Some flowers are edible. These can often be found at gourmet grocery stores. If you choose edible flowers to place on your cake, they should be ready to use as soon as you take them out of the container. Be sure to eat flowers only if you are absolutely positive that they are an edible variety and have been grown free of pesticides. Common types of edible flowers include daylilies, dianthus, lilacs, pansies and roses.

Other types of flowers are toxic. Common toxic flowers used for weddings are calla lilies, hyacinths, lilies of the valley, tulips, hydrangeas, birds of paradise and carnations. Ivy can also be toxic. Do your research and ask plenty of questions before placing any type of flower against your cake.

Any type of flower, whether known to be toxic or not, may be safe in theory yet may have been tainted by pesticides used while they were growing. For this reason, it’s important to ask your floral supplier about the origins of any flower that might come in contact with your cake. A small, clear barrier might need to be used to keep the flowers from directly touching the cake.

If you would rather not risk it or it seems like a lot of trouble to determine which flowers might be safe for your cake, you can always choose silk flowers for your cake. These days, many higher quality silk flowers have a remarkably life-like appearance, so if you choose well, no one will notice that the flowers weren’t real. Do keep in mind, however, that it would be difficult to
determine whether the silk flowers may have been exposed to anything toxic during the manufacturing process. For this reason, it’s wise to use an inconspicuous barrier between the silk flowers and the cake. An inexpensive, easy-to-find option would be to use a clean soft drink cup lid from a fast food restaurant. When positioned well, the lid will disappear under the flowers.

When it’s time to add flowers to the cake, there are several options to consider. If each layer of the cake is suspended, you’ve probably got room to place blossoms between the layers. A small cluster might be placed on top of the cake, with or without a garland cascading toward the bottom layer. Or small clusters might be placed strategically in various points on the cake.

Discuss the options with your florist and baker plenty of time in advance, and your wedding professionals are likely to have great ideas to help make your cake the center of attention at your reception.

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Pink: The most feminine of all colors, pink is a lovely choice for a spring bouquet. Lush pink peonies are a favorite flower of late spring brides. They combine wonderfully with fresh garden roses to make gorgeous bouquets. Ruffly pink sweet peas are a special blossom to include in a vintage inspired wedding, while vivid Stargazer lilies are great for a big showy arrangement. A simple hand-tied bouquet of tulips in shades ranging from ballet to rose to deep pink is a lovely classic style for a spring bride. Other pink choices include anemones, ranunculus, and delicate lily-of-the-valley.

Yellow: As cheerful and fresh as a sunny spring afternoon, there is something about yellow that is just perfect for a spring wedding. Many of the best loved spring blossoms come in wonderful lemon or sunshine shades, including tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths. Papery ranunculus are also available in yellow, as are creamy garden roses. One of my favorite spring wedding planning ideas is to combine cheerful yellow blossoms with blue flowers in the bouquets for the bridesmaids.

Blue: More rare than other flower colors, blue is a highly sought after hue for floral arrangements. Spring is a bit early for blue hydrangeas, but you can get anemones, delphiniums, and hyacinths in shades of blue. Small muscari (also known as grape hyacinth) are one of the most intense naturally blue flowers available, and they work very well in mixed arrangements.

Purple: Purple has become a very popular color for weddings in recent years. Purple flowers can range from pale lilac to deep aubergine, and everything in between. Some lovely spring blossoms are available in shades of purple, including sweet peas, hyacinths, and tulips. Fragrant lilacs grow in the most marvelous shades of purple, of course, but the season for them is limited and they are quick to wilt out of water so they require care. Wedding flowers with year round availability such as roses and lisianthus also can be ordered in soft purple shades to create mixed texture arrangements. Consider combining very romantic flowers like sweet peas, roses, and French tulips in a range of pinks and purples for a stunningly beautiful bridal bouquet.

White: Of course many brides like the classic all white bouquet, and you can create a delightful springtime arrangement using white blossoms. The most classic of all blossoms is white lily-of-the-valley, which are available in May. Tie a small posy with a wide sage green satin ribbon for a heavenly little bouquet to carry with a lace gown. Other springtime favorites such as peonies, ranunculus, sweet peas, hyacinths, and tulips are also readily available in white. If you wish to have a very dramatic bouquet, white Casablanca lilies will do nicely.

Whatever color you prefer for your wedding flowers, indulge in an abundance of fresh blossoms. There is nothing quite like a garden in bloom to say that spring has arrived, and it is fantastic to capture the essence of the season with your wedding decorations.

Look to Bridget for great wedding planning ideas. Check out how we can help with your bridesmaid jewelry at Silverland Jewelry.

