Cori Russell is editor for Elegala.com and Gala Weddings Magazine. Elegala.com is a complete Weddings and Wedding Planning resource with a national directory of wedding venues and services, how-to guides, photo galleries, checklists, and expert advice to walk brides through every step of the wedding planning process. View the complete sitemap to find everything you need to plan your wedding.
Body Your wedding flowers offer ample opportunity to stretch your creative muscles and add a bit of originality to your wedding day, so don't be afraid to design a floral scheme that bucks tradition. This list of favorite ideas for bridal bouquets, centerpieces, colors and other decorations is a great place to start designing a memorable decor scheme, and these may even inspire your own creations.
Play with Shape
Arrangements with a just-picked, unstructured look are replacing the tightly-bound bouquet and centerpiece shapes of previous seasons. Ensure a modern, not messy, look by choosing the right flowers. Hearty blooms like lilies, orchids, and amaranthus work well in looser arrangements because of the sleek shape of the individual blooms. Also consider incorporating nonfloral elements like feathers, berries, and crystals to add interest and depth and interest.
Get Into Navy
Sophisticated and classic navy is one of the hottest colors on the 2009 wedding palette, and many brides are daring to think beyond basic baby blue by incorporating the darker shade into their floral schemes. Naturally navy flowers may be hard to come by, but there are some options that are a close match: deep blue violets, thistles, and hydrangea are available in various shades of blue and indigo, while roses are a versatile bloom that can be dyed any color - including navy blue. Pair these bold navy blooms with white or ivory for a classic look, or yellow for a bright burst of color.
Think Beyond the Vase
Options abound beyond the basic floral vase for holding your flowers. Consider instead mixing and matching clusters of unique containers like wood buckets, mason jars, cans, pitchers, antique urns and uniquely shaped vases to add interest and reflect your wedding theme. Some ideas: Fill watering cans with wild flowers for a garden fete, or use apothecary jars filled with sand and sea glass to complement to a waterfront wedding.
Lighten Up
Candles, always a popular choice for centerpieces, are becoming even more popular as a budget and eco-friendly enhancement to traditional floral centerpieces. Ample candlelight lends the day a romantic, organic feel, while the natural resource saves electricity and drapes the setting with an intimate glow. Another way to enhance your arrangements with lighting and really make your centerpieces pop is through a technique called pinspotting. This advanced light design shines tiny beams of light from the ceiling to illuminate the center of each arrangement.
Get Stoned
Say good-bye to light pastels and muted shades, and seek inspiration from the baubles on your ears and wrist. Rich gemstone colors like amethyst, turquoise, and amber are hot on this year's wedding color palette. Accent these rich colors with soft sandy tones or grays instead of chocolate brown (so last year!)
Go Green
Going green is easy when it comes to wedding flowers. Consult Mother Nature for inspiration and bring the outdoors in. Natural objects like stones, leaves, pinecones, even twigs can add an organic aesthetic to your reception décor. Place in rustic containers or scatter amongst pillar candles for added ambiance.
Make it Personal
Further seeking to personalize their weddings, brides are using their wedding flowers to call out specific interests by incorporating unique items into bouquets and centerpieces and creating a conversation piece for guests. For instance, book worms can use intricately piled leather-bound books in place of floral centerpieces, and wine lovers can use wine bottles and decanters as centerpiece holders.
Get even more unique wedding ideas for flowers in this complete wedding flowers resource.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- Top 5 Ideas For Inexpensive Wedding Flowers
- The Key to Successful Weddings in Dallas: the Wedding Planner
- Paper Flower Wedding Ideas
- Learn How to Choose a Flower Wedding Centerpiece - Find Great Floral Ideas
- How To Have A Cheerful Summer Wedding with Summer Flowers Weddings
- Add A Royal Touch to your Wedding by Using Summer Wedding Flowers
- Fall Wedding Ideas: Avoid Fall Wedding Bloopers
- A Wedding to Remember: Unique Wedding Ideas They'll Never Forget




how to choose wedding flowers
By: suven | 14/12/2009how to choose wedding flowers tips on how to choose wedding flowers
They're Playing Our Song: A Theme Song is a Must for Every Couple
By: Brett R. Williams | 14/12/2009Having a theme song for your relationship is a wonderful way to enhance your love for each other.
