Color, sustainability popular trends in wedding flowers

By Jenn Hall

Brides still want flowers for their weddings, yet florists are seeing industry-wide shifts.

“There’s a lot more DIY with more utilization of things that are not floral in (brides) bouquets,” said Stacy Fisher, owner of Garden Gate in Downtown St. Joseph. “They’re including forage, the sustainability factor is starting to factor into the wedding industry.”

Sustainability heightens the search for flowers, and décor, for professionals. Depending on the season, wildflowers are great options in addition to evergreens, pinecones, privet or winter berries.

Instead of cut flowers as bouquets or centerpieces, some decorators use pots of plants that can be kept after the wedding. This helps to incorporate herbs, succulents or larger plants into the design.

Botanicals like fruit are another option. Fisher said she had a bride recently ask for this. Fruits like oranges and pears give an organic feel to the pieces. To take it a step further, Fisher and Diedra Lee, owner of Every Last Detail and a floral designer at Garden Gate, say items like mushrooms and moss are popular choices when couples are going for that earthy, bohemian, organic vibe.

“The trends are all over the place,” Fisher said. “We’re going with a real organic look and then the other spectrum of over-the-top lux with fine China.”

What’s really exciting for florists, Fisher said, is the new trend of bright, bold colors. For years, the professionals have seen mostly blushes and white color schemes.

“… it’s like, ‘Pastels, hold my beer,’” she said of the truly bright colors. “What’s exciting about this trend is that it’s giving florists a lot more flexibility with flower options. In the past, blush and white have been a staple … which are traditional and won’t go away, but bright colors allow florists to have more creativity.”

For summer weddings, that means poppies, ranunculus, cosmos, roses in every shade imaginable and tropicals, too. With color, the sky is the limit because everything is at a florist’s fingertips.

As for size, shape and texture, Fisher and Lee say bouquets are going several different directions.

“Brides still want small, simple bouquets that are monochromatic … because of smaller, more intimate weddings,” Fisher says. “On the flip side, you also have the very whimsical bouquets that have a loose whimsy look, floppy stems. Those are a lot of fun.”

Another trend to note is that brides are going with less greenery.

“For florists, who’s that is our staple, it can be exciting as we have to tap into our creativity and make the blooms be the star of the show,” Fisher said. “Goodbye to heavy eucalyptus and rustic aesthetic, and hello blooms to create texture.”

Embracing sustainability and organic trends, the ladies also are seeing more wearable blooms. And it’s not just flower crowns but pieces that wrap around the entire side of the bride’s head, bringing the outside in and embracing the natural elements.