Styling: Wedding/Event Floral Decor

As the saying goes..."it's the little things" that not only matter most but often determine the difference between good and great.  We believe this saying holds truth when it comes to designing floral decor for weddings/events.  Yes, the details may be minute in thought and seem rather pointless, however they will make a world of a difference once the big picture comes together.  Before we even begin designing a wedding, first we must determine the style of decor. Once the style is determined, the wheels begin to spin on which details will bring the vision to life.  We will go through the process of how we style a wedding, from the bouquets to the dinner tables.

#1.  Determine the color palette

We recommend choosing one predominant color that is a "must-have" for the wedding/event.  We assist our clients in selecting this color by what the client gravitates towards. The color may be chosen based on their inner persona, an image they viewed on the web, or perhaps the color of the bridesmaids' dresses. We recommend something you will love forever, as your wedding pictures will mostly like be on display for sometime to come.  

Working from the predominant color, we will help you will choose two to three accent colors to compliment the main color.  Also, when playing around with colors, we always recommend one neutral tone, such as slate or champagne. This keeps the decor looking elegant and sophisticated.  A few palettes we think that work lovely together are: 

• slate-yellow-white 
• champagne-peach-blush-pink  
• white-pale-aqua-cantaloupe

If you are having difficultly deciding on a palette, definitely check out one of our favorite color inspiration wesbites, ThePerfectPalette.com.

#2. Determine the style 

Style is often a reflection of your life and personality.  One's personal style can be determined by the way they dress, their home decor, types of places they travel to, or down to one's favorite cocktail.

We design events based on the following decor styles: chic, bohemian, artistic mod, or romantic. Some event/weddings may be designed with a combination of two styles. 

#3. Choose the blooms

Each particular bloom is a reflection of the style of the wedding/event.  

• Chic events are clean, stately, and typically designed in a monochromatic format.  White flowers work best for chic weddings...just simply timeless.  Some of our favorite flowers for chic weddings are callas, orchids, hydrangeas, and roses.

• Bohemian weddings are an eclectic combination of many blooms of various shapes and sizes.  We usually choose a muted color palette of various colors along with a pop here and there of something bold.  Some of our favorite flowers for this style are garden roses, dahlias, veronica, ranunculus, queen anne's lace, scabiosas, and hydrangeas.

• Romantic style events are a collection of various flowers in all shapes and sizes to create depth and texture within the design.  Most romantic flowers are typically round headed flowers, creating femininity and softness to the design.  Any color palette can be designed in a romantic style.  A few of our favorite romantic blooms are roses, dianthus, ranunculus, peonies, berries, lisianthus, and japhet orchids.

• Artistic mod style weddigns are generally very simple, clean, masculine, and architectural in design.  They are often considered minimal, abstract, or even avant garde.  We usually throw in a little bit of flare when designing with this particular style by creating the unusual.  It's as if we are creating contemporary modern art.  The best blooms to use for this style are callas, orchids, diathus (paved format), and holla leaves. 

#4.  Choose containers for centerpieces

The glassware/containers will need to compliment the overall style of the wedding/event.  Again, the littlest details will help achieve the big picture.

• Chic wedding containers are often clear, black, or white glass in the shape of a square, or cylinder. Remember the decor needs to be kept clean-lined.

• Bohemian wedding containers can inhabit a wide variety of shapes and styles to create the eclectic feel.  From tin cans, mason jars, mercury glass, vintage bud vases, to anything in you can find in your grandma's attic. The containers should reflect an archaic, worn-in, rustic feel.

• Romantic wedding containers are often ceramic or glass vases defined by a curvy edge.  We love apothecary jars, and hurricane vases for romantic weddings.

• Artistic mod glassware is very minimal and simple, such as squares, rectangulars, or cylinders. This type of glassware will not compromise the floral art.

#5. Add adornments/embellishments to the decor 

These little details makes a world of a difference in style, yet it's probably the smallest on the list and often forgot about, or seen as not necessary.  

• Chic arrangements are often very clean, we keep the adornments to a minimal for this style. Typically, we will wrap the vase with a sateen sash using one of the wedding colors.  This hides the floral stems keeping things tidy. Also, as an added touch, a simple orchid bloom adorning each guest's napkin.

• Bohemian weddings...let just say its all in the details and adornments in order for this style to be done right. We love wrapping arrangements, bouquets, and boutonnieres in twine, lace, or a vintage pastel velvet. Feathers are also big for this particular style.  They add a whimsical, earthy flair.  A few other little details we love to incorporate in bohemian style weddings are: antlers, bird cages, bell jars, and metallic candlesticks.

• Romantic weddings are best adorned with lots of candlelight...the warmth of the heart.  We love hanging candles off manzanita branches, as well as, various height elevated candles surrounding a lush floral design. We believe candlelight can add an intimate touch to any room.  A few more of our favorite embellishments for romantic weddings are crystals, or ruffled chair covers.  They truly reflect the girlishness in the hopeless romantic.  

• Artistic mod weddings often incorporate industrial elements.  We may used an abundance of wire to wrap bouquets or add structural art to a design.  This is one style where the embellishments are kept to a minimal.

In closing, we hope that you enjoyed learning about Natural Beauties Floral's approach to wedding flowers & event styling. If you are interested in learning more about our styling and design services, please feel free to contact us at (312) 243-2690 or email us at info@naturalbeautiesfloral.com to set up a consultation.

Florally,

Jan & Jillian Yuhas