The Tesselaars Guide To
Breathtaking
Wedding Flowers
Tesselaar Flowers
Writer: Kyla Helgeson for Tesselaar Flowers, © 2017 Tesselaar Flowers
11 Breathtaking Wedding Bouquet
Entries: RockStar Florists Competition
I can just imagine the sound of brides all around Australia squealing in
delight when these breathtaking wedding bouquets were delivered to their
door on their special day! The orists – sorry, oral designers – who
created these gorgeous creations showcase a great diverse range of
owers, colours, textures, sizes and shapes. Individually, they are just so
lovely to look at and I’m sure, as a bride, equally lovely to carry.
If you are looking for inspiration for your own bridal bouquet, you have
come to the right place. Get ready to see 11 breathtaking wedding
bouquet entries in the Flowers to Carry category from our RockStar Florists
Competition.
Pretty Posies
They look simple and sweet, but a lot of love, time and care has gone into
these pretty posies. In this posy Catherine from Flowers at Haber eld,
NSW, combined roses, ranunculi, blue gum and wax ower. In this
gorgeous image, I love how the sun highlights the heavenly pink
hydrangea.
Floral Design by Catherine from Flowers at Haberfield, NSW
Blue gum is very on-trend at the moment. I am seeing it being used in
many oral designs lately. This is great to see, as being native to Australia
it can naturally hold up well in our warmer wedding weather conditions.
Often wedding trends follow what is happening overseas but I’m so glad
our orists are creating striking displays mixing hardy foliage, owers, and
textures with the more popular pretties. Stacey from Poppy Lane Flowers
By Design, QLD, adds a pop of colour to this bouquet with purple
lisianthus, red David Austin roses and pink stocks.
Floral Design by Stacey from Poppy Lane Flowers By Design, QLD
Here again, we have a blue gum foliage base, but this time Vicky from The
Turquoise Rose, SA, has emphasised the blue and grey tones of the foliage
by including sea holly and succulents. The apricot roses and orange
ranunculi add a contrasting pop of colour, while the white freesias break
up the design and the owing Queen Anne’s Lace adds texture and
interest.
Floral Design by Vicky from The Turquoise Rose, SA
Big and Beautiful
From pretty posies to the other end of the size scale, here are some big
and beautiful bouquets that you may need two hands to carry!
Traditionally I was taught when studying oristry that a wedding bouquet
should never overwhelm the brides dress. I can’t say that I totally agree
with that and I certainly broke the rules on my own wedding day. My
wedding bouquet was so big (and heavy) that in some photos all you can
see is the flowers. Naturally, being a ower lover, I wouldn’t have wanted it
any other way! I am loving this whimsical Floral Design by Emily from Fleur
et Empreinte – Flower & Print, VIC, of pale pink roses, blushing bride,
annel ower, astilbe, lilac, poppies and a hero king protea.
Floral Design by Emily from Fleur et Empreinte – Flower & Print, VIC
Emma from Echo and Indigo, QLD, created a large bouquet design using
light blue delphinium, white dahlias, hydrangea in white and a beautiful
muted green tone, apricot roses, and pale pink tulips. A very pleasing soft
colour palette finished with textured ribbon.
Floral Design by Emma from Echo and Indigo, QLD
Check out this insanely gorgeous design by Prue from Prue Swain Orange
Flowers, NSW. I love the groupings in this large bouquet that surround the
hero huge pink waratah. All the owers that surround, including sea holly,
ru ed parrot tulips, andromeda, blushing bride, and ranunculi are unique
in themselves and clustering them adds great texture to the design. The
colour palette balances and brings the look together.
Floral Design by Prue from Prue Swain Orange Flowers, NSW
Garden Inspired
Garden inspired bouquets are hugely popular, and a few of the ones that
caught my eye in this years’ competition have the most unique ower
combinations. I adore the feathery e ect created here by Nicole from
Simply Stems Boutique Florist, VIC, as well as the pops of hot pink colour.
Floral Design by Nicole from Simply Stems Boutique Florist, VIC
This colour palette by Beth from Twig, SA, is harmonious with some
stunning examples of apricot David Austin roses and dahlias. Depth is also
added using a burgundy dahlia, and the white cosmos daisy lightens and
highlights. Again, amazing texture and a fantastic combination of owers
makes the bouquet just so pleasing to the eye.
Floral Design by Beth from Twig, SA
This unique combination of blooms by Agnieszka from Angie’s Floral
Design, QLD, consists of winter hellebores and the yellow native ower
with curls and loops is a grevillea called ‘Moonlight’ from the protea family.
For brides who are looking for something di erent in their bouquet, look to
natives as they are long lasting and often unique looking.
Floral Design by Agnieszka from Angie’s Floral Design, QLD
Wild and Care Free
Alena from Gentle Flowers shows us a wild and free-flowing bridal bouquet
of pink jasmine with groupings of green goddess lilies, roses, ranunculi,
cymbidium orchids, and sweet peas. The long hanging ribbons are a lovely
way to finish and complement the design.
Floral Design by Alena from Gentle Flowers
The structure of this bouquet by Jo from Naturelle, QLD, is just divine.
Upon a lush magnolia foliage base mixed with feathers, branches and
vines, are pink and yellow proteas, pink cymbidium orchids, a grouping of
latte roses, and a feature brown succulent. I love the natural rope that
ows from behind the bouquet also. A unique and special design, what a
lucky bride!
Floral Design by Jo from Naturelle, QLD
10 Gorgeous Garden Wedding Ideas
What I loved most about all these amazing bouquet designs from all
around Australia was the unique combinations of owers, colours and
textures. It shows that there are amazing oral designers out there who
are always trying new things and aren’t we the lucky ones who get to see it
all!
