Petals with personality: Trends in wedding bouquets

When it comes to planning a wedding, what do most brides-to-be consider the top priorities? The gown, the location, the reception and, of course, the floral arrangements. Finding the perfect bouquet, floral color scheme and tone for a wedding can make for some difficult decisions, but several local experts are here to help.

Linda McKinnis, owner and lead designer of Design Exclusive LLC in Cape Girardeau, says many brides recently have been searching for a more romantic tone when it comes to bouquets.

“I suggest featuring flowers such as garden roses, peonies, sweetheart roses, hydrangeas and dusty miller or seeded eucalyptus,” she says. “Blush continues to be one of the most selected colors.”

Linda McKinnis, owner of Design Exclusive, puts together an arrangement Friday, June 3, 2016.Glenn Landberg

Joyce Kuntze of Arrangements by Joyce in Cape Girardeau says requests for fresh flowers and big, bright blooms have continued to grow.

“The majority of the weddings we are involved in are fresh flowers, and it seems like the flowers that the girls are requesting more often than anything are the peonies, ranunculus and anemones,” Kuntze says.

In that same romantic style, Tammy Ahlvin of Rose Madder Wedding Designs in Cape Girardeau mentions the use of lace, sometimes from the wedding dress itself, as a component to the bouquets. Also, rather than brighter, bolder colors, Ahlvin says she’s seen growth in soft, romantic themes, such as cream and lighter pastels.

Kuntze says trends like brooches, pins or other materials used in place of flowers are heading out the door.

“The whole brooch idea was such a fad and it’s just not the traditional wedding concept, whereas the softness, the romantic qualities flowers provide is the traditional wedding concept,” Kuntze says.

However, McKinnis says additions of brooches, lockets or symbolic flowers in memory of family members or with sentimental value remains a popular idea.

Lately, Kuntze says she mainly is creating bouquets that are hand-tied, very fresh and garden-like.

The use of succulents in bouquets and boutonnieres is another trend on the rise to help create a soft, natural look, according to The Associated Press.

When looking at fresh, garden-like options, it is important to consider when certain types of flowers are in season. If the flowers you want are out of season, Ahlvin recommends using silk flowers or Real Touch Flowers, which look and feel realistic.

She says she’s even used artificial flowers mixed with real flowers, and they blend in well.

“A lot of [brides] don’t realize there’s more than just roses and daisies and calla lilies, there’s all kinds of options they can use,” Ahlvin says. “That’s the thing with using the silk in place of some real — if there’s a certain style they really like, that is an option, and I don’t think they think about that at the time.”

McKinnis says a broad spectrum of floral spray paints is on the market to create the perfect desired color and can be used on most fresh and artificial flowers.

Another upcoming trend is the bohemian-inspired look, McKinnis says.

“The boho style has been the craze coastally for a while, but now is making a huge statement in the Midwest as well,” she says. “Cascading bouquets are beginning to make a comeback. Free-formed, long-stemmed and ‘just-picked look’ bouquets are frequently used styles. Many trendsetter brides are carrying larger bouquets that definitely make a ‘wow’ statement.”

McKinnis also mentions some brides are mixing colors like hot pink with burgundy, orange, peach or yellow to create an unexpected look.

“Another elegant and gorgeous style is a monochromatic color scheme,” she says. “It can be achieved by using a tone on tone, adding up to three to five different flowers, but all in similar color tones.”

Rustic bouquets are another option, she says, and can feature baby’s breath, accents of succulents, lotus pods, fluffy white cotton, pine cones and more.

When it comes to choosing the perfect bouquet for any wedding, all three designers agree the bride should choose a combination that suits her personality best.

“I encourage clients to make their weddings uniquely theirs, and I strongly suggest not copying someone else’s bouquet,” McKinnis says. “A picture found on Pinterest should only be used as an inspiration. The bride’s bouquet needs to be a reflection of her own personality.”

Adds Ahlvin, “The bouquet is kind of her taste; it shows what she likes, what her reflections are, what she wants the wedding to look like.”

Ahlvin says the type of bouquet can be determined by the wedding location, as well. If a bride has a wedding outdoors, she says they typically choose a more natural, simple bouquet; if it’s in a church, she may swing more toward an elegant look.

“It kind of just sets the mood for where she’s having the wedding,” Ahlvin says. “Her bouquet kind of pulls it all together.”