Choosing flowers for your wedding will be among one of your biggest decisions as you plan your big day. Flowers have always been a timeless element in weddings, and can often be symbolic of your love for one another and your hopes for the future. But there are so many ways to include flowers in your wedding, how can you be sure you don’t forget anything?
That’s where Conklyn’s Weddings comes in. We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of ways you may choose to use flowers in your wedding. Before you peruse the list to form your own, think about cutting costs by choosing in-season flowers in the colors of your wedding, rather than particular flowers that might be more difficult to find. Be sure to bring photos to your florist at your first meeting to show your venue, reception area, dress, and particular floral arrangements you really love. This will give your florist the best idea of what you’re looking for, and it will give you the best chance of having your wedding look exactly how you’ve pictured it.
Personal Flowers
These are the flowers you, your wedding party, and those closest to you will either wear or carry during the wedding.
- Bridal Bouquet: Make sure your bouquet stands out from the rest, accenting your wedding colors and style beautifully.
- Bridesmaids’ Bouquets: These can be smaller versions of your bridal bouquet or different, yet similar colors.
- Groom’s Boutonniere: Choose a favorite bloom from your bridal bouquet and accent with fresh greenery to match or complement your bouquet.
- Groomsmen Boutonnieres: Again, these can be smaller versions of the groom’s boutonniere, or something similar for continuity.
- Mothers/Grandmothers Corsages: Some brides choose a corsage for the maternal figures in their families as a way to honor them on such a special occasion.
- Boutonnieres for Fathers/Grandfathers/Officiant: Boutonnieres are a great way to also honor the paternal figures, including the officiant of your ceremony.
- Corsages/Boutonnieres for other special guests: Recognize other special guests or family members (like cousins, for example), with a small corsage or boutonniere.
- Flowers for hair: You may consider including live blooms like spray roses or baby’s breath in your hairstyle, or in those of your bridesmaids’ hair.
- Floral crown for flower girl: Choose small blossoms to be fashioned into a wreath for your flower girl’s hair. This also makes a great keepsake!
- Petals to throw/scatter: Think about whether your flower girl will throw rose petals or something more similar to your wedding flowers as she walks down the aisle.
Ceremony Flowers
This category includes the flowers you’ll use to adorn your wedding ceremony venue. The type of venue will have a lot to do with what kind and how many flowers you display. For example, a house of worship may need more floral decor than a beach or botanical garden. Here are some areas for adding flowers:
- Altar/Chuppah: This focal point of the ceremony will look beautiful decorated with your wedding colors.
- Arch: An archway can be covered with tulle, vines, ivy, or flowers and greenery. Add bunches of your flowers for touches of beauty and continuity throughout the ceremony venue.
- Unity Candle Table: This is a beautiful spot to add flowers or foliage for a fresh, green look.
- Aisle flowers: Decorate the aisle with similar flowers to your bouquet, or use flowers to indicate rows saved for special guests, like family members.
- Aisle Runner: Your florist can most likely provide you with your aisle runner and the petals your flower girl will throw.
Reception Flowers
Your reception is a great place to showcase your flowers and sense of style. To save costs, think about ways to recycle your flowers by moving bouquets and arrangements from the ceremony to the reception.
- Guest Book Table: Showcase your wedding flowers and your personality as guests enter the reception area.
- Centerpieces for each table: Consider the height of your table centerpieces to allow your guests to see each other as they socialize. Very tall or very low arrangements are easiest to see around or over.
- Cake Accents or Cake Table: You may want flowers on your cake or scattered around the cake table.
- Buffet Table: If there will be a buffet, small arrangements of your wedding flowers will add to the ambiance in the entire room.
- Bar: Include a bouquet or two that match your bouquet at the bar to help tie the room together.
- Throwaway Bouquet for tossing: If you plan to include the tradition of tossing the bouquet, you may choose to have a smaller throw-away bouquet so you can preserve your real wedding bouquet.
- Restrooms: Don’t forget to include a few arrangements in the restrooms as a warm touch.
- Getaway Car: Along with ribbons, shoes and some shoe polish, beautiful flowers will help you and your partner escape in style.
With so many great ways to include flowers on your special day, it’s definitely important to spend a little time considering how you want your wedding flowers to look. Choose how and where guests will see flowers to create the perfect experience on your perfect day. For help choosing the best floral options for your wedding or to get advice about how you should include them, talk to the floral experts at Conklyn’s Weddings. We’ll be happy to work with you to make your wedding day beautiful.