Planning an Affordable Michigan Wedding
By: Hilbert John | 14/12/2009Most brides want a fairytale wedding, complete with all the trimmings and special touches, but a Michigan wedding can run into some pretty substantial expenditures. Planning an affordable Michigan wedding that is still beautiful
Cheap Wedding Dress VS Luxury Bride Gown
By: Cathy | 14/12/2009For bride-to-be with economic pressures, it's really hard to determine what kind of wedding dress to choose for this lifetime grand occasion, cheap one or luxury one? Actually, not only you need to face the reality, but also wedding dress price elements are things you need to know.
Father of the Bride Sample Wedding Toast
By: Lisa Trocchi | 13/12/2009The father of the bride speech is the speech that your daughter and wife are going to remember forever. It is probably the hardest of the wedding speeches to write - by it's nature there is a lot of sadness as well as happiness that goes into writing a speech for your all grown up little girl as she sets off into the future with a man other than yourself.
How to understand the husband/wife relationship
By: CHRIS TAYLOR | 12/12/2009Sometimes a marriage can be on rocky shores simply because the partners do not understand each other. There are certain differences in behaviour and the way a husband or a wife reacts that needs to be looked at. This article tries to explain what to look at
Weight Loss Tips Why Diets Fail
By: Michelle Spencer | 12/12/2009Most of us probably have enough fast weight loss tips to fill an encyclopedia, and also know which foods make us fat and which make us healthy. It isn't knowledge we are short of: the fact is that we tend to focus on the symptoms of the problem instead of the underlying cause.
Wholesale Alfred Angelo Wedding dresses: Buying an Inexpensive Wedding Gown Online
By: Lucky1209 | 12/12/2009To find a wholesale Alfred Angelo wedding dresses online is a good option for wives-to-be to buy an top notch wedding gown without making a huge dent on your bank account and also best for brides who need a brand new and never worn dress. After all, when you pay for a bridal dress on a wedding dress shopfront, you won't ever know how many individuals have ever given it a try on? If the gown is actually purchased and reverted after a use?
Unique Wedding Favors – 8 Ideas
By: Cori Russell | 07/10/2009 | WeddingsWedding favors often evoke a "been there, done that" response from wedding guests. Looking for something a little more memorable than a bag of Jordan almonds? Here are some top choices for unique wedding favors...
Wedding Menu Ideas for Every Season
By: Cori Russell | 28/09/2009 | WeddingsLet your wedding catering take a cue from the seasons. Plan your wedding catering with these creative wedding menu ideas for spring, fall, winter, and summer weddings.
Cash Bars at Weddings: Tacky or Thrifty?
By: Cori Russell | 03/09/2009 | WeddingsAre cash bars at weddings a good way to save money and cut wedding costs or a breach of wedding etiquette? This article offers some good insight into the issue and options for couples on a budget.
33 Best R&B Songs For Your Wedding Reception
By: Cori Russell | 27/08/2009 | WeddingsWith smooth base lines and sultry lyrics, R&B songs of love and devotion are perfect for moving, grooving, and romance at your wedding. If you're looking to set a sensuous vibe at your wedding reception, look no further than a playlist full of R&B wedding songs...
Wedding Dresses Ideas for Every Season – Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring
By: Cori Russell | 19/08/2009 | WeddingsTake a cue from the seasons with these wedding dresses and attire ideas for spring, summer, fall, and winter. Find the perfect wedding gown to complement the time of year of your wedding.
Wedding Dresses - 5 Hot New Wedding Dress Designers You Need to Know
By: Cori Russell | 13/08/2009 | WeddingsMove over Ms. Wang - these emerging wedding dress designers represent the next class of high-style designer names to remember. From couture one-of-a-kind wedding dresses to breezy ready-to-wear styles, five up-and-coming designers are all making a name for themselves in the world of wedding fashion.
Wedding Flowers Ideas for Every Season - Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring
By: Cori Russell | 10/08/2009 | WeddingsTake a cue from the seasons with these inspiring wedding flowers and wedding decorations ideas for every season. Get ideas for fall wedding flowers, winter wedding flowers, and spring wedding flowers.
Wedding Catering Serving Styles Guide - Buffet, Seated Dinner, or Finger Food Reception
By: Cori Russell | 09/07/2009 | WeddingsBefore you begin choosing between filet and chicken for your wedding reception, consider how you’d like to serve them. The most common wedding catering options include a sit down dinner, buffet and wedding finger food reception. To help you decide, consult this guide with everything you need to know about these catering serving styles.