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From the magnificence of June time weddings to the sophistication of the late summer period, truly, summer is the perfect time to organize a wedding, and selecting the suitable summer wedding flowers is one of the most awesome aspects of planning the wedding.

The availability of numerous lovely summer wedding flowers is one of the primary grounds for holding a wedding in the summer aside from the fact that summer wedding flowers are bright, colorful and exquisite. Vivid as well as pastel colored flowers are available and present a range of choices during summer seasons. Tulips, roses, and carnations are just a few of the beautiful flowers that you can have for your wedding, and there are a lot more.

Here is a list of popular summer wedding flowers:

Asters|Calla Lilies|Dahlias|Daises|Delphinium|Geraniums|Hydrangeas|Iris|Jacobs Ladder|Queen Anne’s Lace|Sunflower|Zinnias  

You will want to make bookings for the supplier of flowers early on, so you will have the big chance to have the best flowers for your forthcoming summer wedding. In addition, since summer is a busy months for the florists who cater to weddings, it’s really important to place orders before the other couples place theirs. And make a few rounds and make comparisons before finally settling with the best florist.

And of course, as not all the florist is more experienced than the others, it is also important, to go for the florist who have years of experience in the field of supplying and arranging summer wedding flowers. Check the wedding florist’s profile and the collections of photos of his or her past serviced weddings. Through this, you will have a grand idea of what kind of service that he or she can offer you.
 
Also, by looking through the portfolio of their past summer wedding flowers arrangements, you can also gain some great floral arrangement ideas aside from learning of the florist’s skills. The appropriate flowers can either make or break the wedding, so it’s really advantageous to search and shop very carefully for the best summer wedding flowers.

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For now, let’s talk about three gorgeous color combinations that work very well together in a purple bridal bouquet: mauve with pale pink, royal purple with yellow, and purple with white. These color combinations are especially lovely for a spring and/or summer celebration.

Mauve and Pink Wedding Bouquet

Mauve is a medium shade of purple with grey undertones and it’s a color that works very well paired with pinks, creams and dark blues.

Try a bouquet of mauve colored peonies nestled within some pale pink and white roses. Add in a bit of light green leaves and baby’s breath for a nice subtle contrast. A captivating teardrop arrangement I saw combined mauve, pink and white roses with some freesia and orchids. A bit of green ivy leaves completed the bouquet.

Royal Purple and Yellow Flowers

While mauve works very well with pale colors, a vibrant purple such as a royal purple or violet really pops when matched with yellows. Since royal purple is such a strong color, pairing it with a gorgeous mid-toned yellow makes for an eye catching wedding bouquet. In this case, less is more so it’s best to stay away from adding additional colors to the arrangement. A bit of dark green leaves can enhance the bouquet, but keep them to a minimum.

One striking purple wedding bouquet was made with deep purple and bright yellow silk gerbera daisies in a posy design. Another one was a biedermeier (ring bouquet) that featured vibrant purple pansies ringed by small pale to medium yellow flowers and finished with a ring of beautiful broad green leaves at the bottom.

A Bouquet of Purple and White Flowers

Any purple shade stands out when combined with white flowers. Try purple hydrangeas with white roses for a simple, yet elegant bouquet. A second and very attractive arrangement is to use two shades of purple such as mauve hyacinths and lavender lisiantus paired with white roses and mid-toned green leaves.

You can have the most elaborate combination of flowers or the simplest of bouquets with the large variety of purple flowers available. From anemones and dahlias to tulips and zinnias, you’re sure to find the flowers in the shades and tones that suit your wedding color scheme. And remember… if you can’t get it fresh, go with silk!

About the author: Rose Smith has been helping brides with theme wedding planning since 2000 and owns 2 wedding websites. She invites all brides to join in and share their ideas on decorating for their purple wedding themes at her site http://www.classy-wedding-ideas.com/purple-weddings.html

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These lovely, exotic flowers have become all the rage in weddings both small and large, urban as well as country. Not only can they be used in the bouquet, but they can also be used to decorate church pews, threaded through a wedding arch and carried by bridesmaids for a stunning show of beauty and color.

Flowers can bring elegance to any occasion and orchids do the job well for any wedding. When selecting your orchids, you can find many that are hybrids – flowers that are specifically bred to create beautiful or unusual colors.

But not all brides want flowers with color in them. Many brides to be choose to go with a simple white cymbidium orchid designed to cascade in a waterfall arrangement. Some choose the bouquet with only the addition of a few leaves for contrasting color, while other brides select a backdrop of ferns for their orchid bouquet.
 
