The most prevalent theme for this year's weddings is vintage: even if it’s a more contemporary wedding it will often have a “modern vintage” feel. I spoke to Dunedin florist Carley Jones about what flowers are going to be big for 2012 weddings.
Pretty posies, which appear to have been freshly picked from a cottage garden are popular for 2012 and consist of large old roses, peonies, hydrangea, freesias, sweet peas lilac and delicate gypsophila, in shades of dusty pink, cream, lavender and apricot. Blue-grey succulents are often being added to bouquets for texture and depth and beautifully complement the soft shades of the vintage-inspired posy. For an added touch of elegance Carley wraps the stem of the bouquet with ribbon or lace and adorns it with antique pearls and jewels.
Teardrop and trailing bouquets (which were popular in the 1980s) are making a comeback this year. Often containing calla lilies, avalanche roses and hydrangea with trailing jasmine or ivy, these bouquets are particularly suited to taller women.
Bridesmaid’s flowers are often a smaller version of the bride’s bouquet, although Carley is seeing a move towards brides who choose to carry a trailing bouquet, opting for their maids to hold posies; she’s also seeing brides opting for dainty gypsophila balls as an alternative to bouquets for vintage-inspired weddings.
Unlike the revival of 1980s bridal bouquets, it is no longer on-trend for the groom and groomsmen to wear a single carnation as a buttonhole. Men should wear one or two flowers that match the bride’s bouquet: wrapping the stems in string offers a rustic feel.
Corsages for the mothers of the bride and groom are also waning in popularity, with many now opting to wear elegant wristlets. Again, the flowers for these should work in with the theme of the wedding as well as their outfits. Wristlets are particularly gorgeous when lace or pearls are used as the band and adorned with a pretty flower arrangement.
