A Do-It-Yourself Calla Lily Wedding Guide

A bride who loves modern style can hand each of her bridesmaids a stem or two of full-sized callas (this looks fabulous when the bridesmaids wear black cocktail gowns).

Some brides have been known to get adventurous by carrying a contrasting bouquet of "black callas" (actually dark brown or plum) that pops against their white gowns. In fact, our favorite black calla bouquet was framed in a collar of black rooster feathers.



*Gorgeous calla cake by Cakes by Maribelle

The word Calla isn't synonymous with "white" anymore, though. And even brides who love tradition are going nuts for the deep hues of mini-callas in shades like mango, gold and burgundy.

Here are some interesting treatments we're seeing:

Callas and bare-branch arrangements combined (tall, imposing, great for Asian-tinged or contemporary autumn weddings).

Tight mini-calla posy bouquets with a romantic rose collar (white callas ringed by pink roses, for example).

Mango mini-callas with black magic roses. Combined with hypericum berries, it's a super-dramatic fall look.

Callas are costly, so they're used more sparingly than some other blooms. Expect to pay almost $5 a stem for the big, traditional kind, even if you're buying in bulk. Mini-callas come cheaper: close to $2.50 or $3 per stem.

Partly due to expense, callas tend to draw DIY'ers. They're relatively sturdy. They're available all year round. They enjoy a long vase life, and they're simple to prepare (especially compared to fussy, wilt-prone flowers like hydrangeas, tulips or shasta daisies).

But keep in mind that mini-callas — the kinds with color — are just that. Mini.

More than a few brides ordered their callas online ... and were a little shocked when they found those mango beauties on their doorstep smaller than they imagined.

The sky's the limit when it comes to color choices for minis, but if you need really big blooms for things like tower vases and centerpieces, you'll want to stick to white (minis come in white too, though, so be careful).

Callas are traditionally measured in centimeters, according to the length of the stem, but it's the blooms that set full-sized callas apart from their more delicate cousins.

Doing dramatic vase treatments? Try extra-large callas for a lengthy stem and usually, the largest available blooms (calla blooms get as large as 6" in diameter). It's a rule of thumb ... though not always the case ... that longer stems correspond to larger blooms.

Minis, on the other hand, have blooms are often about 2-3 inches across. Their delicacy makes them a perfect choice for smaller floral accents, like boutonnieres.

Even if you're using nothing but callas ... even of the same color ... you'll get the richest, most visually interesting effect by combining larger and smaller callas in the same bouquet. Minis come in several sizes, so even if you want a bouquet of all deep plum or all mango, you can still mix it up size-wise.

Need a chic theme for your sleek, modern wedding in the local museum? Why not weave in Georgia O'Keeffe, whose many calla lily paintings are the stuff of legend?