When you walk into a florist’s shop, you’re accosted from all sides by colors, scents, arrangements, and ribbons. It can be a bit daunting and it’s hard to know where to start.
Flowers, for South Asian weddings, are especially key since they’re tied to so many rituals and traditions, so it’s really important to get them right. Also, they convey to your guests the personality, feel, and concept of your wedding possibly even more than any other single piece of decor.
Take some deep breaths because I’m going to hold your hand through this process. There are so many ways you can help narrow your search for flowers: From birth months to meanings to palette, I’ll show you how to pick the perfect arrangement that goes beyond the traditional marigolds and roses.
via 15 Peony Bridal Bouquet Inspiration
1. Birth Flowers
This may seem like a tacky option. I mean, who actually uses their birth stone for anything besides greeting card jewelry? But there’s something sweet in twining together the birth flowers of the bride and groom and maybe any other special family members. Most flowers come in most colors so you can fit this idea to nearly any color palette or personal preference. Here’s a handy guide to all the months and their flowers.
Photo courtesy of Kerry & Jason’s Wedding
2. Seasons
A much more obvious choice, you may find it helps your budget and your sanity to just pick flowers based on the season of your wedding. There are only a few flowers that last all year, like Peruvian lilies, but most flowers can’t survive the heat of summer or the cold of winter. Talk to your florist about this option and they’ll probably be able to whip you up a batch of beautiful seasonal flowers that are good for the environment and your wallet.
Photo courtesy of Naureen & Ghazaly’s Wedding
3. Color Palette
By now you may have already picked out a color palette or not. If not, that’s cool too! All you need to do, in either case, is take yourself down to the local flower market or florists’ shop and have a look around. Take it in as slowly as you can. Look for what speaks to you. You may be looking for something rare or something soft and complex. Whatever stands out to you is your starting point. Start pairing it with others and on and on until you get your arrangement. If you have your palette sorted, steer yourself over to the section with those colors and choose from among them.
Photo courtesy of Puja & Nicholas’ Wedding
4. The Language of Flowers
Each flower has been given a meaning through various cultures, world traditions, and usage. That means your bouquet is a whole conversation with each posy and peony standing for things like ‘friendship,’ ‘affection,’ and ‘remembrance.’ Choose flowers whose meanings speak to you. It’s a lovely way of picking out your unique arrangement.
Photo courtesy of Vandana & Anil’s Wedding
5. Use our Flower Glossary
We’ve assembled a random mix of flowers, some extremely common in world weddings and others less so. Included in our glossary are things like alternative names, meaning, cultural significance, and origins. Flip through them and see what stands out to you. It’s a great starting point for your flower search.
via Denise Neufeld Photography
Be sure to check out the rest of our Flower Glossary for all your wedding flower needs.