Thanks to everyone’s favourite time of year to be married, Spring, wedding
season is now in full swing! Garden weddings bursting with colourful
beautiful blooms are on trend and ( ngers crossed) the weather at this
time of year is perfect, not too hot and not too cold. There really is nothing
more romantic then a beautiful outdoor setting to say ‘I do’.
Garden Wedding Flower Ideas | Flowers by Blue Ridge Floral |
Photography by Katelyn James Photography
There are so many beautiful garden venues to choose from, some are
public parks, others private gardens or venues such as wineries or relaxed
homesteads give the feeling of a country garden with their surroundings.
These spaces are usually so breathtaking on their own, but here are 10
gorgeous garden wedding ower ideas to take your garden wedding to the
next level.
Set The Scene
A breathtaking backdrop can be ampli ed by framing it with style. Here,
event planner, Amore Events by Cody, have really set the scene for the
ceremony by framing the start of the aisle with two gorgeous farm doors.
Flower pails by Blue Ridge Floral accent the doors and your eye is naturally
drawn down the aisle to the feature floral arch, so pretty!
Ceremony Entrance | Flowers by Blue Ridge Floral | Photography by
Katelyn James Photography
All along the aisle these gorgeous little metallic tin pails hang from the
chairs and are lled with seasonal blooms. Rose petals running along the
chairs are also a cute feature to the ceremony design.
Garden Aisle Flowers | Flowers by Blue Ridge Floral | Photography by
Katelyn James Photography
Garden ower arches can be statement pieces all on their own. I love this
one in particular by Flowerslovers as it is a full ower arch completely
covered in greenery and beautiful blooms. This inspirational image
certainly says garden wedding to me. To incorporate this look into your
wedding you could scale the look back and feature a garden oral spray in
just the corner of an arch.
Garden Flower Arch | Flowers by Flowerslovers | Photography by Sonya
Khegay
Or, how about having just a one or two feature garden arrangements
placed in a prominent position at your wedding ceremony. Think
somewhere where all the guests will be able to see it and it will get
photographed when the bride and groom are standing nearby.
Garden Feature Flowers | Flowers by Amy Osaba | Photography by Amy
Arrington Photography
Dine In Nature
Naturally your garden ceremony would be outdoors, but have you thought
about having your reception outdoors too? If the weather suits, a green
garden arbour highlighted with simple lighting would be so lovely in the
late afternoon and throughout the evening. I love how the orals
complement the garden setting with lush green foliage.
Garden Reception | Flowers by Flowerslovers | Photography by Sonya
Khegay
How about lounging in nature? If you have picked the prettiest garden
around you will want your guests to enjoy the views from every angle. So
think about creating seating areas for pre-dinner drinks, a stunning lounge,
some candles and simple ower arrangements is all that is needed to set
this scene.
Lounge in the Garden | Floral Design by Kathleen Deery Design |
Photography by Jose Villa Photography
Bring The Outdoors In
If you don’t want to be worrying and checking the weather forecast for
your big day, have your reception indoors but bring the garden inside.
Amazing oral designs can be created to give the feeling of a lush and
colourful garden, like this garden oral chandelier by Southern Blooms by
Pat’s Floral Designs.
Garden Floral Chandelier | Flowers by Southern Blooms by Pat’s Floral
Designs | Photography by Jen Fariello Photography
A great alternative to hanging oral chandeliers are these on trend tall
metallic stands. Several placed in a row along a table gives great impact to
an otherwise plain white space. It also gives warm and a feeling of nature
in a modern setting.
Garden Table Centrepieces | Flowers by Amy Osaba | Photography by
Amy Arrington Photography
Draping green garlands on the guest or just the bride and groom’s chairs is
another gorgeous idea for your garden wedding, adding interest and
texture.
Vintage Flowers: Top 5 Romantic Vintage
Wedding Ideas
Reception Garden Chairs | Flowers by Blue Ridge Floral | Photography by
Katelyn James Photography
If you want to create a huge impact and literally bring all of the garden
blooms inside, creating another on-trend design, the ower wall would be
breathtaking. Flower walls are best placed in the room where all the
guests will be able to see it, perhaps behind the bridal table or desert
table. Remember to have it lit up so it’s impact can be enjoyed well into
the evening. You could even have photo of yourself and new hubby, your
family and guests in front of it.
Vintage owers are so romantic and beautiful for a wedding and continue
to be a popular style choice amongst brides. They are more re ned than
rustic owers, no hessian and twine can be found here. Rather, a pretty
feminine style that mixes with old repurposed elements such as tins, china,
books, lace, pearls and hierlom brooches.
The best blooms for vintage oral design include some of the classics
usually in soft pastel tones or muted hues. Think roses, ranuculi,
hydrangea and lisianthus, mixed with blooms from Grandma’s garden like
snapdragons, scabisoa, jasmine and lavender to name a few.
There are a few stand out elements that I would say are the top 5 that I
always get asked to incorporate from my vintage loving brides. You don’t
have to include all of them ofcourse, although you could, but here’s some
gorgeous inspiration for those who love vintage owers and are planning a
vintage theme wedding or event.
Dusty Miller
Dusty miller also know as silver suede is a divine foliage that is soft to
touch, it feels like velvet and is found in a pale grey in colour. I love to use
this either pieced through a bouquet to add texture and contrast or as a
classic frame around a round posy. In loose garden bouquet design a
cluster of it can be used again as a textured feature.
