Photo: Jaclyn Simpson Photography
Weddings and flowers are almost synonymous, but there’s so much more to floral design than bud vases, centerpieces, and bouquets. With the right vision and a little ingenuity, flowers can enhance your wedding celebration in a way you might never have expected. And who better to give us insight into some totally breathtaking new ideas for wedding flowers than the experts themselves? We got three top floral designers to spill on out-of-the-box ideas that will change the way you think about flowers at a wedding.
Color Blocking
Get your feet wet by keeping the style of your floral arrangements traditional, but playing with color instead. Molly Kobelt and Heidi Joynt, owners of Field & Florist in Chicago, updated this stunning table [above] by keeping the colors of each section consistent — from the flowers and glassware to the napkins. “Guests could really get the experience of a single color and enjoy all of the details,” says Kobelt. “Using a limited color palette allowed each arrangement to tell a story.” They kept the runners and dishes white to allow each hue to really pop.
Photo: Sasha Gulish
Architectural Accents
Rhiannon Smith, production coordinator for Brown Paper Design in Los Angeles, departed from the lush, wild bouquets that are so popular for one inspired by a client, an interior designer with a keen eye. Lady slipper orchids and hellebores were paired with foliage and twisting vines for a totally unique look.
Photo: Brumley & Wells
The New Corsage
Think beyond the wrist! Smith worked with a bride who wanted something totally unexpected, and this was the result. “Draped along the elegant, plunging back of a dress, this is for brides that aren’t afraid to stand out!” she says. It’s the perfect way to dress up an otherwise simple gown.
Photo: Brumley & Wells
Cascading Florals
We’ve all seen garlands draped across the back of a vintage car, but have you ever seen them pouring out of the back seat? Liz Griffith, owner of Siloh Floral Artistry in Denver, created this colorful display in a vintage Bentley for a client’s engagement shoot. “Using a vintage car as the structure to build the florals on was the perfect way to achieve romance, elegance, and a uniqueness that speaks to the couple,” she explains.
See more: Over the Flower Crown? 5 Fresh Ways to Incorporate Flowers in Your Wedding Hair
Photo: Jaclyn Simpson Photography
Minimal Greenery
Instead of filling in a bouquet with extra greenery, Kobelt and Joynt love keeping the leaves sparse to really showcase the uniqueness of each individual bloom. “We have so many beautiful flowers growing on our farm right now, we don’t want to hide them!” says Kobelt. “It’s also great as a centerpiece, because guests can see through the airy designs and across the table.”
Photo: Courtesy of Siloh Floral Artistry
A Floral Canopy
“I think every little girl dreams of sleeping under a blanket of flowers,” says Griffith. “Rather than a two-posted or four-posted arch that’s more typical in wedding decor, we created a soft, draped display that hung from the ceiling. I wanted to bring the feeling of the lush blooms you see draped over fences in the spring indoors.” She took that idea and transformed it into a canopy of lilac, spirea, and hellebores that would be stunning in a boudoir shoot or over the bed on your first night as husband and wife.