Christmas wedding flowers

Christmas wedding flowers

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Are you in the midst of planning a Christmas wedding? Looking for inspiration for your flowers? Well you have come to the right place, for today we look at the flowers that are suitable for a seasonal do.

This first one may be a promotional poster but look at those fabulous flowers! Roses, poinsettia, berries orchids, twigs and cones, very Christmas looking. 

You can't beat the traditional white and red theme at this time of year and these bouquets would suit it down to the ground. Are your maids wearing red? Normally callas are the prerogative of the bride but here she had them mixed with scarlet red roses where her maids had them on their own.

We did this photo shoot in the height of summer but look at that candlelight! With the mirror and all that gorgeous eucalyptus it just screams Christmas. Who says a bouquet has to be flowers!

A beautiful red bouquet of gerberas, roses and berries framed with a variegated foliage collar this is just perfect for a Christmas themed day.

Another take on red and white, white roses with red hypericum berries lots of green foliage too to warm up the colours.

Who wouldn't love to carry this bouquet? Scrumptious velvet red roses packed tightly together with ruscus foliage and bear grass loops.

Another rose bouquet, this could be a bride or bridesmaids. Gorgeous ivory roses with lily grass loops and sparkly diamante, always a hit for Christmas weddings.

Another all white bouquet. This has lots of gorgeous flowers, roses, spray roses, ranunculus and freesia all packed tightly together and some sparkle in there too.

A slightly different take, a blue and white bouquet, who says Christmas has to be red!

Small ivory roses, white Cyclamen flowers and blue thistles. Teamed with silver bridesmaid dresses this would look fabulous.

On to the groom. A buttonhole with eucalyptus, pine and red berries in the natural style so popular at the moment.

Or how about the gorgeous red rose? Nothing else to add just a few dark green leaves and a loop or three of bear grass, simplicity is key.

On to the tables.

Don't want your theme to go too red? How about bringing in some orange! This low cylinder bowl is simply gorgeous with orange gerbera, red carnations, ranunculus and mixed foliage. A stunning addition to any table.

Or keep it very simple. Add a tray, some bottles, a candle or two, a few sprigs of foliage and red berries. Add gold cutlery and there you go a table fit for a classy wedding breakfast.

Add in a bowl and a few red blooms to ring the changes if you have lots of tables for a splash of colour.

Looking for taller displays? These candelabras are the same basic frame. One has the stunning crystal chimneys which will (when lit) throw sparkles across your venue or leave those off and have taper candles and a flower ball to adorn your guest tables.

      

Wanting sparkle but lower design? How about these crystal gem fish bowls? On their own with a candle or they could take a posy of flowers, say the bridesmaids bouquets        

The ceremony table display shouldn't miss out. This blue winter display adds a twist to Christmas but with the seasonal spruce and holly foliage it sure won't disappoint.

Or go back to the traditional red and green theme. Lots of lush gerberas with roses and berries and winter mixed foliage.

Use these during the ceremony and ask your venue to transfer to the top table and reuse.

Back to your guests.

Having a black tie winter theme? Small black martini vases filled with ice stones, snake grass straws and an ivory rose display would get the nod from James Bond I am sure.

Hurricane vases come in all sizes, these are quite large but filled with an oversize candle and winter foliage and berries they won't take up too much room on your table.

Team those with these taller martini vases to draw your eye through the venue and add in some WOW factor.

These were filled with gerbera, amaryllis, roses and hypericum berries

Have these designs given you enough inspiration? We have plenty more flowery ideas for you, book a consultation and we can chat through your ideas and make a few suggestions to achieve your perfect look.

Christmas isn't too far away so don't delay book today!

(OR if you are a Christmas 2018 bride come along anyway and fine tune your ideas, it will soon be here too!)

Sandra X

Soft Pinks and Greens for a January Wedding

Soft Pinks and Greens for a January Wedding

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January Wedding Bouquet

Soft pinks and mint greens were the colours for this January wedding.  The bride loved eucalyptus and gum nuts and wanted something soft to compliment the bridesmaid's dresses in mint.  January was challenging this year with warmer than average temperatures and much lower rainfall than usual.  It meant that there was some unusual timing with some of the blooms, but we managed to come up with some pretty colours and textures to suit the theme.

White Ice Proteas flowering earlier than expected were happily snapped up to suit the theme.  Some rare January Pink Ice were also used.  Beautiful Brunia Albiflora was looking fabulous and is always a great addition to a bouquet no matter what the colour scheme.  

You can also see some Red Protea Compacta.  Smaller filler flowers used were Ozothamnus, a native that grows in the bush here.  If picked at just the right time it can be a beautiful filler flower, a relative of the Rice Flower.  I also used Elderberries for a rich purply-pink contrast.  

Used in the bouquets and more prominently in the boutonnieres are these silvery white cones with a purplish tinge.  They are the cones from the Leucadendron Pisa plant which are in season in the summer months.  I removed the outer bracts from these cones, which are lime green at this time of year.  The result was a pearly cone perfect for the focal point of the boutonnieres.

Vintage barely-pink lace was used as the binding for the bouquets and boutonnieres.  The brides dress had a tiny touch of pink to its colouring and this lace was perfect for the job.

Foliage used included the beautiful Leucadendron Silver Tree, ready earlier than usual thanks to the weather conditions.  Some Agonis Flexuosa with its whispy foliage and delicate white flowers made a great addition for the draping, cascading effect.  A mix of other eucalyptus foliages was also used.

