how to pick flowers for my wedding
Since I am not a florist, & I barely know the names of common flowers, I asked Kelsea with Touch of Whimsy to offer some pro tips for selecting wedding flowers!
One of my followers on Instagram recently asked the question:
Should I use multicolor or monotone flowers for my wedding bouquet?
Technically her question was ‘bright or monotone’ but those two words aren’t opposites in my mind, so I’m giving a wide range of answers here. We’ll look at examples of all white bouquets, bouquets with small pops of color, bright & bold bouquets, & seasonal bouquets.
Before we get into some of this, I highly recommend reading through this other blog post of mine about choosing a wedding theme instead of just colors to describe your wedding. Once you’ve done that & determined you want an ‘elegant’ wedding over an ‘energetic’ wedding, that can tremendously help you decide which direction to go with flowers.
From the Pro // Photography plays a huge role in the design of the flowers. I have brides send me two pictures of the same flowers in bright & airy style photography & also in a darker-moody look. In one photo they love the flower & in the other, they do not. Beware that the style of photography highly affects the color your flowers will come across in pictures. You may love that dark & moody photo, but the blooms are a much different color in person than they are in that photo.
all white flowers
An incredibly classic look, all white bouquets keep the attention on the person holding the flowers. In my opinion, these bouquets can go in any season & will compliment any type of venue.
Pro Tip // Make sure your florist knows exactly what color your wedding dress is. White comes in a vast variety of shades & the last thing you want is for your white flowers to clash with your white-that’s-actually-oyster dress. If possible, screenshot your wedding dress on the designer’s website where the color is shown off properly & use it for reference. Even then, it is not always possible. Flowers are a "God-created product" so the shade can vary from crop to crop. Sometimes the white hydrangeas have larger blue centers & sometimes the Mondial White Roses do not open & look more green around the edges. This factor is something that I always ask my brides to consider. While we try our very best to create their exact vision, we may need to make last-minute substitutions in order to achieve that look.
light flowers
I think it’s safe to say that lighter & softer flowers coupled with loose greenery is the current trend right now, & won’t be going away any time soon. And I’m totally ok with that! These bouquets are fresh & natural offering a classic finishing touch to romantic weddings. They keep the mood light & carefree & look great in spring & summer weddings.
small pops of color
I’m all about adding depth, dimension, & texture, & adding varying shades of the same color is a great way to add visual excitement to your wedding without going too bold if that’s not your style.
Pro Tip // Every great florist will create a variety of colors in every pallet you see. Even an all-white pallet can be varied with various types of sage green or deep green leaves. This is how we create interest & depth in the piece.
dark flowers
Maroon is a popular wedding color where I live thanks to Texas A&M (Gig ‘em!) & therefore I see a lot of maroon & burgundy flowers in all seasons. However, I think it’s safe to say that darker flowers are predominantly seen in fall & winter bouquets.
As of writing this, none of my brides have had bouquets that were all dark & I think it’s because my style is very light & airy & I attract like-minded brides. This is another thing to consider when picking flowers! If you’ve already picked your photographer & love their editing style, notice what types of flowers their brides have used.
Pro Tip #1 // The keys to making dark flowers look beautiful is the colors they are paired with. In the example image below & to the left, the burgundy is the darkest tone highlighted with bright raspberry tones. This bright tone looks beautiful in fall, winter, & spring. The bouquet on the right is accented with soft, muted tones, which is more appropriate for fall or winter weddings.
Pro Tip #2 // To make your wedding unique, think of alternate colors you could pair with burgundy to make it stand out. Burgundy & blush have been a common combination for years, but you could choose to be more unique by doing a darker, more muted burgundy with complimentary muted tones.
bright flowers
Throw caution to the wind & go crazy with color! Bold & bright flowers definitely makes a statement & reflects the personalities of the couples who go this route. Bubbly, energetic, & not afraid to stand out in a crowd. My most colorful weddings have been in the middle of summer & were outdoors. This isn’t to say you can’t do colorful winter weddings; jewel tone flowers would be the way to go!
From the Pro // I LOVE the bright color pallets. They are lively & fun & allow you to bring so much personality to the arrangements & wedding as a whole. Color pallets can be traditional & classy or eclectic & boho. There are so many different ways you can go. But, a little word of caution....If you try to do every color under the sun, it will look like a rainbow threw up on your wedding. There IS such a thing as too many colors. :) Also, don't forget about the color of your foliage. This plays a vital role in the overall color pallet.
Pro Tip // Try to select 2-3 bright colors & accent it with a deeper color for the guys’ suits. For example, hot pink, coral, & yellow look GREAT with navy suits or gray suits. This allows the blooms to pop & create a beautiful contrast.
keep your season in mind
Again, I am no flower expert in the slightest, but I do know that flowers are seasonal, meaning not all will be blooming year round. That being said, be prepared to pay a hefty fee to get off-season flowers.
If you want to highlight the season, consider using evergreen leaves for winter wedding bouquets or sunflowers for fall.