Vintage Bouquet | Image by KT Merry Photography
Dusty Miller is also a great option for buttonholes, a lovely alternative to
green foliage, it goes well against grey and charcoal, even navy and black
suits. Versatile to use in table centrepieces too and I think its softness and
shape is perfect for vintage floral design.
Dusty Miller | Image by Jen Fariello Photography
Queen Annes Lace
Queen Annes lace is another of my absolute favourites. It reminds me so
much of a cute little cottage garden. It is so pretty with tiny little owers in
classic green and white and the overall round ower can actually vary quite
a bit in size, from small little round heads to quite large round heads. How
cute is this example of Queen Annes lace in a vintage tin?
Queen Annes Lace | Image by Angela Clark-Grundy
I adore this sweet textured bouquet of vintage roses together with
hydrangea, poppy seed heads, astrantia, snowberry and herbs such as
oregano, rosemary and dill. In a muted colour palette of dusty pinks,
mauves, ivory and mint, with the owers and herbs it would also smell
divine!
Round Vintage Bouquet | Image by Katy Lunsford
Queen Annes Lace can also be used in classic green and white bouquets. It
looks lovely against white blooms mixed with other green and grey foliages
like this loose garden posy incorporating blue gum.
Loose Posy with Queen Annes Lace | Image by Mint Photography
Linen
Linen is an important element and so often forgotten about in weddings.
So often I arrive to set up owers on tables and the plan white cloths aren’t
even ironed! By having a gorgeous table cloth, overlay, runner or napkins
either in good quality or in a pattern or print, it forms the basis of a very
high end, equsitite table scape. Vintage glamour can be added into the mix
too, like this gorgeous metallic gold pattern on on-trend tranquil blue.
Vintage Linen | Image by Jose Villa Photography
Fabric also adds a re ned touch to your wedding orals when you use
them to nish your bouquets and buttonholes. How cute are these vintage
boutonnieres made with f reesia, blush r ose, h yacinth orets and l
avender .
Vintage Buttonholes | Image by Byron Loves Fawn
Pearls
Pearls are so elegant and give an old world charm to a vintage a air. Pearl
wrist bands are a very elegant choice for mother-of-the-bride/groom wrist
corsages. What a beautiful accessory for your outfit.
Pearl Wrist Corsages | Image by Chantel Marie
Pearls scattered through your wedding bouquet can be stunning. Here,
roses and hydrangeas in soft tones of white, ivory and pale pink/peach is
accented beautifully with the pearls. This design is so pleasing to the eye
as the pearls catches your attention and draws your focus around all of the
bouquet.
Pearl Bouquet | Image via Pinterest
Floral accents on the back of the bride and grooms chair or guests chairs at
the reception or ceremony can be embellished with drapings of pearls to
suit your vintage style.
Floral Chair Spray with Pearls | Image via Project Wedding
Lace
It would be a vintage wedding without lace. Lace almost de nes vintage
style. You can incorporate it by using lace ribbon to tie around a bouquet,
pieces of lace draping look lovely for a soft romantic look. Lace can also be
used to embellish around vases or tealight holders.
Lace Ribbon Bouquet | Image via Onewed
Cotton lace is also very vintage, my Grandma’s house is still lled with
cotton lace doilies. Use them as a base accent to your oral table
centrepiece, either in a grouping for round tables or in a line down the
centre of a long table filled with a floral hedge.
Lace Doilies | Image by Jane Allen Photography
Bridesmaids Flowers:
19 Stunning Ideas For Your Bridal Party
The vintage ower trend has been around for a few years now but like it’s
sister trend, rustic flowers, it continues to be popular. While some may not
think it to be cutting edge anymore, it is pretty, feminine and upcycyling is
great for the environment. Our challenge as orists is to always deliver the
style that the client wants but re-invent it or tweak it just a little so it’s new,
fresh and appealing. So what great new vintage designs have you created
for a client recently?
There is so much inspiration out there for brides, pinterest boards full of
inspiring gorgeous wedding bouquets and oral designs. But what about
bridesmaids owers? What colour should they wear? What bridesmaids
dresses should I choose? And what about their flowers?
Well, don’t worry, there are many options and ideas for dresses and how
owers can be carried or worn to accent and complement your wedding
style. There are even options that will suit your budget. So read on for
some great bridal party ideas and the best 19 pictures of bridesmaids
flowers.
Hot Bridal Party Trends
Pastel shades have always been a popular choice for the bridal party, but
couples are playing with this concept and having di erent shades and
styles of dress, even completely di erent fabric and nishes for each
person. What is tying the look together is the owers. Whether it’s with
textured garden posies, like this example by Siloh Floral.
Pretty Bridesmaids | Floral Design by Siloh Floral | Photography by
Winsome And Wright
Or posies with lush green foliage and ferns, which shows the other hot
trend right now of greenery. I love how this hint of a stronger, bold
emerald green ribbon colour contrasts with the pastel dresses but again
the owers pull the look together with the pale shades in the blooms and
the green in the ferns and foliage.
Garden Posies | Floral Design by Artfully Arranged | Photography by
Graham Terhune Photography
On a budget? This look can still be achieved with a few simple stems and
green foliage tied with a simple ribbon. These relaxed posy designs by
Renaissance Floral Design are very much on-trend this season and as you
can see they look fantastic with all colours and shades, like this light blue,
green hue.
Simple Blooms with Foliage | Floral Design by Renaissance Floral Design |
Photography by Lindsay Madden Photography​
How Many Bridesmaids?
This is such an important decision! Who to choose to feature in your
wedding day. Consider one of the most important people in your life, such
as your sister or best friend who will be your maid or matron of honour.