In the boutonniere gum leaves also featured.  Some local native tea-tree and Leucadendron Jubilee Crown cones were used too.  I love the pink blush of the Jubilee Crown in summer.  A great little addition to bouquets and boutonnieres.

A close up revealed some very early Banksia Occidentalis.  These flower in late summer and early autumn and these were the first pick of the season.  Banksia Occidentalis is a bright red flower but needs to develop its colouring on the bush.  If picked early the flower is fully formed but the colour is not as intense and provided a dusky pink addition to the bouquets.  This picture also shows the purplish tinge that the L. Pisa cones get - such a pretty Leucadendron.

These arrangements were used on wine barrels for decorating the ceremony.  I used all the same ingredients as for the bouquets.

Chelsea Parsons Photography

The happy couple! 

Fabulous Foliage

Fabulous Foliage

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Grevillea foliage

One of my favourite things about floral design is the foliage.  I know, the flowers are the main event, and I grow them so, well, they're important!  But foliage is the "spice" of an arrangement.  It can make or break a gorgeous bunch of flowers.  Not to mention the incredible colours and textures of foliage! So I love foliage ...  I love the foraging, the discovery of a new bush or tree that has fresh new growth just begging to be picked and admired.  I love the colours - think of the purplish blues of some new eucalyptus growth, or the incredible teal blues of some of the conifers and junipers.  Rich burgundy, pale yellow, silver, soft green, dark rich green - oh the possibilities!  And I love the textures - soft and silky, feathery, wide and structured, spiky, curly, neat, unruly!  

Its the variety that appeals.  Foliage is not just "greenery".  It can be so much more.  Some of our australian natives produce some spectacular foliage.  Grevilleas often have amazing leaves, and are often on sturdy long stems.  I use grevilleas growing around my home to provide the structure for a bouquet.  I have some maroon and orange flowering hybrids the have wonderfully shaped leaves.  As a bonus, they often have a flower or two on each stem, adding more colour.  Look for leaves that have new growth that's firm, not floppy.  Pick them as long as you can, following the stem back into the bush to find where it joins onto the branch.  Put them in water soon after you pick them and they'll stay fresh for weeks.  (You'll know if you've picked too soon - the smaller leaves at the end of the stems will wilt.)

Sometimes, when foraging for foliage, you need to be selective about stems that have insect damage.  I personally don't mind a little bit of damage - I think it adds charm.  But on the whole, it's good to select the stems with the cleanest, freshest leaves.  Putting foliage in a vase or arrangement shines a spotlight on it.  It comes under more scrutiny than it would on a bush or tree.  It's easier to make the selections out in the bush and leave the damaged leaves to the insects and wildlife that clearly love it too!

Banksia Grandis

These Banksia Grandis leaves are just spectacular, aren't they!  They are quite large - around 30 cm long and 5 cm wide, and deeply zig-zagged.  There are a number of Banksias that have leaves like this, but varying in size.  Speciosa has long slender zig-zags.  Banksia Baxterii has less curled and scaled down versions of these incredible shapes.  And Banksia Brownii has long, fine zig zags.  They're incredible to use in an arrangement.

Banksia Speciosa

Even grasses can be used as foliage.  At this time of year with grasses full of summer growth and setting seed, they can be really gorgeous in an arrangement.  I love driving along country roads in summer and seeing the incredible variety of colours and textures just in the roadside grasses.  Purple, yellow, pink, white - and all manner of shapes and textures.  

I have a number of favourite foraging spots on my property.  One of them is at the top of a steep rise where you can glimpse the town, the bay and the little local islands through the incredibly tall eucalypts that have been untouched for 50 years.  In the undergrowth on the edge of the bush there are some fabulous native plants growing.  One I discovered not long after we moved here, really caught my eye.  I looked it up and found that it was actually sold as foliage for the export market!  And here it was growing wild in the bush.  It's called Pimelea Nivea.  

Pimelea Nivea

My "Plants of Tasmania" book tells me it's common name is Bushman's Bootlace.  I found out why it got this name the first time I tried to pick it.  The bark or outer coating of the stem is incredibly strong and fibrous, and when you try to snap a branch the bark won't break, instead coming off in long, seemingly unbreakable strips. Next time I used my shears!  The leaves are small and richly green and glossy.  The growth habit of the plant is long and slender, with lots of long upright branches covered in the green leaves.

Underneath, the leaves and stem are white and softly sueded.  The contrast is really charming.  Pimelea Nivea also has lovely flowers in spring and summer.  Clusters of dainty white flowers appear on the very ends of the stems.  I love using this foraged foliage whether its in flower or not.  And the adventure of picking it in the "wild" adds to my enjoyment of it!

This is a recent vase of flowers I made for my house, using entirely foraged foliage and a few of my summer pincushions.  It was such fun to combine the colours and textures of the foliage, and highlight them with the simple orange pincushions.  

I couldn't do a blog post about foliage without making a special mention of eucalyptus foliage.  Our own australian gums provide some of the world's most popular foliages.  Again, the variety of colour, texture and shape is almost dizzying.  Some eucalyptus foliage has that incredible silvery white bloom that, combined with the colour of the leaves underneath produces some spectacular colour effects.  This basket above is filled with foliage from a medium sized gum behind my house.  People often ask, "what is that flowering tree?" when they see it from a distance  The foliage is almost iridescent, glowing purple.  I'm not sure of the type gum, but I find myself coming back to it again and again for inspiration.  Silver dollar is one of the most well known eucalypts sold as foliage.  But considering we are surrounded by them, why not experiment!  Have a look in your back yard and see what you can create!