Orchids symbolize luxury, healing and perfection – and no flower can carry off perfection like an orchid can. One of the most stunning visual displays of flower beauty is found in the blue orchid bouquet.

This jaw-dropping flower is a feast for anyone to see, but because it’s rare, the flowers for the bouquet would have to be ordered well in advance. Their visual beauty isn’t the only reason why wedding couples like to use orchids throughout their wedding celebration.

You can find some orchids that give off such a wonderful scent, they can seem to fragrance the entire wedding. Because they’re an exotic flower, orchids do cost a little more, but on that special day, the memories they’ll give are worth any price.

Popular orchids used in bouquets include the white Sobrallias. Though beautiful, these blooms will only last for 24-48 hours, so timing is of the essence when using these. Some orchids are seasonal flowers.

If you’re planning a fall wedding, you might want orchids that will bloom in the fall. One such orchid is found in the Trigonidium Egertonianum. You can find this flower with a pastel yellow and smudged burgundy line on the petals, lending an elegant air to any decoration used in a wedding.

Vandaceous Orchids (like the Classy Lady) offer a vibrant choice of colors – such as yellow, burgundy, spotted blue, and wine. They can be found in Florida and made easily available for use in weddings. Whatever kind of wedding orchids you decide to go with, one thing is sure – you’ll be choosing a flower that adds a colorful dignity to your special occasion.

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Regardless of the theme, kind, and color motif of the wedding, there are an abundance of lovely spring wedding flowers available, to make your wedding day a perfect one.

Here is a list of  in season spring wedding flowers:

Tulips, Orchids, Lilacs, Hyacinth,Iris, Roses, Lilies, Cala Lilies, Gerber Daises, Daffodils, Lily Of The Valley,  Apple or Cherry Blossoms, Dogwoods, Peonies, Sweet Peas, Freesia, Hanging Amaranthus, Crocuses, Ranunculus, and Anemones.

 
assorted bloembox collection (set of 6)
From: Beau-coup Wedding Favors

When to find the best breed of spring flowers
Like with any other facets of planning the wedding, shopping early is very important.

Besides, shopping early will ensure that you will only have the best pick of lovely spring blossoms once the special day comes around, at last. Early shopping will also provide you with lots of extra time to select the right florist who will deliver those spring wedding flowers.

Not every florist are skilled in the same way, when it comes to supplying the best wedding flowers, and remember, it may even take some time just to locate the perfect one.

Getting the Florist who can really do the job
The florist that you should pick is the one that is already experienced in the field of supplying spring flowers for weddings.

You can request to let you look at the pictures of his or her wedding floral arrangements before. A good florist will be more than happy to accommodate your request and show you his/her work.

In addition, go to see some of his/her past clients and ask them for some feedbacks and advice for the kind of service that the florist provides.
These actions can help you find out if the florist whom you are thinking of getting the services, is really capable of supplying you the spring wedding flowers that will make your wedding day one of a kind.

Getting the best deal
Finally, make sure that the total quoted price of the flowers already includes the flower arrangements in the reception hall and the church, plus the smaller arrangements such as the bouquets.

There are florists who make extra charges for the floral centerpieces, bridesmaids’ bouquets, and other small flower arrangements, so it is wise to ask and get everything down in formal writing.

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Doing the flowers for the big day is tricky.  Here are some tips in making beautiful flowers for the event:

Plan ahead.

The basic wedding flower tip that one must remember is to plan ahead.  Planning at least three months before the wedding will make a difference.  This will allow your florist to pre-order the flowers that you will use for the event especially if the flowers are not in season.  Also, this will give the florist time to make arrangements regarding the temperature in the venue in order to prolong the freshness of the flowers.

Stick to a specific palette

One wedding flower tip is to choose a palette.  It will help if you pick a palette that will match the motif of the wedding.  Sticking to a few colors that goes well with the motif will make the details more united.  It will also allow your florist to come up with a few more arrangements using the colors in the palette.  This is ideal because you can choose from the arrangements that your florist will present to you while still sticking to the motif of the wedding.

Use the flowers in season

There are many advantages in using flowers that are in season.  Flowers in season are cheaper and are easier to find.  Also, these flowers last longer as they can withstand the temperature in the season.  Flowers that are not in season tend to be more expensive as such flowers will need to be shipped from distant areas.

Know how many flowers are needed

Another wedding flower tip that one must remember is to have a checklist.  The checklist must contain how many centerpieces and decorations are needed for the reception and how many bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres are needed. 

Flowers make a wedding a lot more special and romantic.  Plan ahead and let the flowers add romance to your special day.