Then think of other important people who will be your bridesmaids. I even
saw a wedding recently where the bride asked her grandmother to be a
bridesmaid, too cute! Perhaps you have been asked to be a part of one or
more wedding days before yours and you want to return the favour. Or
your could have so many close friends it makes it hard to choose.
Unique Bridesmaids Dresses | Allison Kuhn Photography
Your overall budget needs some consideration before asking everyone as
the number of maids you choose can have a ripple e ect. Many brides
choose one, two or three maids, but more than that, say 13, like the
example above, means 13 dresses, 13 hair do’s, 13 matching shoes and 13
bouquets. Things can quickly start adding up, but how gorgeous do they
look, notice all the bridesmaids dresses, hairstyles and bouquets are just
slightly di erent. They look like a beautiful matching bridal party but each
girls individual style also shines through.
Alternatively, you could choose to keep it simple, with only one or two of
your family or friends to stand by your side. I love this sweet example
where the bridal bouquet is larger and lled with special blooms and the
maids are scaled down with simple varieties like gypsophila included. The
dresses, hairstyles and shoes are even more individual here but overall
they are still a very sweet set.
Large Bridal Bouquet | Photography by Greg Finck
Bouquet Style
Round posy bouquets are a classic popular choice for wedding owers.
More often than not, brides carry a larger, fuller, more special oral
bouquet, which is an obvious choice as the bride should de nitely stand
out on her wedding day. Then the girls can carry slightly smaller bouquets
in the same style and even the same colour.
Pretty Bridal Party | Hello Blue Photo
Or the bride may choose to be the stand out with colour and texture in her
floral design with the ladies carrying simple white round floral posies.
Simple Bridesmaid Bouquets | Ana Lui Photography
Garden style bouquets are also really popular at the moment. This bridal
party are all carrying a similar style and size of bouquet, a textured mix of
foliages and owers and letting the dresses and ribbon colour be the point
of difference between everyone.
Garden Wedding Bouquets | Image by Kathleen Geiberger Art
Here is a fusion of the two ideas, round oral posy bouquets framed with
textured gum foliage to give a more relaxed style. The feature bouquet also
has that hint of colour to help hers stand out from the crowd.
Large Bridesmaid Flowers | Keen and Kind
Another idea that’s a little di erent, is where the bride carries a full
bouquet of blooms and textured foliage and then the maids just carry
simple bouquets of matching foliage. This is a great cost e ective idea, but
as a orist, I’d nd it hard to not scatter just a few blooms through the
maids posies. I think what makes this idea work so well here, is the bright
pop of colour in the dresses and this works against the pink hypericum
berry foliage. If you where going to use this idea, I would recommend using
foliages that have bright berries or little owers and textures throughout to
add interest.
Floral Wedding Bouquet | Katie Pritchard Photography
Colour of Bridesmaids
Many brides spend alot of time picking the accent dress colour. It is an
important decision as it can lter through to the styling of not only the
oral bouquets but also the ceremony and reception colours as well. Most
brides do end up choosing pastels, nudes or classic navy/black. But have
you ever considered trying something really fun? Perhaps, bright and bold.
I adore this gorgeous example where each person is wearing a bright
colour, like red, orange, hot pink and yellow. This gives a great option of
having a matching bright floral posy of seasonal blooms in each hot colour.
Bright Wedding Party | Image by Eric Kelley
Pastel colours will always be the most popular choice as they are so
romantic and beautiful for a wedding. If you are having trouble deciding on
one pastel colour, rose, blush pink, cool blue, lavendar or dusty grey, why
not just have each girl wear a di erent shade and then choose oral
bouquets that highlight a few colours to bring the whole look together.
Pastel Flowers | Image by Michael Radford
Even if you choose a colour in the middle, that’s not bright or pastel, one
that has a bit of punch like peach, the overall look can be softened with
pastel or white blooms or intensi ed with bright pinks and corals. Here,
they have struck a balance using a mix of blooms in bright, soft, white and
green tones to give a beautiful bridal party look.
Cute Colourful Flowers | Kaysha Weiner Photography
I have had a few brides choose a colour like purple and then have each
maid wear a di erent shade of that colour, like aubergine, voilet, indigo
and lavendar. Again, the blooms bring this look together by choosing
bouquets that have all these shades included.
Different Colour Bridemaids Dresses | Pepper Nix Photography
Another great idea, is to have each person carry a di erent ower variety
and colour bouquet. There are no rules, they don’t have to all be the same.
But if you wanted to keep one element the same like the colour, I’d
recommend a colour that alot of owers come in like pink or white. One
maid could carry pink roses, another pink sweet peas, or pink ranuculi etc.
Best to let your orist work with what is in season in your choosen shade. I
once created wedding bouquets where each maid had a di erent single
variety of ower and then the bride carried a mixed garden posy design of
all those flowers together which I thought was a lovely idea.
Simple Posy of Flowers | Photography by Zofia & Co.
Bridesmaid Bouquet Alternatives
Even if with all those di erent bouquet ideas and options for your
bridesmaids, you still want something even more special for your girls let’s
think outside the square. Flower baskets are a charming idea perhaps for
relaxed outdoor weddings.
Flower Baskets | Image by Lara Hotz
Flower crowns are the perfect alternative to bouquets. They are very much
in fashion and a gorgeous choice. But don’t think that because less owers
are used than bouquets they must therefore be alot cheaper, ower
crowns do take more time to create because each ower should be wired
and attached to the crown individually, so less flowers but more labour.
