Wedding Florals 101 With Love & Lupines
Flowers are gorgeous, and one of the most dreamed about parts of a wedding. There are thousands of images of floral inspiration floating around on Pinterest, but do you really know what that flower you want is called? When planning your wedding, it's helpful to know just what you think you are asking your florist for, so there are no surprises!
We spoke with floral designer extraordinaire Meghon Shrewsbury of Love and Lupines about just what flower we are talking about when we say, "You know, the big ones with the gorgeous petals?!" Good news- she knows exactly what we are talking about!
When Meghon creates her arrangements, she likes to break her floral selection down into a few different categories to create a well-balanced piece. The most popular flowers vary from showstoppers to accents to fillers.
THE SHOWSTOPPERS
These are the flowers that are the statement pieces of your wedding! They are the main focal points of your florals and are the first flower you will notice - on your wedding day and in your photos.
Dahlias
Dahlias are my personal favorite. They come in multiple shapes and sizes, as well as endless color options. They have a great texture and take over any arrangement you add them too. Dahlias are in season in California from July to October, so they are perfect for a summer wedding. You can get them as imports at other times of the year, but there is nothing like having them fresh from the farm.
Proteas
Proteas or King Proteas are huge, unique, and very boho. We love them in bridal bouquets and arch pieces.
Peonies
Peonies are Love and Lupines' most requested (and sometimes hardest to get) flowers! These beautiful blooms are only available in the states for a short time, and when they are, they are incredible. They are large, ruffly, fragrant, and come in amazing colors. They make an incredible statement. We love them for everything!
ACCENT FLOWERS
These are some of my favorite flowers. They add movement and depth to a piece and create a beautiful end result.
Ranunculus
A crowd favorite, Ranunculus are one of our top requested flowers. Ruffly, romantic, various sizes, shapes, and colors make this flower a big hit year-round. They are a great alternative to the peony that can often be hard to get out of season. They are a perfect flower for small work like boutonnieres, corsages, hair flowers/crowns, and also go great in bouquets and centerpieces.
Cosmos
Cosmos are whimsical, small blooms with a captivating movement and shape. They are great for bouquets and centerpieces.
Anemone
Another crowd favorite and one of our top requested flowers is the lovely Anemone. They have amazing color combos, shape, and movement.
Spray Roses
Spray roses are the perfect flower for crowns and cakes! These small and sweet roses are ideal if you want a rose but don't want them to be overpowering.
FILLER FLOWERS
These are the supporting items that help fill the space or support the focal or accent flowers. They are also great for bringing in texture to a piece. Filler flowers can help fill in your bouquet making it more lush and full. These are perfect additions to boutonnieres and bouquets.
Astilbe
Astilbe is airy, light, and long. They add great texture and softness to a piece, especially suitable for a boho bride.
Eryngium
Eryngium are a Tahoe favorite! They add a pop of blue and are very hardy, making them great for boutonnieres and items that are out of water.
Celosia
A unique, colorful, furry, fluffy, and fun flower, Celosia always make people go wow what is that?!
Stock
We love the long shape and wide range of vivid colors that Stock can offer. Love and Lupine's uses them to add texture and height or length to a piece.
Pampas Grass
Pampas Grass has become a highly requested floral because it is beautiful, fluffy, and fills an ample space. They are an invasive species, so they are banned in some Tahoe venues - obsess with caution!
Hydrangea
Everyone loves Hydrangeas, a large, full flower that is great for taking up space in large pieces like arches or elevated centerpieces.
GREENERY
There are so many versatile options for greenery. From bouquets to tabletops we can find a multitude of ways to use these different florals. We see these requested the most, along with Eucalyptus, Olive, and Southern Smilax.
Italian Ruscus
Italian Ruscus is a personal favorite of Meghon's as it can withstand extreme temperatures from hot to freezing and always looks great. It's a lovely green texture with a whimsical effect. It also has very long pieces and is great for bigger things like arches, hanging arrangements, as well as centerpieces, personal pieces, and is excellent for napkin sprigs!
Ferns
Ferns provide an excellent option for darker greens. They offer lovely texture and a fun woodsy feel to a Tahoe wedding.
And there you have it! We're so grateful to Love and Lupines for sharing this exhaustive list of favorite flowers and hope it helps you create the wedding florals of your dreams! For more on Love and Lupines, check out their vendor profile on Tahoe Unveiled and their website to see more stunning work.