learn more about birch branches here.

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Centerpiece Ideas for birch branches:

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Cherry Blossom Branches: These branches come ready to be used since they already have beautiful blossoms on them. Unfortunately, they are only in season late winter (January and February) for a short period of time.

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Grapewood: You can design beautiful decorative displays with sandblasted grapewood branches. You can combine moss, grasses and succulents for a natural display. Calla lilies and orchids are also great flowers to pair with grapewood.

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If you plan to use branches in any of your wedding decor be sure to ask what type of branches will be used. As you can see - there are many different options out there and you want to choose the ones that will fit with your wedding style.

Flower Torture: Peonies

Many of my brides come to me with a stack full of magazine photos with bouquets and centerpieces they love. I would say that at least 75% of those photos showcase, in one way or another, the peony. Peonies (pronounced pee-o-nees) are beautiful, fluffy flowers that truly encompass what a "wedding" flower should be.

But alas, these elusive flowers are difficult to get. They are only truly in season 4-6 weeks in the year. And when those 4-6 weeks will be? No one knows except for mother nature. Peonies are considered to be in season late spring or early summer which technically is mid-April to late May or early June. That's really not a long time. You can get them a few weeks sooner or later, but you would be paying a pretty penny for them.

A lot of time I feel like peonies are another form of torture.

I am often the bearer of bad news. I have to tell these hopeful brides that the chances of getting peonies will be unlikely (though not impossible). The good news, though, is that I can offer up some other deliciously fluffy flowers that nature has graced us with.

Ranuncula (Spring flower available from March to April or May). Comes in a variety of colors including white, pink, hot pink, red, burgundy, orange, and yellow.

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Garden Tea Rose (Mostly in season during the summer months including June, July and August). These come in a lot of colors also including white, pink, red, burgundy, peach, yellow and orange.

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Dahlia (Summer Flowers available late May to October). These come in a variety of colors, and the later in the season, the more colors there are. Most popular ones are orange, red, pink, yellow, white and burgundy (dark red).

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Hydrangea (available in the spring and fall). Colors include pink, green, blue, lavender and white.

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Lisianthus (in season during the spring and summer months). Colors include white, pink, and lavender).

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So if the in-season of peonies doesn't happen to fall under the 6 weeks you happened to be getting married, hopefully one of these flowers can take its place!

Carnation Love

These poor abused flowers. I feel for them. They are always overlooked and often misunderstood. When I meet with clients I always ask them what their likes and dislikes are in terms of flowers. Many times the carnation gets listed under the "dislikes" category.

I can see how you might be tempted to dismiss the humble carnation as little more than a cheap and tacky filler for all those pre-made arrangements you know well enough to avoid. Ugh. "How awful," you think. "I don’t do carnations. Ever." After all, it is unlikely that you envision your centerpieces to look like this for your wedding:

I'm here to convince you to give carnations another chance. If you group these beauties together in a tight cluster you get something stunning. The ruffled edges give a wonderful texture that appears to be lush and rich.

They make beautiful bouquets.

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They are great in pomanders. You can hang these up for the ceremony and then reuse them for the reception.

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If you like the lush look of flowers and want to avoid greens, carnations are a great flower to use to add texture and fullness without breaking the bank. Here you see a centerpiece with dahlias and carnations mixed together. You can barely tell the difference between the two flowers.

And another huge plus about carnations? They are ALWAYS in season and come in every color you can imagine--and everything in between.