Flower Crown | Image by Jasmine Nicole
Wrist corsages would be another great idea and while these do also need
wiring they are smaller than a oral crown and use even less blooms so if
you have a large bridal party and you are trying to keep costs down, wrist
corsages can be great a great choice.
Wrist Corsage | Image by Lucy G Photography
If budget isn’t an option, why not do both? A wedding party covered in
owers, bouquets and ower crowns, now that is a gorgeous picture to
look back on.
Beautiful Bridal Party | Photography by Aaron Delesie
Hopefully there are a few great inspiring ideas in there for your bridemaids
owers. What is the cutest and best idea that you have seen? I would love
to hear what other great ideas are out there in the comments below.
All About Dahlias For Weddings
(14 Stunning Photos)
There’s no denying it, dahlias are breathtakingly gorgeous. So much so,
that if you think you don’t like them, I challenge you to read on, as there are
so many sizes, shapes and colours within the dahlia family that I bet you
find one to fall in love with.
Some, like the one used below by Little Big Farm, are the size of dinner
plates! For me, I am in love with them all, as each one has their own unique
feature. Some have soft, ru ed petals while others are more structured.
Let’s take a closer look at decorative dahlias: their season, colours, varieties
and how to best use them in weddings.
Dinnerplate Dahlias | Floral Design by Little Big Farm | Photography by
With Love & Embers
Season
In Australia, dahlia season is Summer/Autumn, from late December, early
January to around April. I love this season as the locally grown blooms
from the Adelaide hills start popping up everywhere, from the markets to
jaw dropping images on Instagram. They are truly captivating cut owers,
originating from Central and South America between Mexico and
Colombia.
Dahlia Season | Image via https://www.floretflowers.com
Colours
The range of colours available is extensive and breathtaking, as one of my
favourite farmer orists, Floret Flowers, shows here. There are deep red
burgundy tones, brighter reds, pinks, purples and peaches in all shades, as
well as lemons, creams and whites. Because of the extensive colour palette
available they can be used in bright festive floral designs, to pretty, soft and
feminine designs.
Colours | Image via https://www.floretflowers.com
One of the most popular shades with brides-to-be is the soft pastel pink
dahlia. A lovely choice for a summer/autumn wedding for the pretty in pink
bridal party.
Soft Pink | Floral Design by Green Petal Design | Photography by Sandra
Fazzino
Cactus Dahlias
Now, there are many, many varieties, but I have chosen to focus on just a
few of the more popular varieties. Firstly, one that may not be as wellknown as some, but is quite unique: the cactus dahlia.
It has long pointed petals that roll back on themselves giving the petals a
spiky look, like a spider chrysanthemum. While this variety is not as
popular with some brides, I think this style can be quite interesting, adding
texture and interest to a design. The cactus dahlia in the oral design
below by Basil & Bergamot Flower Farm certainly stands out as the feature.
Cactus Dahlia | Floral Design by Basil & Bergamot Flower Farm |
Photography by Abigail Bobo Photography
A simple grouping of this variety, perhaps in di erent colour tones, can
give a simple and striking e ect on guest’s tables. I love this table centre
design by The London Plane.
Table Centre | Floral Design by The London Plane | Photography by
Christine Clark
Double Dahlias
Now this variety, the double dahlia, is what most people know and love.
They have a double layer or ring of broad at petals that come to a point.
Sometimes these petals are wavy, especially in the larger blooms, but most
are straight. Some varieties are formal with evenly spaced petals and some
are informal with random petals forming the overall circle shape.
Photography by Jesse Leake
Double Dahlias
You can see each ower is di erent, even within the one variety. Blazing
Star Farms created this beautiful wedding bouquet using di erent sized
and shaped blooms within the double dahlia family.
Bouquet | Floral Design by Blazing Star Farms | Photography by Katie
Slater Photography
Pom Pom Dahlias
Sometimes referred to as a Pompon or ball dahlia, it is aptly named for the
shape of the bloom. I could stare at these blooms and marvel at their
perfect petal design all day long. They remind me of a beehive for their
perfect structure. Pompoms are often smaller in size than the double.
Pink Pompon Dahlia | Image by kmillerphotographs.com
How cute do they look in this bouquet by Nature Composed? The colours
of apricots are just gorgeous, in all the owers including the ranunculi and
peonies.
Orange Pompom | Floral Design by Nature Composed | Photography by
Laura Gordon Photography
Single Dahlias
These have a single row of at overlapping petals. You can see the centre
of the ower and in this regard, it looks like well-known daisies with the
outer sometimes pointy petals and prominent centre. Again, there are so
many colour variations, like every colour of the rainbow!
Singles| Image via https://www.floretflowers.com
Weddings
Naturally they are an absolute hero and feature ower for any wedding
bouquet. This combination of whites, roses, blushing bride and green
textured foliage by Mint Floral Co is just beautiful.
The possibilities for this ower in weddings are endless. Perfect in simple
vessels scattered down a long table or as feature blooms in oral crowns
(the stronger pompon varieties work best for this). I wouldn’t necessarily
recommend them for buttonholes as they are large and the petals would
not hold up to a lot of stress. Some varieties and colours can be more
delicate than others and they do like to be in vessels of water rather than
oasis as they drink lots of water up their tall stems.
Dahlia Wedding Bouquet | Floral Design by Mint Floral Co | Photography
by Sarah K Byrne + Dylan M Howell
The brighter blooms including red, burgundy, hot pinks, bright oranges and
yellows are fantastic for adding colour into wedding ower design. These
blooms can certainly pack a punch with their size and colour. Use them to
make a bridal party stand out or have guests saying ‘wow’ upon entering
your reception space.
