Flowers for the Reception
The flowers for the reception should coordinate with the style and the color of the wedding. Generally, you need to have table decorations and maybe some indoor plants to provide a garden type atmosphere.
The guest table decorations should be simple centerpieces that compliment the table linens and the size of the table. Don't have very tall arrangements in the center of the table.
You should also provide some type of flower arrangement for the buffet table. This arrangement should be fairly tall and should also coordinate with the table linens and the size of the table.
You could also rent indoor plants and trees to provide some greenery. For a formal event, you might rent trees and decorate them with white Christmas lights.
Flowers for the Wedding Party
All of the flowers for the bridal party should match and coordinate with the chosen wedding colors and wedding party attire.
Obviously the flowers should compliment the dresses - larger bouquets for long, formal dresses and smaller bouquets for shorter and less formal dresses. The bouquets can be full of color or all white. Regardless of the color, each bouquet should contain flowers of a variety of shapes and sizes to give it some balance.
Some florists give you a smaller "throwing" bouquet so that you can preserve the bridal bouquet. If the florist doesn't offer this little extra, you should think about purchasing one.
Bride's Bouquet
A formal bridal bouquet should be rather large with some type of draping effect. Keep your dress in mind when choosing the style of the bouquet. You don't want to cover up any special beading or applique at your waistline.
There are many options for flowers for a formal bouquet. You might try roses, orchids, gardenias, lilies, camellias, or stephanotis.
Informal bouquets should be more of a loose "garden" bouquet made up of various flowers such as tulips, irises, asters, small daisies and roses.
Attendants' Bouquets
The attendants' bouquets should compliment the attendants' dresses while coordinating with the bridal bouquet.
Flower Girl
Traditionally the flower girl does not carry a bouquet. Instead she carries a basket decorated with flowers and filled with rose petals which she scatters in the aisle where the bride will walk.
Some churches however do not allow this tradition and so having the flower girl carry the bouquet has become a popular substitution.
Corsages
Any female participating in any way in the wedding party should receive a corsage.
The corsages should coordinate with the wedding colors and dresses. Choose a neutral color that will match with the various outfits that these people will be wearing.
Since everyone is getting the same corsage, you may want to do something special for the mothers. Make the mothers' corsages different from the others, but the same as each other's.
Groom's Boutonniere
In the old days, the bride would remove one blossom from her bouquet and pin it on her groom as a symbol of love. Although, you won't see many brides doing this today, you still might select a flower from your bouquet for the groom's boutonniere.
Regardless, the groom's boutonniere should be different from the groomsmen's. It is usually a rose, stephanotis or Lily of the Valley.
Other Boutonnieres
The ushers, other groomsmen, fathers, grandfathers and any brothers who are not in the wedding should wear boutonnieres. These boutonnieres should all be the same but different from the groom's boutonniere.
The Ring Bearer
The ring bearer should only wear a boutonniere if he is wearing a tux or a dark suit. This boutonniere should match the other gentlemen's flowers.
Bouquet Styles
You may already have a favorite flower that you plan to carry on your wedding day. Roses have long been popular with brides. Orange blossoms were once considered essential to carry, as they were thought to bring good luck. Stephanotis is another traditional favorite. Some brides choose to carry an especially fragrant flower, like gardenias. Carrying the same flower your mother carried can be a beautiful way to pay tribute to her on your wedding day.
Hand-in-hand with your decision about the kind of flowers to carry is the decision about bouquet style. Here is an overview of the most popular bouquet styles to help you determine what's right for you.
Arm Bouquet
A sweeping arrangement of long-stemmed flowers and greenery to be cradled in your arm. Usually the stems are secured with ribbon, either braided or hand tied.
This style was extremely popular in the first half of the twentieth century but seems to have fallen out of favor with today's bride because some find it too reminiscent of the bouquets presented to beauty pageant winners.
Biedermeirer Bouquet
A small, compact bouquet of flowers organized in alternating rings (like a bull's eye). The alternating rings may be of different types of flowers, or of the same variety in two colors.
Composite Bouquet
This unusual look is achieved by "creating" a flower that doesn't exist in nature out of pieces of other flowers. Flower petals and/or pieces of greenery can be wired or glued together, one inside another, to create a single giant composite blossom.
Note: Not every florist is experienced in creating the composite bouquet, so if you opt for this style, you many have to search a bit to find someone who can competently execute the design.
Nosegay Bouquet
A small, round, very uniform bouquet of like blossoms, their stems typically tightly wrapped with ribbon and tied. This simple, elegant style has been especially popular with brides in the last five years. Best suited for compact, uniform blossoms like roses and calla lilies.
