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 spring. You can also view her spring, fall and winter wedding flower suggestions.
Hello again, it is hard to fathom that our seasonal flower chats are drawing to a close. I have enjoyed talking your ear off about blooms in their prime and the myriad of textures and price points available. Summer is gently teasing us lately with warm sun kissed pavement, glorious sunsets, and frosty treats. There are many aspects of summer I thoroughly enjoy, but none quite compare to strolling through a farmers market and spotting a stand of resplendent summer blooms. It puts a smile on my face and a skip in my step.
If your heart swells with delight as well when you see hand tied, gathered from the field, whimsical bundles of flowers, then summer time is for you! A myriad of blooms display their unassuming beauty along highways, streams, and fields June through August…and they make their way into our family and marriage celebrations as well. Its as though they are all around us for the pleasure of our taking them inside to enjoy their cheerful gift in every room.
When pondering which flower is the diva of Summer, just as peonies are in spring and dahlias are in autumn, Sunflowers stood out by far. Have you ever seen a field of sunflowers? Their faces follow the sun as it moves along during the day; you may drive by in the morning with them facing the road and by late afternoon the whole field of heads are turned around. Although sunflowers naturally tend towards a casual, backyard, rustic or country feel, there is a little known trick to incorporate them in non yellow hight scale designs - take the yellow petals off. Gently press the petals back away from the brown center and they pop off leaving you with a wondrous texture that has initiated many a conversation. We used this technique recently to give a bride her favorite flower (sunflowers) in the midst of her deep purple, ivory, and green color scheme. Guests were wondering were they could find green sunflowers.
Succulents come in a close second for steeling the summer spotlight. Although they are technically available year round (as mentioned in the winter post) their prime season is summer. Being native to the dry dessert regions, they put on a great show without needing to be in water making them a prime pick for cake decor or warming up the base of a candle display.
Orchids are another great option for designs without a water source…. for a few hours at least. Sadly orchids have gained the perception of being too pricey for the majority of wedding budgets. But did you know there are different types of orchids with a wide range of price points? The ever so stunning phalaenopsis orchid may cost you half a days wages, but it’s little sister dendrobium orchid lives on the level with a rose. In between the two extremes there are a handful of options as well: James Storie, Mokara, Cymbidium, Mini-Cymbidium. Orchids offer great elegance and longevity, don’t dismiss them too soon.
If you are incorporating royal blue into your color scheme, look no further than delphinium, veronica, and corn flower. These three are the truest of deep blue flowers; there aren’t many naturally blue flowers to begin with, so consider a summer wedding if you are keen on the color. Delphinium grow on an elongated stem with fairy like blooms dancing up to the tip. Their delicate petals make for a romantic yet striking visual in large floral arrangements. Veronica as well as corn flower lend to use as accent flowers; veronica with a draping cone shape and corn flower with sweet circular papery thin petals.
A commentary on summer flowers would not be complete without Freesia. It not only offers an intriguing classy texture to any floral design, it carries a sweet pepper aroma that will keep your nose buried in it for more than a second. When freesia arrive in our studio we each take turns drinking in its poignant scent. The bell shaped bloom set next to a row of buds growing out to the side make for great accents in bouquets, feature flowers of boutonnieres, and perfect hair accessories for a long event. Freesia come in a wide variety of colors: burnt orange, red, purple, lavender, hot pink, pale pink, yellow, ivory, and white.
To accomplish the wildflower, fresh from the field look for your wedding or festive event, gather some daisies, mums, queen anne’s lace, stock, and accents of herbs. Herbs are a wonderful way to bring out the organic garden or field theme, especially fresh lavender! Lavender has been used on many occasion to spruce up a place card on a table setting. Rosemary is also a great resource for such a use.
For more seasonal bloom inspiration hop on over to our portfolio that is organized by season or feel free to drop me a note with questions for your wedding or event. Have a splendid summer and stop to smell the roses once in awhile!