Red Bouquet | Floral Design by Papillon Floral Design |
Photography by Mike Larson
What is your favourite colour and variety? I am always torn between the
doubles and the pompoms. And as for colours, well, that’s an even harder
decision!
15 Native Wedding Flowers: A Bride's
Guide
There was no doubt, looking through the gallery of entries from last year’s
RockStar Florists competition, that native owers were proving once again
to be very popular with the bride-to-be. All colours, shapes, sizes and
textures were used to create some stunning oral designs, particularly
native wedding bouquets.
Native owers can also be used to create buttonholes, corsages, oral
crowns, table arrangements and large scale oral installations. Their best
quality would have to be that they are so hearty. So many brides usually fall
in love with pretty delicate owers that leave wedding orists like myself
stressing at times in hot summer heat. But natives thrive in this
environment.
I also feel generally people are being drawn to embracing their
surroundings, looking after the environment and buying local. Many native
owers are Australian natives but you may be surprised to learn that many
originate from South Africa. I’ve compiled a list of my top 15 native
wedding flowers and why each is so unique and gorgeous.
Native Wedding Flowers | Floral Design by Swallows Nest Farm |
Photography by Rosie Hastie
1. Blushing Bride
Okay, yes, my number one favourite native ower is from South Africa, I
know not very Australian of me (I also don’t like Vegemite!), but I do love
Blushing Bride. For me, not only does it have the perfect name for a
wedding ower but it is the ‘prettiest’ of the native blooms. It is available in
white and pink and it is a great smaller sized bloom. It can be mixed with
traditional pretties, roses for example or it can be teamed with other
striking blooms. It has a wonderful textured centre when in full bloom
which is catching to the eye.
Blushing Bride | Floral Design by Moon Canyon | Image by Lacie Hansen
See how soft and pretty this sweet little ower can look teamed with
dahlias, roses, spray roses, tuberose, lisianthus and seeded eucalyptus.
Hues of pale pink, peach, mint green and ivory is so divine!
Blushing Bride Bouquet | Floral Design by Flourish Designs | Image by
Allison Stahl
2. Flannel Flower
Another soft pretty native, this time Australian, is annel ower. This
bloom is not just soft in appearance, it is literally soft as its petals are like
velvet. With the just picked from the garden style of bouquet becoming so
popular, daisies have also seen an increase in popularity. Di erent to a
daisy chrysanthemum though, annel ower is a bit more relaxed in style
and super cute.
Flannel Flower | Floral Design by Mary Mary Studio
It adds great texture to a bouquet and it goes really well with green and
grey foliages. Botanic Art combines annel ower here with white
warratahs, cymbidium orchids, andromeda and soft grey blue gum foliage.
Flannel Flower | Floral Design by Botanic Art
3. Everlasting Daisy
These cute-as-a-button little daisies are certainly on-trend. Great to use in
bouquets, buttonholes and whimsical jam jar table arrangements.
Everlasting daisy is originally Australian, although I have read that the
colour range of pinks, whites, reds and oranges available today, were
cultivated in Europe with yellow being the natural Australian.
Everlasting Daisy | Image by Tesselaar Flowers
They are also often referred to as paper daisy as their petals are dry and
hard like paper, so much so that people can mistake them for being
arti cial. As the name suggests they do last really well so they are a great
choice for wire work including flower crowns.
Everlasting Daisy Flower Crown | Floral Design by Anna Loughnan Flowers
4. Billy Buttons
Following the whimsical vibe, billy buttons or billy balls add a delightful
point of di erence to any oral design. They come in bright yellow and can
range in size. They can be used fresh or even when dried their colour holds
fairly well. They have a long thin stem, so can be threaded through
bouquets tightly or left wild and carefree like this example from Victoria
Fitzgibbon.
Whimsical Billy Buttons | Floral Design by Victoria Fitzgibbon
Billy buttons also make for the most unusual and quirky buttonholes. Great
for the gentlemen who would rather not want to wear a ‘pretty petal’ flower
like a rose, these will do the job nicely, either on their own or mixed with
other blooms and foliages.
Native Buttonholes | Floral Design by Sugarbeeflowers | Image by Aparat
Photography
5. Geraldton Wax
Like carnations, geraldton wax has at times had a less popular status.
Perhaps viewed as a ‘common cheap ller ower’ but I think there is a lot
to love about this little bloom. When viewed closely it is actually quite
pretty with tiny little blooms of ve petals and while it appears delicate it is
anything but. Here it is used as a lovely display for aisle owers which even
in full sun will not wilt and look beautiful for ‘I do’s’.
Aisle Flowers | Floral Design by Sugarbeeflowers | Image by Aparat
Photography
It is also a fantastic choice for ower-girl crowns as it will withstand even
the toughest conditions. Like being handled a lot as little girls play and take
their crown on and o , on and o again! Even with the tight grip of a
toddler, the little petals won’t bruise or brake. They are available in a range
of colours, pinks, purples, white and yellows.
Geraldton Wax Flower Crown | Floral Design by J.Bailey Occasions |
Image by Benfield Photography
6. King Proteas
Seen in all the pages of bridal magazines at the moment, King proteas
(South Africa) are a giant statement ower. You will need two hands to
carry your bridal bouquet when walking down the aisle with a King protea
bouquet. What a show stopper! They are available in white and pink and
certainly stand out as the focal ower. Heart and Soul Flowers has created
this beautiful bouquet with gerberas, annel owers, dusty miller and a
pink King as the hero.
Pretty Pink King Protea Bouquet | Floral Design by Heart and Soul Flowers
While Chiara Anne Floral Couture plays with the blooms large size and uses
other large scale elements like eucalypt foliage to balance the design.
