Classic Wedding Flowers - Orchids

For a cool contemporary take on classic wedding flowers Orchids really are the epitomy of elegance. To me, they reek of class and sophistication. 

Phalaenopsis orchids come in a beautiful pure white, which along with their flat petals and simple shape  means they are the perfect fit for brides wanting to achieve a very clean, minimal decorating scheme or a neat bouquet.  

White Phalaenopsis tend to come with either pink or yellow throats. These provide an interesting little hint of colour that you can use to accent the cerise or hot pinks of bridesmaids dresses/ or yellow/orange/gold touches of your colour scheme.  (Please note - Orchids do come in lots of other colours and shades but I'm sticking mostly to whites for these "classic" posts so I won't go into all the other colours  available here)

Individually wired heads of Phalaenopsis or Cymbidium Orchids make exquisite hand tied bouquets.  Use them on their own, or nestled in with groups of other exotic or classic blooms. I personally like to emphasise their beautiful simplicity.

If you have a very sleek wedding dress you might like to carry these, but at the same time, if you have a vintage lace dress or a gown that has a lot of beading or detail it could be a good idea to keep your bouquet simple and let your dress do all the talking.

For more of a statement, an orchid shower bouquet can be stunning.  Wired or kept on the stem as they would naturally grow, the large heads create the trail for the bouquet. Use alone or with trailing foliage, or opt for a combination by having of a hand-tie with a trail.

A natural choice for buttonholes, the back of the flower head sits flat against the body and they are incredibly light. This lightness makes them perfect for wrist corsages, and to be worn in the hair - pinned to one side or tucked into a relaxed chignon.

On your tables they can be as understated or extravagant as you want. Single potted plants are a budget option and double up as great gifts for select guests. They look lovely in zinc tins, or glass cubes filled with moss or pebbles.

In vases, shiny silver is a great match for this classic flower. Several cut branches will give you a nice display. But be warned this opulent look does not come cheap. Priced by the head, any arrangement using multiple stems can quickly add up.

Those who are being more careful on costings might want to ask a florist to suggest economical ways of incorporating a few heads with other flowers. These all white low vases fit the bill. Love how the black and white theme has been worked in here. The horizontal bands pull everything together and create a very polished look.

For dream wedding decor use masses of cascasing orchids in tall vases and you'll have a truly opulent backdrop to your big day. Be canny and move vases from one room or venue to another. Ask the groomsmen for help, or if it involves transport get the professionals to do it for you. Although you'll pay a little extra for this you will save on arrangements.

Are there any other classic wedding flowers you'd like to see featured? I have a few more posts up my sleeve but am thinking about covering different types of classic floral arrangements for weddings in the coming weeks, so get any requests in soon.

I'm off to Shropshire for a few days, so entries here might be a bit scant unless I can figure out how to post from my mobile! Looks like summer has finally arrived. Have a fab weekend everyone x

Image Credits - Style me pretty; Enchanted Florist; Blue Bouquet; 4 & 5 Martha Stewart Weddings; Brides; Wedding Chicks; The Knot, Bloom; Martha Stewart via Flower Picture Gallery; HWTM; via Pinterest

Classic Wedding Flowers - Lily of the Valley

A firm favourite of both Hollywood and British Royalty, Lily of the Valley was the flower of choice for the classically beautiful Grace Kelly when she married her prince and last year was used by our own fairytale princess Kate Middleton for her dainty bouquet. 

In honour of Will and Kate just having celebrated their 1st Wedding Anniversary, I thought it only right to shine the spotlight on this little gem and run through some of the different ways you can use Lily of the Valley in your wedding.  

As a hand-tied bouquet its so sweet. This simple style really shows how delicate and exquisite the flowers are.

• A simple posy of 30-50 stems is helped by foliage used through the bouquet to separate and add oomph. 

• Bigger bunches of 100+ stems are fab with the lily's own leaves framing the flowers. 

• Add glamourous details like ivory satin ribbons pinned with antique brooches or cameos.

Kate's shower bouquet (top) used Hyacinth pips and Lily of the valley along with Myrtle, and Ivy all of which would have had to have been individually wired.  This sort of bouquet requires great skill and time to create and prices tend to reflect that.

If you're keen to recreate this royal beauty, bear in mind that out of season they can be extortionately expensive for such a tiny flower and because they are so dainty you need quite a few stems to achieve a similar effect. 

Worth it though, I'd say.  

Alternatively you could always use a few mixed with other seasonal flowers like frilly sweet peas, with trailing fritillary, or dotted through a handtie of peonies.

Be warned though, that with other larger flowers they can get overshadowed, so to avoid this ask your florist to arrange a grouped bouquet, or use them in clusters throughout to add texture and of course a wonderful scent.

• For table decorations use them in little glass jars, sparkly mercurised silver votives, or antique crystal wine glasses. 

• For a little novelty diy pierce plastic cups, thread with ribbon and secure before filling with flowers and hanging from pew ends or chair backs or wherever takes your fancy. 

• Or you could have a go at making a wire heart. Using pliable thick wire available from hobby stores and more than likely your local florist, bind a few stems at a time with reel wire to your outline shape until all the wire is covered. Make a wire loop or hook for hanging or attach with a ribbon. 

It is worth noting, if you are planning to prep any of the flowers yourself, that as with a lot of the most delicate flowers, they do have a short life as a cut flower and are best conditioned by the experts, kept in water and not bought or used too far in advance. 

Are you thinking about using Lily of the Valley in your bouquet, or perhaps you used it for your wedding flowers? It'd be interesting to hear what you make of this little flower. 

Pop back next week for more classic wedding flowers when I'll be chatting all things Hydrangea.

Ta ta for now x

Images from here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here