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Most people have a color in mind when they begin their search for floral designs, but they don’t know the flower names or the colors they come in. Almost all of the choices used in wedding flowers have been included below.

The bouquets are hand tied, arm bouquets, tussy mussy, round, and a few cascade or tear drop styles because those are the most popular choices used today. Of course the colors and combinations can be used in any style you wish so be creative. All of the designs are gorgeous as they are or take the ideas you like from several designs to create your own unique bouquet.

WHITE

These flowers are so lovely in any design, but a few ideas include:

1) All white roses in a hand tied bouquet, your choice of ribbon in any color

2) White calla lilies in an arm bouquet with white tulips cascading over the arm and mixed in with the calla lilies. Wrap long stems with wide white satin ribbon and secure with pearl corsage pins.

3) A silver tussy mussy with lily of the valley. Include a few of the slender flower leaves.

4) Casablanca lilies formed into a round hand tied bouquet. These are big and luscious and very fragrant!

5) Calla lilies grouped together to form a round tied bouquet. Make it as small or large as you like.

6) All white peonies, hand tied with a satin ribbon. Attach charms with photos or verses – so romantic!

7) Hydrangea pomander with silk organza ribbon. Unique and different.

PINK

1) Light pink, medium pink, and dark pink peonies. Form into a large hand bouquet. Wrap stems in a wide pink satin ribbon and secure with pearl corsage pins. My favorite!

2) Tussy mussy with three shades of pink sweet pea. Add in a few lily of the valley with leaves.

3) Light and medium pink open roses. Use in any design for an awesome bouquet.

4) Pink tulips, roses, lisianthus in a tied bouquet

5) Arm bouquet with a variety of pink roses. Include white roses with pink edges, light pink roses.

and medium pink roses. Make the bouquet full and add smaller roses to fill in around toward the bottom of the larger roses. Keep the stems shorter than a traditional arm bouquet.

6) Pink anemonies in a tussy mussy or hand bouquet

7) A beidemiere is a round design with concentric circles of different flowers. A beautiful pink palette would be white ranunculus to form the center followed with dark pink roses. Add a ring of white stephanotis followed by light pink open roses. Either dark pink, cream, or white roses could form the last circle. Galax leaves or lambs ear would be beautiful to finish off the bouquet.

New Zealand waxflowers in a silver tussy mussy

ORANGE

1) Golden calla lilies with orange roses in a hand tied arrangement

2) Orange and pink roses with gloriosa lilies in a tussy mussy, cascase, or hand bouquet

3) Peach roses, green hydrangea, cream tulips, and green orchids to form a cascade, hand tied, or tussy mussy. A biedemiers design would also make a lovely design.

4) Red & orange open roses, bright golden yellow calla lilies, and red hypericum berries are lovely colors for a fall wedding.

5) Orange centered daffodils to form a round bouquet

6) Orange and gold ranunculus with sprigs of rosemary in any style

7) Orange roses with blue delphinium, blue iris, and white hydrangea in a hand tied bouquet

Orange, yellow, and cream tulips, orange and cream roses, yellow ranunculus in a biedemiers design

PURPLE

1) Purple lisianthus, dark purple calla lilies, lavender passion flower in a lovely cascade bouquet

2) Lavender roses, pink astilbe, purple tulips, and agapanthus in a hand bouquet

3) Lavender hydrangea, roses, sweet pea, grape hyacinths in a cascade or tied bouquet

4) Purple, pink, and white sweet pea in a tussy mussy, nosegay, or tied bouquet

5) Lilac, white roses, lisianthus, lavender roses in a cascade bouquet

GREEN

1) Green hydrangea, white roses, bells of Ireland in a hand bouquet

2) Green and white orchids, white roses, ivalace ivy in a cascade

3) Lady’s mantle makes a wonderful green addition to any design.

4) Green cymbidum orchids

5) The long green stems of the calla lily in an arm bouquet wrapped with green satin ribbon

RED

1) Velvety red celosia and red amaryllis in a round hand tied bouquet

2) Amaryllis blooms to form a round bouquet

3) Deep red oriental lilies, calla lilies, and roses for a hand tied bouquet

4) Open red roses in a round hand tied bouquet

5) Try red amaryllis with dark pink roses, chinaberry, and lambs ear around the perimeter of a hand tied bouquet

BLUE

1) Blue hydrangea pompander

2) Mixed flowers of blue hydrangea, blue iris, grape hyacinth, ranunculus, and cream roses in a hand tied bouquet. Use a blue satin ribbon with it.