Pomander Bouquet
A sort of ball of blossoms (created by inserting the stems into a globe-shaped base) that is suspended from a looped ribbon. The ribbon can be held in hand or slipped over the wrist. This terrific "antique" look is a particularly elegant choice if you plan to wear gloves.
Tussy-Mussy or Hand Tied Bouquet
Also very popular with modern brides is the hand-tied bouquet of blossoms and greenery. This style has a natural feel that suits today's understated wedding fashions. If not tied with ribbon, this style of bouquet might be placed within a tussy-mussy - - an ornamental, cone-shaped holder that was popularized in the Victorian era. A bouquet in a tussy-mussy is another great look for the bride who plans to wear gloves.
Types of Flowers
Roses
Champaign - A creamy, antique ivory colored rose
Candia - Cream white with dark pink edges to the petals
Darling - A creamy peach rose
Bridal Pink - Bright pink rose
Delores - A soft pink rose
Jacaranda - A hot pink rose
Lady Diana - A pale peach rose
Sonia - A bright peach rose
Jacqueline Kennedy - A rather small true red rose
Madame Delbard - A rich velvety red French rose
Sterling Silver - A small lavender rose
Orchids
Dendrobium - Miniature orchids that come in sprays
Catlaya - Usually white with shades of lavender in the center of each petal. These are larger than other orchids.
Cymbidium - Smaller than japhet orchids with a curly edge only at the center
Japhet - Large orchids with a curly edge all over. They often have yellow throats.
Phalaenopsis - Round-edged orchids that are white with reddish throats
Spray Orchids - Long spikes covered with tiny orchid-like flowers. There are very expensive and are available in winter.
Lilies
Calla - Very large, long white flowers on thick stalks
Day Lilies - Usually in shades of cream, orange, red, and yellow with a variety of stem lengths
Rubrim - Star flowers that come in a variety of colors
Lily of the Valley - Small white blooms that look like tiny bells
Zephyr Lily - Smaller than most lilies, available in white, yellow, and shades of pink
Others
Alstroemeria Lilies - Miniature lilies that come in a variety of colors
Amaryllis - Available in deep red and white, shaped similar to a lily with a long stem
Anemones - Shaped similar to poppies and available in white, blue, red violet, and yellow
Anthuriums - A true red flower with a heart-shaped bloom and a large stamen
Asters - Usually available in white, pink, rose and purple
Baby's Breath - Fine, delicate, tiny flowers that are usually white
Bachelor Buttons - These look like tiny carnations and are available in white, pink, red, or blue
Canterbury Bells - Shaped like little bells and are usually blue, purple, or pink
Carnations - This commonly known flower is usually inexpensive, comes in a variety of colors and is available year round
Chrysanthemums - Available in white, yellow and red, come in many shapes and sizes
Daffodils - A pretty and common flower that is available in many colors
Daisy - A popular flower that is similar to but smaller than a chrysanthemum, usually white or yellow with a yellow center
Delphinium - Long spikes of flowers with lacy foliage, usually available in white, rose, lavender, or blue
Forget-me-not - A very pretty dainty blue flower with a yellow or white center
Freesia - A small delicate flower that comes in white, yellow, pink, orange, lavender and red
Gardenia - A pretty white flower with dark green leaves
Gerbera Daisies - Giant versions of common daisies that come in a variety of colors
Gladiolus - Long stalked flowers covered in bright blooms ranging in color from white to red
Iris - Long stalks that have large petals, two of which drop down a little, available in white, blue, violet, yellow and orange
Lilac - Stalks with many tiny white or lavender flowers
Ranunculus - A rose look-a-like but much less expensive, comes in reds, pinks and yellows
Stattice - Bunches of tiny white or purple blossoms
Stephanotis - Small, white trumpet-shaped flowers which grow on vines
Straw Flowers - Straw-like petals that are shaped like daisies, available in white, yellow, orange, or red
Violets - Tiny flowers that are available in white, blue and purple
Special Meanings of Flowers
Amaryllis - beauty and pride
Apple Blossoms - good fortune
Bachelor's Button - celibacy
Bluebells - constancy
Blue Violets - faithfulness
Camellia - excellence
Carnations - distinction
Daffodil - regard
Daisy - innocence
Forget-me-nots - true love
Gardenias - joy
Holly - foresight
Honeysuckles - bonds of love
Ivy - fidelity
Jasmine - elegance
Lilies - purity and innocence
Lily of the Valley - happiness
Mimosa - sensitivity
Myrtle - remembrance
Orange Blossoms - purity and fertility
Orchids - beauty
Peony - bashfulness
Rosemary - remembrance
Roses - love
White Daisies - innocence
