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Bridal Trends:
Fashion Wedded to Flowers
Today's bride has very little in common
with the shy and sheltered young woman beloved of eighteenth century novelists. The woman
who is planning her wedding this year does her communicating on the Internet, and lives an
active lifestyle juggling career, social and personal interests. The one thing she shares
with the bride from an earlier century, however, is the deeply held belief that her
wedding day should be absolutely perfect. And "perfect" for a modern day bride
means a wedding that is increasingly creative and personal.
Today's weddings are crafted and presented
as carefully as stage productions. What makes it possible is the incredible number of
wedding styles a bride can choose from and the corresponding array of fashions available
to her. And to help her pull it all together, creatively and with ease, is the expert
guidance of a professional florist.
A major new development is the choice of
flowers for the wedding being used to underscore and enhance the general motif of the day.
According to the Society of American Florists and the American Institute of Floral
Designers, three popular bridal trends with new interpretations are emerging: royal
garden, romantic sophistication, and contemporary chic.
Royal Garden
| The Fashion |
Gently shaped wedding gown of
silk voile, slim silhouette, widely scooped neckline, slightly lifted waist, fullness to
the back ending in a small train. |
| The Setting |
A summer pavilion, stone urns
on pedestals, garden trellis woven with flowering vines. |
| The Bridal Bouquet |
Fragrant and regal Casablanca
lilies combined with peonies and astilbe enhanced with a french-braided ribbon. |
Romantic Sophistication
| The Fashion |
A smoothly fitted lace
wedding gown with an overskirt of filmy tulle bursting into fullness just below the waist. |
| The Setting |
Circular tables double-draped
with short cloth over long; silver candelabra entwined with foliage. |
| The Bridal Bouquet |
A single Duchess rose bud
centered in a cluster of individual rose petals highlighted by variegated ivy and silk
streamers. |
Contemporary Chic
| The Fashion |
Body-conscious column cut
completely on the bias with trumpet hem in four-ply silk jersey, penne velvet or matte
finished satin. |
| The Setting |
Low light, high ceilings,
jardinieres on fluted columns, glass-top tables with architectural bases, champagne
flutes. |
| The Bridal Bouquet |
Pristine callas as the major
design element, unexpectedly combined with freesia and punctuated with lily grass. |
Within these three trends, as well as many
others, each can be personalized. By working with her florist, the bride-to-be can start
to paint the picture of her "perfect" wedding day and feel confident that it
will be carried out with elegance and ease by a professional who knows how to beautifully
translate her personal style.
Planning Your Wedding Flowers
Tossing the Bouquet... and
the Worries
The first things on a new
bride-to-be's planning list are to look at bridal gowns and places to hold the ceremony
and reception. But what's next? Lining up the network of people to help create that
perfect wedding day: clergyman or judge, caterers, musicians, photographers, and a
professional florist well-versed in the etiquette of creating beautiful weddings. All
comprise the list of essential professionals to consider and confirm months in advance of
the actual date.
The Society of American
Florists and the American Institute of Floral Designers urge the bride-to-be to seek the
guidance of a professional florist early in the planning stage. By using a trained
professional, the bride is guaranteed that every single detail will be handled expertly
and creatively. A florist experienced in the art of wedding planning can save the bride's
sanity as well as her pocketbook, by preventing costly mistakes. They can arrange not only
the wedding flowers, but coordinate all the details from decor of the bridesmaid's
luncheon to the rehearsal dinner, the wedding ceremony, the reception and more.
Tips on Working with Your
Local Florist
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Before contacting your
florist, select the date, time and place for your wedding and reception, and know the
colors and style of the gowns you and your bridesmaids have selected. |
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Look through bridal books and
floral guides. Sketch ideas, cut out pictures or take photographs of flowers to show your
florist. By sharing your ideas and personal style, your florist will be able to translate
your concepts and special requests into workable floral designs and arrangements that are
just right for you. |
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Set up an initial
consultation with your florist to discuss specific design ideas that fit both your
personal style and budget. Make arrangements for your florist to visit both the ceremony
and reception sites. Before leaving the first consultation a second appointment should be
planned to review recommendations and budget. |
Creative Ideas for
Wedding and Reception Flowers
At the Ceremony
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Adorn the ceremony entrance
with flower-filled urns (move to reception later). |
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Use flowers and candlelight
at different levels to give dimension to design. |
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Use a single rose to mark the
seats of both the groom's and bride's mothers. |
At the Reception
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Garland the center of the
head table with flowers and foliage; add votives. |
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Use bridesmaid's bouquets to
create a more lavish buffet table decoration or to surround the cake. |
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Have your florist create
guest table centerpieces with 4-5 separate clusters of flowers so that each couple can
take a centerpiece component home. |
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Float large fragrant flowers
such as open roses or gardenias in crystal containers with votives. |
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Sprinkle rose petals on the
cake table and walkways; toss rose petals instead of rice. |
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Have the
"throw-away" bouquet double as a cake top. |
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Decorate goblets and cake
knives with flowers. |
Wedding Stats & Facts
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The wedding market accounts
for $32 billion a year. |
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The average cost of a wedding
is $16,000. |
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The average bride is 24 years
old; the average groom, 28 years old. |
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Four out of five brides are
employed. |
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Thirty-five percent of
weddings occur in the summer; 29 percent in the spring; 23 percent in the fall; 13 percent
in the winter. Eleven percent of winter weddings are Christmas weddings. |
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Fifty-three percent of
weddings occur in the afternoon; 31 percent in the evening; 16 percent in the morning.
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Eighty-five percent of
weddings are held in a church or synagogue; 15 percent are evenly distributed among
private homes, hotels, country clubs, and other locations. |
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Thirty percent of receptions
are held in churches; 20 percent in hotels; 20 percent in country clubs; and 10 percent
each in fraternal halls, private homes, and other locations. |
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Thirty-eight percent of
weddings have a buffet; 34 percent have a sit-down dinner; 28 percent serve only cake and
punch. |
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The frequent number of female
attendants, including the maid of honor, is four; 62 percent of weddings have a flower
girl; 56 percent have a ring bearer. |
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