7 Best Garden Wedding Decorations and Accessories
Telling Your Love Story Through Unique Wedding Floral Designs
Flowers have been a traditional part of weddings since ancient times. In Ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt, brides would often carry a satchel or handful of herbs to ward off evil spirits and bad luck. Other symbolic blooms representing fertility, purity, and devotion would also be added in time. Aromatic blooms also helped mask any untoward odors in the days before brides had a beauty team at their disposal.
Now, flowers are decorative rather than necessary. However, this traditional decor element is a creative way to set the tone for your wedding and tell a story.
Here are some considerations for how to tell your love story with unique floral arrangements.
Embrace Symbolism
As you sort through the vast collection of flowers online, consider purchasing blooms with symbolic meaning. In Victorian times, blooms and colors were chosen with thought and intention. The slightest difference in the shade could change the meaning entirely— a huge deal when propriety ruled all.
Incorporating symbolism into your wedding decor is a subtle yet lovely way to tell your love story. Take roses, for example. Roses can represent anything from friendship to deep, devotional love.
If you and your partner started as friends, you could start the aisle with yellow roses showcasing friendship. As the aisle progresses, the roses could shift to salmon colored to represent desire and telling someone how you feel. Then the colors could change to red roses to symbolize love before transitioning into a deep red, indicating lasting devotion. This unique approach to floral decor ties into the gradient color wedding trend.
Consider the meanings behind the flowers you choose and their colors. Then, assemble a unique arrangement that captures the essence of your big day.
Use Personal Relevance
While following traditions is a lovely way to add meaning to your decor, it’s not for everyone. Many couples find it more meaningful to include flowers with personal relevance. Some common options include flowers that were presented on your first date, Valentine’s Day, or anniversary. Alternatively, the flowers might represent a cherished memory, like the scent of honeysuckle in the backyard of your first home.
Personal relevance is a beautiful way to tell a love story without words. For example, one couple I know used orchids in their centerpieces because they spent their honeymoon in Thailand, where orchids were everywhere—literally. Every morning, they woke up to fresh orchids by their breakfast plate, and including them in the wedding brought them right back to those sun-drenched mornings. The connection to that first trip together made the floral decor feel more intimate, like a secret shared with their closest friends.
Another couple chose to fill their wedding with jasmine, a nod to the fragrant blooms that covered the streets of Bangkok during their engagement trip. Beyond that, jasmine is a symbol of purity and grace in Thai culture, according to the experts at EuroFlorist, adding layers of meaning to the floral arrangements. It wasn’t just about the beauty of the flowers but about bringing their shared experiences into the celebration.
Think beyond your shared history as a couple and consider how you can represent family and friends. Couples with children may choose to include their children’s birth flowers in the bouquet. Flowers are also a touching way to honor a loved one who has passed away. You may choose to create an arrangement of your Grandmother’s favorite flowers to display at the altar or a bouquet charm with a photo of your loved one.
Set the Mood
Flowers play an impactful role in setting the mood and tone for a wedding. Beyond the theme, the flowers you choose could affect the overall atmosphere.
Consider which words apply to your desired atmosphere:
- Elegant
- Glamorous
- Relaxed
- Intimate
- Rustic
- Classic
- Eclectic
- Moody
- Bohemian
- Green (eco-friendly)
- Minimalist
- Contemporary
- Trendy
- Whimsical
- Offbeat
- Tropical
- Tasteful
Choose a few terms that describe your ideal atmosphere and mood for the event. Then, use those terms to find floral arrangements that contribute to your description.
For example, you might choose a single-stem bouquet with one large bloom, like a king protea for a minimalist wedding. Alternatively, you might try a micro-bouquet. An elegant wedding might feature all-white roses with a tasteful bouquet and stately, Baroque centerpiece vases.
Clarifying your descriptors will help you narrow down the options and use flowers artfully to set the mood. These terms will also help when communicating with a floral designer to help bring your vision to life.
Unique Wedding Floral Designs. Photo by Katrina Justovica on Pexels.com
Incorporate Unique Accents
Over the past few decades, the main blooms have been the focus of wedding arrangements; greenery is an affordable filler to enhance the blooms. Now, innovative floral designers are using greenery and accents as an opportunity to elevate the entire arrangement.
Consider incorporating unique accents that tie into the theme and mood of your wedding. Pampas grass, dried flowers, and feather accents have been a lovely trend in the bohemian and rustic wedding decor themes lately.
Vegetables, as strange as it may seem, can also enhance a beautiful bouquet. Purple cabbage, artichokes, and even Brussels sprouts fill out a bouquet and add stunning textures. You can also revisit ancient traditions by filling a bouquet with herbs like rosemary, thyme, and eucalyptus to heighten the senses.
Fruit also looks great in a floral arrangement. Add apples to your centerpieces at a fall wedding, or incorporate citrus elements into your tropical summer soiree.
Don’t hesitate to use other non-blooming plants in your arrangements. Ivy is a traditional wedding plant symbolizing unity and fidelity. It’s easy to grow and looks beautiful wrapped around a natural cake or accenting an eco-friendly wedding. Succulents are another option that’s easy to replicate and use in various arrangements.
Think Outside the Bouquet
Flower crowns had a big moment for weddings in the 2010s. One of the overarching factors contributing to this trend was the novelty. Flowers have been done the same way for years. Adding something new or revitalizing something old sparked excitement among couples who wanted unique floral arrangements.
Think outside the typical arrangements and bouquets when planning your wedding flowers. Get creative and consider how you use flowers beyond centerpieces, aisle markers, etc.
For example, you could create the illusion of floral rain in your reception hall by hanging single blooms from the fishing line. You could work with a designer to create a stunning floral chandelier over the head table. Get creative!
Tie Floral Elements into the Ceremony
Finally, tell your story by tying floral elements into the ceremony. There are many vows and reading options that mention floral symbolism. Incorporating these into your ceremony and decorating with the flowers mentioned creates cohesion and a powerful narrative.
I love the sound of your voice Trinity Chasara uses lilies as a visual description of devotion. The well-known A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns uses a direct metaphor in comparing roses to love. Search for love poems and passages that feature your flowers for an impactful storytelling technique that brings the entire event together.
Flowers are a unique and symbolic way to tell your love story. Keep these considerations in mind as you plan your big day.