3) White roses, delphinium, agapanthus, blue hydrangea in a hand tied or cascade

YELLOW

1) Sunflowers, green hypericum berries in a hand tied bouquet

2) Golden yellow calla lilies with yellow roses in a hand tied bouquet

3) Yellow orchids in a silver tussy mussy

4) White lilies with yellow centers, daffodils, yellow tulips in a hand tied bouquet

5) Gerbera daisies in hand tied or mixed in a cascade

As you can see there are so many wonderful choices for wedding flowers and bouquets. There is bound to be something that matches your unique taste. Best of all you don’t have to settle for the same old thing. A simple online search will produce many photos of the flower possibilities listed above.

Janet Weirich has written numerous articles on all aspects of wedding flower design. For more tips on wedding hair flowers click here and you can also visit the author’s website here.

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Blue wedding flowers may sound unusual.  There are only a few flowers that are blue and most of these flowers do not exactly possess the festive look that is needed in a wedding.  In order for blue wedding flowers to stand out, it must be blended and arranged well with other flowers.

Finding blue wedding flowers is also another story.  As mentioned earlier, there are only a few flowers that are naturally blue. Other flowers are initially white but are soaked in blue dye to achieve the desired shade of blue. 

In order for blue wedding flowers to work, it is important to choose what kinds of blue flower are going to be used.  Remember that there are many shades of blue and there are also many varieties of flowers.  They also come in different sizes.  Examples of blue wedding flowers are Roses, Hydrangeas, Lavenders, Dendrobium Orchids, Star Baby’s Breaths, Hyacinths, Irises, Thistles and Delphiniums.

It is better to experiment and mix blue wedding flowers with other flowers.  Mix it with various colors such as white, yellow and red.  Try inserting nice, white roses or bright, yellow daisies.  Using blue as the only color of the flowers in a wedding may end up with a boring arrangement. 

It is also better to experiment with the shades available.  For example, you may use a darker shade of blue for the bridesmaid’s bouquets while a combination of light and dark colored blue flowers for the bride’s bouquet.  Experimenting with the shades will make the arrangement more interesting and eye-catching.

Blue wedding flowers can become an interesting detail in a wedding.  With a little creativity and experimentation, blue wedding flowers will do the trick by giving a wedding an interesting touch.

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photo credit: zenobia_joy

Flowers are also associated with folklore in other ways.  In the Victorian era, men sent flowers with special meanings to women as a means of communication.  Back then, the meanings of flowers were common knowledge.  These days it’s more acceptable for a man to just come out and tell a woman how he feels, and these meanings are not as well known.

Knowing the meanings of different flowers can help you choose the best ones for your wedding day.  Following are the traditional meanings of some of the more popular wedding flowers.

Roses

Roses are very popular flowers associated with romance, so it is fitting that they are often used in weddings.  Specific meanings vary by color.  Red roses are known as symbols of love, pink ones symbolize elegance and admiration, and white roses represent innocence and purity.  Yellow roses are associated with friendship and joy, orange roses represent enthusiasm and passion, and lavender roses symbolize love at first sight.

Daisies

Daisies are often used at informal weddings, but they may also make their way into more formal ceremonies.  These flowers represent innocence and beauty.  Gerbera daisies represent those things too, but they also stand for cheerfulness.  Daisies are available in a wide variety of colors, making it easy to incorporate them into any wedding color scheme.

Lilies

There are many varieties and colors of lilies.  In general, lilies stand for innocence and purity, but some specific varieties have their own special meanings.  Bold and beautiful stargazer lilies, for example, symbolize aspiration, and the pink ones have become known as a sign of prosperity.  The smaller Peruvian lilies represent friendship and devotion.

Tulips

Tulips are adored for their simple beauty and wide variety of colors.  The flowers generally represent perfect love, but some colors have additional meanings.  Red tulips, like red roses, stand for true love.  Purple tulips are symbolic of royalty, and yellow ones send a message of cheer.

Carnations

The carnation is one of the oldest flower varieties in the world, and it is very popular in wedding arrangements.  Carnations come in numerous colors and are symbolic of love.  The colors of carnations have meanings similar to those of roses of the same color.  Red stands for deep affection, white represents purity, and pink symbolizes gratitude.

Other Popular Wedding Flowers

There are several other flowers that are often used at weddings.  Irises are lovely flowers for a wedding, and they represent faith and hope.  Graceful and delicate orchids represent love, beauty and strength.  Sunflowers symbolize loyalty and happiness.

Selecting the perfect flowers for your wedding can be a tough decision, because there are so many beautiful flowers to choose from.  Learning the meanings behind the flowers can make that decision a little easier.

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