Every flower you choose helps paint a picture of your wedding vision. Choosing floral components for your wedding can be difficult, as there are so many beautiful flowers, greenery, and foliage to choose from. Bride and grooms on average spend around seven or eight percent of their wedding budget on florals for the wedding, including the bouquets, boutonnieres, and all of the flower accents. You can maximize your budget by choosing nontraditional floral components that are unique and perfectly tell the story of your love.
Traditional Wedding Flowers
What flowers come to mind when you think of love? Roses are an easy go-to for weddings and romantic holidays like anniversaries and Valentine’s Day. There are a few color options to help personalize your bouquet when choosing these traditional wedding flowers, but many brides and grooms day are thinking a little less conventional when it comes to their floral arrangements and accents.
Most Popular Wedding Flowers:
- Roses
- Tulips
- Lily of the valley
- Hydrangeas
- Peonies
- Ranunculus
- Stephanotis
- Gardenias
The Benefits of Going Nontraditional
Stretch Your Flower Budget
One of the main draws for using nontraditional florals in a wedding is the cost. Roses are expensive, as are many of the other wedding staple flowers. These flowers are in high demand year-round. If you are open to less traditional florals, you can do more with less. There are countless options for flowers and foliage when you get creative. You can mix different colors and textures to create looks that are personal and memorable. Simple twigs or cotton immediately add an organic touch that is instantly charming.
Sustainability
Many brides and grooms are taking the growing trend of sustainability and incorporating it into their wedding. Choosing seasonal, local flowers requires less transport, reducing the overall carbon footprint. The flowers are often fresher and help put money back into the local economy by shopping small. Stay with the local vibe and choose wildflowers or other backyard flowers like irises, lilac, and clematis. Prince William and Kate and Prince Harry and Megan both incorporated local, in-season flowers in their wedding bouquets and floral decor. They both used flowers from the Gardens of Windsor in their floral arrangements.
More Season Options
When it comes to deciding what flowers to have in your wedding, it’s essential to find out what is in-season. Before you start brainstorming and settling on the details, check and see what seasonal options you have. Seasonal flowers are going to be less expensive and fresher than flowers that are out of season and have to be flown or driven in from a different region. It is possible to have out of season flowers, but it will cost more. When you expand your search into nontraditional florals, you have more seasonal options.
Contemporary Nontraditional Florals
Dried Flowers
Dried flowers like lavender, baby’s breath, and daises can be incorporated into the floral accents and are expertly rustic and vintage. Dried lavender alone is perfect for a minimalist touch, sprinkled on tables or integrated into food and beverages.
Expert Tip: Reuse the flowers from your engagement by collecting and pressing them. You can then use them during your wedding!
Unexpected Foliage
Go for the trendy but unexpected with foliage like succulents, hellebores, cotton, twigs, leaves, and baby cactus.
Monochrome
Instead of choosing flowers, choose a color. Monochrome florals are a growing trend this year, as brides and grooms pick a single color like pink or blue and then have florals of all different types match with varying shades of the color.
Greenery
Instead of your traditional filler flowers opt for greenery instead. Greenery adds a bohemian and eco-friendly vibe that is elegant while being down-to-earth. Greenery brings the outdoors inside for a calming and chic look that makes a statement.
Expert tip: Instead of traditional eucalyptus try a fern or ornamental grasses like pampas grass, wheat stalks, olive branches, bunny tails, or fountain grass.
Fresh Fruits or Vegetables
A new trend popped up in 2018, using edible arrangements in wedding florals. Brides and grooms are incorporating radish, kale, pumpkins, gourds, lemon, and grapes as decor. Fruits and vegetables are perfect for a naturally rustic or country theme.
Ideas for Nontraditional Florals
Ceiling Decor: When your guests look up, have them wowed with flowers. Hang flowers and greenery from exposed beams and chandeliers.
Expert tip: You can hang flowers on a fishing line or another clear string to give the appearance they are floating.
Dessert Decor: Use dried or fresh flowers to decorate your dessert table and even your cake! Flowers and greenery easily fill any decor gaps!
Edible Flowers: Incorporate edible flowers into your wedding food and drinks! Flowers to use: calendula, zucchini blossoms, hibiscus, lavender, nasturtiums, pansies, roses, sage flowers, and violets.
Expert tip: Instead of serving regular ice, freeze edible flowers into ice cubes to serve in guest’s drinks!
Living Walls: Dxwdd vines, flowers, and other greenery to the walls to create the perfect backdrop for photos. Floor to ceiling florals creates an otherworldly experience that will wow guests.
Flower Power for Your Pet: Will your pets be making an appearance at your wedding? Give them a floral leash and collar for an added touch.
Hanging Potted Plants: Use succulents or other fun plants to hang from the wall or the ceiling for a magical look.
Expert Tip: Succulents are a sweet and sentimental wedding favor for guests!
The floral components of your wedding decor bring color to life. Flowers come in all different shapes and sizes; some have romantic meanings, while others have breathtaking blooms. Choosing your wedding colors can be hard when there are so many great options to choose from. Expanding your flower search outside of the traditional roses and tulips makes room for creativity and innovation. You can create floral arrangements and accents that are unique and mix different textures, tones, and vibes. You can use florals in more than just bouquets, flowers and foliage can be woven into different decor pieces from the desserts to the napkins. A single flower can add a simple touch that helps bring the entire look together.