Wild King Protea Bouquet | Floral Design by Chiara Anne Floral Couture
7. Proteas
South African proteas are smaller in size then large King proteas but they
are still an above average sized ower. They have a distinctive oval shape
with the petals curving at the top around a textured centre. The petals are
often soft and furry with many varieties having a beautiful black edge. The
colour range of proteas is wide, ranging from soft creams and pastel pinks
to dark reds. I love this soft palette bridal bouquet by Riverport Florist. By
mixing pale pink proteas with annel ower, blushing bride, geraldton wax
and blue gum you can certainly see that a ‘pretty’ pastel native bouquet can
be created.
Protea Bouquet | Floral Design by Riverport Florist
For something bolder and more textured, try mixing the stronger, brightly
coloured proteas with other striking textured blooms for a fantastic wild
rustic design.
Colourful Floral Design by Sugarbee owers | Image by Aparat
Photography
8. Eucalyptus Leaf
It is very on-trend at the moment to have swags of eucalyptus leaf running
down long guest tables. The eucalyptus leaf, available at times depending
on the season, can be seeded, which adds great texture to foliage garlands.
Foliage garlands look so lovely on their own or with fresh blooms scattered
through out.
Eucalyptus Table Garland | Image by Scott Michael Fraser Photography
To add a bit of texture and fresh fragrance, eucalyptus can also be added
to your bridal party bouquets. There are many types of eucalyptus, with
this variety having white gumnuts as a feature. This bouquet by Thrive
Flowers & Events is full of texture with di erent types of foliage, bark and
seed pods.
Eucalyptus and Gum Nut Foliage Bouquet | Floral Design by Thrive Flowers
& Events
9. Banksias
Banksias have an oval cone shape similar to a protea and their foliage is so
interesting as it is variegated like it has been cut into a zig-zag pattern.
Here, a few stems of banksia have been used as the bridal bouquet
feature, complimented with blue-grey succulents and thistle. And for a
pop of colour, billy buttons.
Banksia Bridal Bouquet | Image by Fred and Hannah
A grouping of red banksias is the feature in this bouquet by Blushing
Blooms – Flowers by Sally Thompson. I love how the red colour is
highlighted by the two toned leucadendrons.
Red Banksias | Floral Design by Blushing Blooms – Flowers by Sally
Thompson | Image by Beautiful Moments Photography
10. Leucadendrons
Leucadendrons or a ectionately named by orists as “leucs” are beautiful
again in their own unique way. They are another tall ower which start with
a cone shape of petals at the top of the bloom or if left to open fully they
display a cute star shape.
Bouquet Featuring Leucadendrons | Floral Design by Swallows Nest Farm
From South Africa they have been used as the feature bloom in these
gorgeous buttonholes by Swallows Nest Farm, accented with textured
native foliage and pink kangaroo paw.
Buttonholes Featuring Leucadendrons | Floral Design by Swallows Nest
Farm
11. Leucospermum (Pincushions)
I love South African pincushions for their unique texture and style. I am
totally in love with these cute little pot arrangements of pincushions by
Swallows Nest Farm. How stunning would these look on your guest tables
or scattered through out your reception space?
Pincushions Table Centrepieces | Floral Design by Swallows Nest Farm
This divine bouquet by That Little Flower Shop incorporates the most
stunning and varied mix of blooms and textures. Deep velvet roses
combine with burgundy cymbidium orchids and orange pincushions.
Texture and interest is added with scabiosa pods and old mans beard. I
love the way your eye dances around the design because there are so
many beautiful aspects to look at.
Pincushions | Floral Design by That Little Flower Shop
12. Waratahs
Australian waratahs are another large hero native bloom. Florists buzz
around these like bees at the markets when in season. And for good
reason, they are big, bold and beautiful and last really well. Fantastic for
corporate arrangements.
Red Waratahs | Image by Tesselaar Flowers
The colour range includes the well known and love red, but there is also a
white which has tones of yellow and green and there is even a pink
waratah. You can see both the red and pink variations in these lovely
bouquets by Flowers by Marianne.
Red Waratah Bouquets | Floral Design by Flowers by Marianne
13. Kangaroo Paw
Nothing is more Australian than kangaroo paw. Found in yellows, oranges,
purples, pink and reds, the long stem leads to a little ower bloom that is
great for scattering through ower designs. My only complaint about this
native ower is when I use it, it makes my hands and arms itch. I have no
idea why, perhaps the fuzzy textured of the ower, but it’s the only ower I
react to.
Red Kangaroo Paw | Image by Tesselaar Flowers
The orets of kangaroo paw have been used here by Sweet Pea Florist to
frame a leucadendron buttonhole.
Native Buttonhole with Kangaroo Paw | Floral Design by Sweet Pea Florist
14. Wattle
How lovely is Australian wattle foliage? It would add a burst of colour to
any design, either used en mass in large scale designs or even the tiniest
piece can be used in intricate wired designs.
Wattle Foliage | Image by Tesselaar Flowers
The ever talented Julia from Wedding Flowers by Julia Rose shows us how
it’s done using wattle foliage for this incredible floral cape.
Amazing Native Creations with Wattle | Floral Design by Wedding Flowers
by Julia Rose
15. Bottle Brush
And nally, Australian bottle brush is aptly named for its cylindrical shape
with brush like feathery owers. Mostly known for its bright red colour
there is also a light yellow variety of bottle brush. These would be lovely
scattered through a mixed native bouquet or as shown here, loosely
gathered on their own.
