Flower Power
Flowers die.
This is my first thought when considering how important I want the flowers to be during the wedding and reception. Clearly I am not placing a lot of importance on the flora and fauna. Again I go back to the value of prioritizing. Our church is so stunning and our reception site is so elegant that neither Jurg nor I felt the need to overdo it on the flowers. However,
after calling several florists I learned that clearly there were people who place a great deal of importance on the budding beauties. Some of the minimums these places had were insane in my opinion. Did I mention flowers die? Luckily we met up with Rachel at an adorable flower shop in Lincoln Park, steps away from our church. I actually lived above this flower shop for two years in college so it excites me to have a small personal connection with the place.
Now, let’s be clear even though I do not put flowers way up on my priority list that does not mean I do not have opinions about them.
I have always loved Calla Lilly’s
I think they embody feel we want our wedding to have: simple, classic and elegant. They are so sleek and stand on their own so well and you need not hide them among any sort of “filler flowers.”
Thus, the perfect choice for my bouquet, my bridesmaids, the boutonnieres and other centerpieces. Here are some pretty images.
So pretty and simple. Not to mention small….I do not want to be overwhelmed with a poufy bouquet. Heavens no.
I think the guys could get behind this.
You can’t go wrong with a nice calla.
Too bad they are not so much in season around January rendering them more expensive than I hoped. Originally one way we were going to cut costs was to have different centerpieces at the reception. Some would be callas while others would have dusty miller and perhaps silver foliage. However after careful consideration I deemed this idea “to kitchy” and too “winter wonderland.” We have now opted to incorporate other white flowers to not only offset some of the cost, but also to add more visual interest. The centerpieces will be low and made up a single flower. It suits my simple tastes beautifully. Of course calla will still be the main flower, she will just have to share the stage with a few others. Those may include:
White Hydrangea
White Orchids
White Ranunculus
White Roses
There are a few others which have been suggested to me, but I am not sold. They are: white lilac, star of Bethlehem and white snapdragons.
I am very pleased with our choices and hope to donate the flowers at the end of the night to a nursing home, or someplace close by that can enjoy them longer than a few hours. Tis‘ the season as they say.
(P.S- For those of you who love flowers and would certainly put them at the top of their list I hope I didn’t offend you!)
{Photos from the Knot, Grower’s Box, and Bride’s}
I’m so happy to see that you’re thinking of donating your flowers after your wedding. I did this (donated to a local hospice), and it brightened many peoples’ day! I’ve been trying to spread the idea to anyone I know planning a wedding. Kudos to you :)
One of your “second choice” flowers, ranunculus, is my #1 choice. But, like your calla lily, it’s not in season when we need it, so we aren’t having any. We told our florists our image for the day (not necessarily flower-related) and they’re just going to create everything. I’m sure it will all be pretty! All flowers are pretty! I think we’re having Dusty Miller, too! (The BMs dresses are grey….)
If your concern is budget, I would consider a few more “cost effective” options. Single flowers grouped in mass can create a very clean look and give a more elegantly modern appeal. Hydrangea can run upwards of $6 each and are a summer flower – while available in winter they are more costly having to come from a greenhouse. A “china mum” has a similar look and as a chrysanthemum is a fraction of the cost. Ranunculus are my favorite flower, but are tiny (average size is about as large as a quarter unless blown open) and cost just as much as a large headed rose. If you like the ruffle of petals look, white carnations look like mini-peonies when grouped together (and many people refer to ranunculus as a mini-peony due to the super high petal count). White tulips can be used in place of the callas if you are doing a more linear design – they also have a sleek stem and graceful line when used in arrangements. White dendrobium orchids are a more “clean and modern” alternative to snapdragons as their color is more crisp (snaps tend to be yellowish) and their individual blooms have a definitive shape mirroring the sleek lines of a calla. The phalenopsis orchids you pictured are stunning, but again a more costly bloom. White irises have a similar shape and have a yellow streak on the throat that resembles the yellow throats of the orchids. If flowers really aren’t your top tier priority… a few substitutions could save you hundreds of dollars for another more important vendor! I’d be happy to answer any questions :)
Great ideas!! I think mixing in other flowers in a single color will look awesome!
I personally really do like roses – but another reason we went with them was because of cost! They’re always available, and are generally pretty reasonable.
I actually came across a wedding where there was a mixture of real and fake flowers (centerpieces and decor all fake); it was actually pretty cost-effective for a wedding on a budget. Now, I’m not sure what they done with all those fake flowers after the wedding — since those real ones (bridal party’s bouquets), indeed, died — but, I think they were either donated to an organization or spread out amongst the couple’s soon-to-wed friends as a wedding gift. Either way, I thought it was a cool idea!
