I'm so excited to continue this seasonal wedding flower guide, written by my talented friend Karen of Aleen Floral Design, who provides wonderful suggestions for what flowers to choose should you get married in the winter. Click here to see her fall wedding flower suggestions.
First off, I must say Congratulations to all you newly engaged couples! Perhaps with this new season your mind is filled with wedding details of the dress, invitations, color scheme, who to invite, menu, and of course floral designs. Well you can take a deep breath and lean on the knowledge of the many experts in the wedding field, starting with flowers. Maria Grace Photography has been publishing insights on seasonal flowers, so no matter the season of your wedding you’ll be sure to gain a starting place of special blooms.
Winter has at times been a challenging time of year for decorating with live flowers. But whether you are planning a winter wedding or desiring to add some life to your dining room table, the cold months actually offer up some amazing fresh flower options. You just have to know for what to look.
In the Autumn issue of this series we discussed how Dahlias are to the Fall as Peonies are to the Spring as the queen flower. Winter also has its queen blossom, the Amaryllis. Their tall strong stem supports multi-layer blooming petals, reminiscent of hibiscus. Their full heads make for wonderful use in single flower bouquets, large scape altarpieces, or simple classic centerpieces. Colors are limited to apricot, red, and white tones though, so if you are more in the mind set of blues and purples Anemones may be a better option as your star player.
Although the white with navy center Anemones have become the most recognizable color combination recently, you will not want to miss the other striking colors this blossom offers - magenta, deep purple, hot pink, red, and burgundy. Also a hallmark of winter flowers, it’s tissue paper like petals grace a large button shaped center atop a delicate hallow stem. Weaving them into a bouquet takes care to avoid crushing their stems, which would cut off their water flow.
Where Spring offers the widest range of blooms, Winter gives us a plethora of lovely foliages that when paired well create their own striking beauty. The ambiance of Christmas often comes to mind when winter foliages are discussed, but as you can see by these images there are ways to reflect a winter theme without traditional Christmas colors or evergreen coming into play.
Using all four varieties of Eucalyptus (willow eucalyptus, short leaf willow eucalyptus, seeded eucalyptus, and baby blue eucalyptus) set the stage for the ivory blooms of this wedding to shine. The muted tones of eucalyptus leaves bring in the subdued winter essence, while the deep rich tones of Privet Berries warm up the scale.
Privet Berries are wonderfully versatile for winter styles. Their draping heads, deep black color, and rich green leaves give a finishing touch to a woodland, rustic, classic, and even modern style. If your wedding is between December and February, you will want to include these beauties.
Eucalyptus Pods along with Silver Brunia also provide diverse texture amid greenery with their silver heads. Where Eucalyptus Pods lend to use in more natural, woodland themed arrangements, Silver Brunia play well in classic or modern designs.
Placing White Kale on centerstage of your winter floral designs is another way to take advantage of blooms unique to the season and create a conversation piece. The full white head layered with veined petals catches the attention of an observer. Since one may think kale only belongs in the kitchen, to find it in a floral piece stretches the imagination in a delightful way.
Incorporating Succulents can have a similar effect in winter designs. Although succulents are technically a summer hallmark, they are available year round thanks to the wonder of greenhouses and shipping technologies. Succulents are great way to give a touch of modern and shift away from a traditional evergreen Christmas look.
With Pantone selecting Serenity as one of the colors of 2016, we may see Thistle integrated more into floral design this year. Its pointed head with a spiky collar often evokes rejection for use in wedding work, but don’t dismiss it too soon. When tucked amid soft textures the thistle offers a point of interest as it’s calming light blue color appears in seeming opposition to its prickly form.
All in all, winter floral design is about mixing textures and paring colors well. Use diverse foliage to your advantage to set off the stars of winter blooms: amaryllis, anemone, and kale.
