WEDDING FLOWERS: CP-Sofia Wedding
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Showing posts with label CP-Sofia Wedding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CP-Sofia Wedding. Show all posts

4. Lily of the Valley

With bell-shape florets dangling from a thin stem, the lily of the valley is sometimes called "the ladder to heaven." The fresh, perfumed scent from its tiny flowers is unmistakable. In Norse mythology, the flower is linked to Ostara, the goddess of springtime, and while most plentiful during this season, it remains available -- and very expensive -- most of the year.


So while a fistful of lily of the valley might be your dream, a more affordable alternative may be to use just a few stems to infuse a bouquet or centerpiece with its wonderful fragrance. Most people know of the white variety, but lily of the valley also comes in a very rare rosy-pink.

3. Calla Lily

Also known as the arum lily, this elegant, trumpet-shaped blossom originated in Africa and symbolizes "magnificent beauty" in the language of flowers.

photo by SHIPRA PANOSIAN

The calla lily's distinctive form has been depicted in Art Nouveau and Art Deco works, in addition to twentieth-century photography. Two types are commonly available: a large-headed variety with a long, smooth stem and suitable for tall arrangements or presentation-style bouquets, and a miniature version ideal for nosegays and boutonnieres. Creamy ivory is the most popular color, but calla lilies also come in yellow, orange, mauve-pink, and dark purple.

2. Tulip

Although it's most often associated with the Netherlands, this flower is actually a native of Persia. Representing "consuming love" and "happy years," the tulip can be a meaningful wedding choice. The flowers are grown in a wide range of colors, including white and cream; pastels like pink, yellow, and peach; and vibrant hues like magenta, red, and purple. Available during much of the year, the most common tulips are very affordable, though rare varieties can be expensive. 


The versatile tulip can enhance both elegant wedding settings and more casual venues, and work well in almost any permutation -- from bouquets to boutonnieres to table arrangements. Three main varieties are commonly used: Dutch tulips (typically seen at neighborhood florist shops and in gardens), French tulips (expensive and elegant, with extra-long stems and large tapered blooms), and parrot tulips (noted for their ruffled, striped petals in intense colors).

1. Rose

Long considered a symbol of beauty and love, the rose figures into many myths and fairy tales. Romantic writers and poets have used the flower as a metaphor for emotion, beauty, passion, and true love throughout the ages. An all-star in the world of weddings, the rose is far from boring, particularly when it comes to color -- the rose is available in solid colors and bicolor varieties, and there are striped roses and tipped roses as well. 

More than three thousand varieties of roses are grown commercially, many available year-round and that are surprisingly affordable. And though roses are associated with luxurious fragrance, not every rose is scented. Three main types are likely candidates for your wedding flowers: hybrid tea roses (the classic, uniformly-shaped commercial roses generally seen at your local florist), spray roses (a rose with five to ten small heads on each stem and a "natural, garden-grown" look), and garden roses (expensive, old-fashioned varieties with bushy, open heads and delicious scents).

Monday Tidbits for June 15: The Wedding Leftovers Edition (and Baby News!)

How's your royal wedding hangover doing? Mondays after royal weddings are the toughest Mondays of them all, and I want you to know that it's okay to have an extra donut in these times of need. If I could buy you that donut, I would. But I'll have to make do by saying a very big and very sincere thank you to all of you that followed along this weekend. Thank you for reading, and to those who comment, thank you for keeping things fun and civil (even with around 4,000 comments on the open post!). I'm truly grateful that you keep stopping by.
Mattias Edwall / Kungahuset.se

Now, a quick update on Jewel Vault happenings, a.k.a. what the British royal family did over the weekend: Trooping the Colour was covered over there and has been updated with more info/photos since its original posting, and I have also posted on yesterday's polo antics of the Windsors (both brooch-wearing and not).

And now we get to the tidbits. We're wrapping up our royal wedding coverage (pending our upcoming tiara analysis, as promised), and these are some wedding leftovers that didn't make it into the other posts. Just stick them in the microwave, they'll be tasty as ever. Crazy after parties, second bridal dresses, dress doubles, and more:

--It's a boy! Princess Madeleine gave birth to a son today, June 15, at 13:45. That's gotta be some kind of record, giving birth just two days after your last tiara appearance. Congrats to Madeleine and Chris! [Kungahuset]

--The party at the palace went until 5:30 in the morning, featuring performances by Avicii and Icona Pop (plus a dancing and singing Queen Silvia, because if you're going to rock out, you might as well do it in a tiara). Also, Princess Sofia changed dresses and ditched her veil at some point. Here's a gallery with glimpses from outside the palace. [Aftonbladet]

--Check out King CG busting a move, and store that image in your brain for the next time you think about calling him grumpy. [Instagram, h/t TheRoyalsandI]

