Victorian Wedding Flowers - Some thoughts and ideas...

Garden Rose & Peony Wedding Centerpiece

We did flowers for a wedding recently that had a "Victorian" theme.  The location of the wedding was in Santa Monica at the Victorian House.  A beautiful Victorian Home on Main Street made into a romantic event site.

The Bride requested peonies for her mid-summer wedding, as professionals we let her know that peonies might not be available so late in the season.  English garden roses was suggested as a substitution if the peonies were in bad condition or unobtainable.  Since our industry is at the mercy of the seasons there are times when curtain flowers are very, very scarce or just not available.  

Well "luck" was on our side! The Peonies for her wedding arrived and they were beautiful.  Our lucky bride, not only had peonies, she also had garden roses in her bridal bouquet, brides maids and ceremony flowers.

We use a "vintage" birdcage with pink peonies, pink & white garden roses, mauve hydrangeas and hybrid delphiniums.  English garden style is the use of "cottage" flowers in a luscious, soft, formal yet relaxed look. We also used Queen Anne's Lace to add a soft romantic feel to our floral composition.   Two of these garden floral designs were placed on pedestals on opposite sides where the wedding couple said their marriage vows.
The Bride also wanted the herb lavender incorporated in her wedding flowers.  She loved the fragrance and  it reminded her of France.  We found French Lavender to compete the theme. Lavender was in everything including the Groom's and Groomsmen's boutonnieres.

Fragrance was also a bonus with our selection of flowers  chosen for this wedding.  We feel flowers should touch as many senses as possible.  Sight is the first impression, most women will remember if the flowers were beautiful or ugly.  After a week, most that attended the wedding will forget what they ate at the wedding.  If the flowers were beautiful, many will remember it for months and years!  Fragrance is discovered soon after and adds to the beauty of the flowers.  Wonderful fragrances can send someone to very memorable milestones in one's life.  Every time this bride smells peonies, lavender and garden roses it will transport her back to the events of her wedding day.  We love gardenias, as their intoxicating fragrance can fill a room. A fragrance so wonderful, the bride and groom remembers this flower with thoughts of romance forever.  Men in particular are attracted to this blossom along with Tuberose which has a similar Jasmine-like fragrance. 

Flowers and floral artisans who have the knowledge of best varieties can make this possible.  Like a chef who knows which combination of ingredients can make a spectacular meal, a professional florist with a passion for their craft can make memories with every stem.  We are constantly seeking out new and wonderful varieties along with classic blooms to make this possible.

On the day of the event when everything was set ready to take pictures of our hard work, the camera quickly ran out of battery charge and the only pictures we have is the above ceremony flowers.  What a bummer!  Hopefully we will be able to get pictures from the photographer.  To be continued.... : )

Summer Flowers - Gloriosa Lilies, beautiful, long-lasting, pre-ordering is a must!

Summer Beauties meet Gloriosa Lilies

Gloriosa Rathchildiana
(from my garden)

Gloriosa lilies are cherished by floral designers all over the world for its very exotic look.  Stunning in form and vibrant in color, this flower is commonly used in contemporary arrangements, tropical arrangements and wedding work.  In its fresh-cut form gloriosa lily is cut in 2 ways:  with the vine intact - with 3 or more blossoms on the vine with stems at least 18-24" long or as single stemmed flowers with stems 6-8" long.  Cut Gloriosa typically has a long vase life of 5-10 days.  In our shop this flower's vase life has exceeded a week or more, especially the long stemmed vine form.   The price of this flower will vary widely from month to month whether if found in its short stem or long vine form.

Yellow Gloriosa Lily

Gloriosa Boutonniere

Native to the tropical regions of Asia and Africa, this stunning flower is also known as the "climbing lily" or "flame lily".   This summer bloomer is available from July to October.  A member of the lily family yet unlike their close cousins (the asiatic lily) this lily climbs upward with the aid of tendrils on the tips of the leaves which can attach themselves to most anything.  Available year-round from sources in Holland but locally grown seasonally in the summer is when this flower is at it's greatest glory and when it is most abundant.  Of course, in the winter this flower is rather scarce and very pricey. 

Roses, dahlias &
gloriosa lilies in a
modern flower design

Orders for this lily must be made in advance since it is shipped only a few times a week in limited quantities.  Since it is often a rare commodity, when in season one should enjoy its beauty or share it with those who appreciate its living art form.

When our florist, Edelweisss Flower Boutique-Santa Monica - uses gloriosa lilies in our flower designs we express the dramatic nature of its vibrant petals.  This flower visually has so much natural movement and flow, particularly when used within arrangements.  From everyday floral designs to wedding bouquets ultilizing the form and beauty of this unique flower one can create very powerful compositional expressions in a client's flower arrangements.

To the left is a summer bridal bouquet using orange gloriosa lilies with large orange dahlias - petals edged with white, red spray roses, orange roses and yellow mokara orchids all tied off with an orange wired- ribbon.  Notice this bouquet plays off the texture of the petals of the gloriosa lily and the dahlias.