Wedding Flower Arrangements

Flowers, flowers everywhere!

* Learn about the various types of floral arrangements that many weddings will use
* Learn what arrangements to use where - and why
* Find reference materials for later guidance

The bride's bouquet may be as simple as a single long-stemmed rose with a delicate ribbon and greenery.

Small bouquets such as tussie-mussies work well with an old-fashioned Victorian theme.

Monochrome bouquets use a variety of florals in a single color hue, complimented by ribbons that match the event's color palette.

Cascade bouquets use florals, greenery and trailing vines such as ivy. The cascading effect can be achieved with flowers, vines, ribbons even light strands of pearls.

If the bride's bouquet is large or cascading, use a smaller bouquet for the bouquet toss.

Free-standing tall baskets or pedestals support floral arrangements in your color palette. If space is limited, consider placing one stand near the officiant and another near the entrance to the chapel or wedding area.

The baskets or pedestals can often be rented from florists or rental centers.

If you are planning an outdoor wedding, consider replacing pedestals and baskets at the officiant with a wedding trellis or decorated arch.

A thin scattering of rose petals on the chapel floor leading up the aisle is quite popular. If you're planning an indoor wedding, use silk petals instead of real roses. Silk petals clean up easier than real petals, don't tend to get ground into the carpet, and are much less likely to attract bees and other insects.

Structure both mothers' corsages to be as close to identical as possible. Each should be elegant but not opulent, and should be within the wedding color palette or as neutral as possible.

Pick a color and theme for these bouquets that complements the wedding color palette without detracting from the bride's bouquet.

If the bride's bouquet is trailing, and you wish for bridesmaid and maid of honor bouquets to be similar, select a darker color ribbon for the latter and request the cascade to be half to 2/3 the length of the bride's bouquet.

Particularly effective for outdoor ceremonies where a specific amount of space is relegated to the wedding party, a wedding arch can be as plain or outright fancy as you wish.

Arches may be purchased, decorated, then left in the garden as permanent fixtures, or rented and decorated with flowers and greenery (or balloons!) for the desired effect.

Attach florals and greenery with monofilament fishing line, so the connections are less likely to be visible or fragile in the event of a sudden breeze.

Plan on identical boutonnieres for best man, groomsmen/ushers, fathers and ring bearer. The groom's boutonniere should be slightly more elegant. All boutonnieres should complement the outfits and be in theme with the wedding's color palette.

Consider long low arrangements positioned equally along the head table in such a way that they 'frame' the newlywed couple and do not block the view or conversation. If space is limited, drape garlands of in-theme flowers, ribbons and greenery along the outward facing edge of the head table.

Airy arrangements with low pillar or half-taper candles as the high point are effective on any guest table, round or square, as they are less likely to block cross-table visibility and inhibit conversation.

Altar or pedestal arrangements may be moved from ceremony to reception (if done discreetly and time permits), set to either side of the cake presentation table, or used within the room elsewhere to support the overall theme.

If you are planning to display the bride's bouquet, consider a separate table or stand away from service traffic and dancing.

Select your reception table centerpieces depending on your seating arrangement. Whether you are setting up a horseshoe layout with a head table or a single long table with guest seating at many round tables, pay particular attention to lines of sight from the newlyweds to guests.

The votes are mixed about using living flowers on wedding cakes -those who are for them prefer corsage-like arrangements on the tops and cascading down the sides of a tall cake, or resting around the base on a lower cake. Those who are against them may prefer separate flower arrangements on the cake table itself, using frosting flowers in place of live florals.

Personally I prefer cake toppers and frosting flowers in place of live blossoms, but hey, that's just me not wanting to bite into an errant rose petal.

A well-decorated basket, often wicker or similar firm material, filled with petals and covered with ribbons and silks in theme with the wedding colors. The petals may be silk or real - let your location and the age of your flower girl guide that decision!

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