--Links from the site of the royal court (many are PDF links) with speech texts and music details, if you're interested: English translations of the speeches of the King, Erik Hellqvist (father of the bride), and Prince Carl Philip, plus a copy of the wedding program with all the music and readings (in Swedish and English). [Kungahuset]

--Carl Philip's one wish for their wedding cake? To incorporate Pop Rocks into the space-age creation as a surprise for unsuspecting guests. That's right, Pop Rocks, the candy that fizzes when you eat it. I never knew a wedding cake could be cheeky. [Expressen]

--Some have asked questions about the types of dresses seen below, worn by more than one guest. It is not, in fact, an accident that multiple women would select the same midnight velvet gown with a puffed lattice sleeve. It is a court dress, and more like a uniform.
The woman pictured here is Karolin A. Johansson, Marshal of the Court for the Crown Princess' Household, and the same thing is worn by ladies from the Queen's Household. The dress is a variation on the old Swedish court dress, and it is worn by Ladies-in-Waiting and female attendants in similar posts. You can usually spot a couple ladies wearing these dresses (and often tiaras of their own) at any Swedish gala occasion.

--High marks from many of you for the Hellqvist ladies at the wedding, and I concur. Sofia's sisters wore Viktoria Chan dresses (see Lina's here and Sara's here), while her mother, Marie, and grandmother wore dresses from Milagro De Nahrin. [Instagram]

--It's rare we see someone wear the same thing as a princess at a royal wedding, since those outfits are often bespoke. But if you're going to wear H&M - even Victoria's custom H&M - well, accidental twin appearances might happen. Another guest wore the skirt version of Victoria's dress, but at least it was at the pre-wedding dinner and not the ceremony. [h/t AlexandraElizabeth in the comments]

--And finally, there are some extended family members that we didn't cover, but I must include Countess Marianne Bernadotte of Wisborg. She and QEII could have a long chat about fur wrap maintenance. This is some serious old school glam right here:

And that's that! Until tomorrow...

Photos: Kungahuset, SVT, Twitter, and Getty Images as indicated

Prince Carl Philip & Sofia's Wedding: Royal Guests, Part 2

This is Part 2: Return of the Royal Fashion Awards, covering the royal guests at the Swedish royal wedding. (Here's Part 1.)

Spoiler Alert: This one includes my favorites. So much goodness, I needed TWO bests of the best. 

Miss Congeniality
Princess Hisako of Takamado
Things we learn while watching the wedding broadcast: Our Japanese representative is apparently an utter delight. So chatty, so smiley! I think she and Sophie Wessex are royal BFFs now.
Princess Hisako is wearing a different tiara than the one she wore to Princess Madeleine's wedding, the jeweled bird on her shoulder is a work of art, and her skirt comes with its own cape. Can she come to everything, please?!

Best in Gifts
The Countess of Wessex
Sophie's very flattering dress is by Taťána Kovaříková, and it was an official gift to her during a recent trip to Prague (per the Countess of Wessex Blog). Which, uh, is MUCH better than all the engraved toilet seats and ceremonial croquet mallets and whatnot they usually collect on those jaunts. Other cities need to get on Prague's level.
Sophie gave us another look at the aquamarine and diamond tiara she wears from Collins & Sons jewelers, which I appreciate - we haven't covered this one in depth, and we need to. Understated and elegant all around, this appearance.

Best in Elegant
Queen Mathilde of Belgium
Speaking of understated and elegant, I think Mathilde owns some version of this silhouette in all her favorite colors, and I can see why. This edition is lightly beaded and boosted by some serious diamond power, including the bandeau of the Nine Provinces Tiara and Queen Fabiola's diamond fringe brooch.
Look at that updo. Someone get me a cinnamon roll, I'm having a craving. 

Best of the Best #1
Princess Tatiana of Greece
I'm pleased to report that Tatiana's streak of fabulousness at Scandinavian royal weddings remains unbroken. She's been wearing Greek designer Celia Kritharioti lately, and this couture dream is just another reason she should make that a permanent relationship. I'm swooning over here!
 
Plus, Tatiana gave us another NEW TIARA ALERT! This one's a mystery; we don't know if she borrowed it for the event, or if she owns it. And though it be but little, its sparkle is fierce.

Best of the Best #2
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
Hey hey! Not a culotte in sight! *praise hands emoji* This Jan Taminiau gown, worn the evening of Wax's inauguration, gives me chills. CHILLS, I say. And I can't object to a smattering of rubies, here in the form of the Mellerio Ruby Parure.
Now that we know that she intends to reuse the inauguration gowns, is it possible to require that they be used at least once a month? Asking for a friend.

And with those two mic drops, the Royal Fashion Awards for the guests are complete. See you tomorrow for some Tidbits fun (with some wedding moments we haven't yet discussed, because this is the last tiarafest wedding for a long time, probably, so it is imperative that we soak it up, people).

Who do you crown the Best Dressed Wedding Guest?

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, SVT video, Jan Taminiau

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