Flowers

Awaken your senses. Wedding flowers bring structure, symbolism and incredible beauty to your wedding.

Beautiful Blooms

There are three parts of your wedding planning where you need to consider flowers: the wedding party, the ceremony and the reception. You will need to consider each of these when choosing both the type of flowers and the arrangements. Think about the formality and fabric of your gown, the colours you want to use, the season you’re getting married in and symbolism.

Pageant Bouquets

A pageant bouquet is held in your arms and works best for larger and more formal weddings. Long stemmed and structured flowers such as lilies and roses are perfect for pageant bouquets, or opt for a bold look with colourful flowers such as gladioli. Attendants should be given smaller versions of your bouquet – particularly as one of your attendants will need to hold your bouquet for you once you have walked down the aisle.

Unify your flowers in the church with large vases of matching flowers near the altar and perhaps add smaller arrangements at the end of each pew. At the reception, you can really go to town on table arrangements. Make sure the bridal table has the most beautiful and outstanding arrangement but do keep in mind the comfort of your guests. You don’t want them struggling to see the bridal table, dance floor or each other.

Simple Nosegay or Pomander Bouquets

A tightly bunched, round bouquet is the perfect size and weight for just about any wedding – from the casual wedding to the traditional wedding. Both the pomander bouquet, which is secured and held with ribbon, and the nosegay, a round bouquet held by the stems, use one main flower or a design of two or three for a neat and full look. (Here’s a tip: To stop your nosegay bouquet from looking stunted, ask your florist to keep some stem visible below the securing ribbon.)

Nosegay and pomander bouquets are wonderful for incorporating colour into your bridal party. A red rose bouquet is striking and dramatic, while the brilliant blue of hydrangea peppered with white stephanotis is fresh and calming. Or go for pretty and delicate yellow aster highlighted with delicate bouvardia – just perfect for an outdoor summer wedding.

Your attendants should hold smaller bouquets with similar flowers and select one of your bouquet’s flowers to create the boutonniere for your groom and his groomsmen. At the reception, it’s best to echo the shape of the round bouquet at the reception, although be careful not to be too precise or your reception flowers will quickly become uniform and over-contrived.

Cascade Bouquets

If your dress is simple, opting for a cascade bouquet is a stunning floral choice. The waterfall of colour looks spectacular and allows you to be creative when it comes to flower choice. Flaming Asiatic lilies, green orchids and pink roses make a dramatic entrance, or consider a cascading bouquet of native flowers for a more Australian feel. Just remember that a cascade bouquet sits close to your gown so you want to make certain with your florist that the flowers you’ve chosen won’t shed, drop or stain.

The drama of a cascade bouquet may mean your attendants need to carry nothing more than a single stem of the featured flower in your bouquet. Or perhaps an elegant lily, rose or orchid at their wrist or in their hair. A cascade bouquet gives your license to play with unusual shapes for your reception arrangements too. Flowers perched on stools that mirror the cascade in the corners of the room perhaps, or lower, more subtle table arrangements that capture the sense of movement without the height.

Hand-Tied Bouquets

Perfect for casual weddings, hand-tied bouquets are elegant and whimsical. When doing your wedding planning, opt for an arrangement of garden favourites (such as violets, poppies or ranunculus) or the beautiful simplicity of bright gerberas tied together with a ribbon. You may also consider foliage other than flowers such as fern leaves, vines or palm leaves to add an organic flavour to your day.

Sculptural arrangements at the ceremony and reception will contrast nicely with the light touch of your bouquet. Many florists will have great suggestions about alternative presentations so ask for their expert advice to get something out of the ordinary.

Less is More

With a bit of know-how, detailing with simple flowers can be just as dramatic as grand arrangements. For instance, there’s something romantic about carrying a single long-stemmed rose down the aisle, and opting for a pretty corsage or wrist decoration gives a whimsy feminine feel to a ceremony. Decorating tables at the reception with a few cherry blossoms on each table is a gorgeous way to add life, or perhaps forgo the centerpiece and add a tulip at each of your guest’s place settings instead.

Scent and Symbolism

When starting your wedding planning, consider flower scent. Frangipani on a warm summer evening, the sweet scent of gardenia, the heady aroma of fresh jasmine… Chosen and placed with care, flowers will add a unique sensory element to your wedding.

As with food, choosing flowers in season is often the best way to ensure the best quality. Native flowers are one option or research what “imported” are in season at the time of your wedding. For a casual wedding during spring you have the option of colourful cornflowers or the structured elegance of delphinium perfectly suit an elegant wedding. For autumn nuptials there’s the option of flowering snapdragons and marigold.

It’s also worth spending time researching the symbolism of flowers during your wedding planning. This can range from your birth month flower, to historical meanings or even healing properties. Red roses are famous for symbolising romantic love, but many flowers have significant sentiments attached to them. For instance, the innocence of daisies, the happiness of lily of the valley or the fascination that orange roses represent may be just the feel you’re seeking for your wedding.