style flowers
Popular Picks Dig into why certain blooms are so beloved by the betrothed, the old wives’ tales that sprouted up alongside them, and new ways they can wow in your wedding flowers. BY JACKIE MANTEY Flowers are distinct in their ability to set the mood of a wedding. They can dial up the drama. Soften the scene. Strategically infuse color or add depth to a monochromatic scheme. Whatever way they’re working for you, flowers add personality to any event because they have so much of their own. Here’s a look at 20 of the most popular picks for contemporary wedding floral arrangements and the uniqueness they can bring to your blooms.
Gardenia
Tulips
The Classics The OG romantic. Nothing says “I love you” like a rose. Singularly sensual, this legendary flower comes in many varieties, the hybrid tea rose being one of the most visually complex and identifiable, with its layered and pointy petals. The garden rose looks a little more bulbous and wild, while spray roses are smaller with multiple blooms per stem. These spring bloomers sometimes produce flowers again in the fall, but their popularity means they’re widely available year-round. The rose, ever the generous lover, is giving when it comes to colorways too, with myriad fullcolor (from champagne to ebony) and tippededge options ready to roll year-round. Bonus: Yellow roses symbolize friendship, making them a perfect pick for the wedding party. 56
COLUMBUS WEDDINGS SPRING/SUMMER 2020
Noelia Mobley’s bouquet included white roses and hydrangeas paired with purple lisianthus and hyacinth, all sourced from Kroger. (Comfort Photography)
HYDRANGEA
TULIP
A spring and summer beauty. What looks like one spherical flowerhead is actually several four- or five-petal blooms, with a small dot center, bunched along one stem, comprising the colorfully diverse hydrangea (blues, purples, pinks, you name it). The bloom’s abundance packs a powerful punch from a distance—even one or two hydrangeas can offer texture and depth to a big bouquet.
The tulip’s cup-like shape, kindly reputation and legacy as metaphor for everlasting love have made this flower a spring and summer wedding staple. Available in a range of colors (both full and tipped-edge), tulips look lovely on their own, with their stems evenly cut and tied in a bow, or in a wild bouquet among a spray of other cheerful blossoms.
PHOTOS: TULIPS, ISTOCK.COM/DTV2; GARDENIA, ISTOCK.COM/JUICYBITS
ROSE