Bottle Brush Native Bouquet | Photography by Angela Higgins
So, as you can see from all these 15 beautiful native owers, it’s no wonder
the native trend has become so popular and it looks like it’s here to stay!
Would you consider native wedding owers? Do you have a favourite
native ower? Writing this blog about all the amazing native owers out
there has certainly inspired me to get creating with these beauties.
Peony Flower: The 'Queen of the Flowers'
The peony ower gets me wound up like a child waiting for Christmas; my
favourite time of year as a orist is nally here – it’s peony season! Right
now my Instagram and Facebook feeds are lled with images of gorgeous
peonies and their huge blooms full of soft petals, as orists all around
Australia get excited by their rst taste of peonies for the season. She is
known as the ‘Queen of the Flowers”, so all hail the Queen! Welcome, we
have missed you!
When exactly they start each year depends on the weather conditions.
They have started a little late this year compared to last year, due to the
wild crazy winter we had recently. The peony season usually starts with the
coloured varieties available in October including pinks, corals and reds, and
then the gorgeous stunning white comes next, with the best time of year
for the bloom generally November. Brides and ower lovers everywhere
go crazy for all colours of the giant romantic blooms – which can grow to
the size of a small dinner plate!
Pretty Pink Peony | Floral Design by Wildflowers Inc. |
Photography by Ava Moore Photography
From the image below you can see there are quite a few shades that this
gorgeous ower blooms in. Some colours are more readily available in
Australia than others. White, coral, burgundy and pale or mid pinks are
around every year. I can’t say I have been lucky enough to see a yellow
peony flower; if you have let me know in the comments!
Let’s delve in to the popular colours in more detail.
Peony Colour Chart | Image Via https://www.pureseasonalflowers.nl/
The Classic White Peony
If you want elegance and grace, nothing can compare to the simply divine
white peony. These look just beautiful grouped on their own, as you can
see in the stunning bridal bouquet shown below. All peony blooms start
like very hard tennis sized balls and slowly open up to reveal their soft
u y petals. It is quite glorious to see them pop open; I can think back to a
few weddings where I have let my studio get warm in spring, busy working
away on a wedding, to turn around and literally see them burst open!
White Peonies | Photography by Jose Villa Photography
Peonies look beautiful paired with other soft petal owers such as sweet
peas, roses and ranunculus. Below is the classic and oh-so-feminine look;
a round posy bouquet of soft romantic blooms with peonies as a standout
feature.
White Peonies with Green Accents | Floral Design by Blossom and Branch
|Photography by Brian Hatton Photography
Adding textured green foliage is a great way to add contrast and interest to
a peony bouquet design. Because they are large owers with a long strong
stem similar to a hydrangea, they can be paired with equally large foliage
like eucalyptus.
Wild White and Green Bouquet | Floral Design by
Oak And The Owl | Photography by
Sara Weir
Pretty Pale Pink
The most common and loved pale pink peony is called ‘Sarah Bernhardt’.
This variety has small, deep pink accents around the outer petals edges
that you can see when it is a tight bud.
Pale Pink Peony Buds | Floral Design by Studio 7 |
Photography by Elias Kordelakos
Then, as it pops, it just turns into a ball full of feathery romantic petals and
those little deeper pink accents can barely be seen. This colour looks
particularly lovely when it is paired with grey foliage. A perfect partner is
soft silver suede foliage.
Pale Pink Peonies | Floral Design by Summerlin Florist |
Photography by Olivia Lott Photography
Some varieties of pale pink peony open all the way up to reveal a yellow
centre. I adore this beautiful bowl arrangement by Bows and Arrows that
uses a pale pink peony as a hero but surrounds and compliments it with
gorgeous garden varieties and textures.
Pale Pink Peony Bowl | Floral Design by Bows and Arrows | Photography
by Kayla Barker Fine Art Photography
Bright Coral Charm
Stand back and get ready to put your sunglasses on, because now we turn
our attention to one of the brightest peonies known as ‘Coral Charm’. This
variety is a knock out and is sure to grab attention wherever it is displayed.
Coral Charm Peony | Floral Design by SHARLA FLOCK DESIGNS |
Photography by Lori Paladino Photography
Once this bloom is fully opened its petals can start to fade and when in this
stage it can also appear to be a pale pink/apricot tone. Pairing peonies
with eucalyptus foliage is a huge trend that I am seeing at the moment and
I am sure one that will be very popular this wedding season.
Pretty Peony | Floral Design by F. Dellit Designs | Photography by Jessica
Gold Photography
Port Wine Burgundy
And nally, some of my personal favourites are the deep port wine,
burgundy, and red peonies. I think what I love so much about these
colours is that they have such a depth and richness of colour that makes
them so versatile. It can be paired with soft greys, whites and pinks,
vibrant purples or oranges and yellows.
Port Wine Peony | Floral Design by Sassybird Flowers |
Photography by Connie Whitlock Photography
Because this bloom is so soft and feminine, it’s great to mix in contrasting
spikey and textured elements such as sea holly, thistles, and natives, and
the hanging amaranthus in this design by The Flowerman ties in the colour
beautifully.
Red Peony | Floral Design by The Flowerman |
Photography by Michael And Carina Photography
What is your favourite peony? How do you like to use it in your oral
designs? What do you like to pair it with? Let me know in the comments!
Kyla Helgeson is one Australia's top wedding orists operating as The
White Orchid Floral Design. Based in Adelaide, South Australia, Kyla has
studied in New York and is a former nalist in Tesselaars floristry
competition. In 2015 Kyla joined the Tesselaars marketing team as our
oral content advisor and has since authored over 50 popular oral style
blogs.