Predicted by Florists All Over The Nation

We asked our florist friends on Facebook what their predictions were for wedding trends of 2012, and received an overwhelming response. From new looks, to hot products; favorite flowers and color trends — we've got you covered!

Modern & Sophisticated – Think Royal Wedding

"I am starting to see a trend away from the hand-tied style, which has been a majority the last few years. I think modern/sophisticated is surfacing."  – Joy's Floral & Gift, Powhatan, VA

By Playa Del Rey Florist in Playa Del Rey, CA

Return to Simpler Styles

"I think simpler designs will rule 2012. I have 2 weddings booked for 2012 where bridesmaids are holding a single stemmed flower instead of bouquets. One with calla lily and one with long stemmed rose." – Finest City Florist, El Cajon, CA

Back to Traditional

"Brides are showing an interest in things like carnations, roses and babies breath again." – Monday Morning Flowers, Princeton NJ

 Dual-Purpose Bouquets and Arrangements

"We see dual purpose arrangements as the trend. Bouquets into cocktail table centerpieces; arches broken down down to adorn the ceremony." – Greenhouse Gallery Florist, Colts Neck, NJ

Eclectic Styles With Found Objects

"Rustic, natural looks with nicer flowers. Also collections of eclectic bottles & vases with few or single blooms for centerpieces." – The Enchanted Florist, Asheville, NC

Brides Want DIY

"I'm noticing many brides are being more hands-on & doing their own reception centerpieces. Perhaps to be more cost effective or personalized" – Flowers by Flowers, Parkville, MD

 Cascading Bouquets

I am also seeing a lot of requests for updated cascade bouquets styled similar to the shield bouquet Kate Middleton carried."  – Joy's Floral & Gift, Powhatan, VA Continue reading "Wedding Trends For 2012" »

You might have caught our post on trendy Pocket Squares a while back. Well, Libby's Flowers, Gifts & More in Elberton, GA has taken it to a whole new level. We love this idea and had to share with you all!

As you can see, the florist carefully attached a photo of the groom's sweetheart to the pocket square insert. This would then be placed in the tuxedo pocket, and although you cannot see the picture when it is in place, the groom will always remember he has her next to his heart.

Click For More Floral Pocket Square Ideas

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Our florist friends on Facebook constantly keep us with our jaw on the ground. Each week they post some of the most amazing designs around! Because it's wedding season, we've seen a lot of amazing fall bouquets! So let's take a look at what trendy designs are popular for 2011 fall brides!

*The gorgeous bouquet in the photo above was created by C & C Sensations in Waynesboro, VA. It features deep red roses mixed with circus roses (orange with red tips) and hypericum berries. This florist also did an amazing job weaving in bright bits of green with bells of Ireland.

Click For Lots More 2011 Bridal Bouquet Pictures & Styles

It's no secret brides are looking for something out-of-the-box when it comes to their wedding. In the last three years, traditional weddings have declined by as much as 30%. Brides are opting for more of a personal and stylish look to make their dream wedding truly unique. While most brides keep with the traditional white dress, it's the bouquet that really packs the punch of pizazz. In this article, we will show you some really unusual wedding bouquets spotted at florist conventions all across the US.

Bride's Bouquet Attention To Detail

The above bouquets are truly phenomenal because of their attention to detail and texture. The pink bouquet must be seen in full size to appreciate it's details. Sure, they are both non-traditional bouquets, but imagine just how much these would POP against a wedding dress. I'd imagine the bride with the pink bouquet would be down-to-earth and quirky with a unique style all her own. The bride with the blue bouquet would be a little more classy and sophisticated, with a bit of a wild side that loves glitz and glam.

The sky's the limit when it comes to designing your wedding bouquet. It is a way to really show your personality. If you love nature and the outdoors, tie in a few twigs and rustic elements and top it off with garden ivy. (like the pink bouquet above) Or if you love all-things-bling this blue bouquet is for you. It's rare blue color and interesting sea holly flowers just scream style, and the added trails of flashy gems put this bouquet over the top!

Continue reading "Unique Wedding Bouquets" »

The look this fall is: Rustic Chic

And with fall right around the corner, now is the time to start thinking Autumn colors! You want your rustic-themed bouquets and flower arrangements to look effortless, chic and natural. Organic colors will blend perfectly into your fall wedding.

• Dark reds
• Deep yellows
• Burnt oranges
• Deep purples
• Sage greens

Add The Spirit of Fall To Your Wedding Ceremony

Think about all of the things that make the fall season so memorable and unique:

• pumpkins,
• rustic vines
• figs
• moss
• cornucopia
• berries
• grass
• different colored leaves
• acorns
• twigs
• holiday ribbon

Using the above fall accessories, you can create an organic, chic rustic-themed bouquet. These simple, easy to find accessories will compliment any wedding ceremony. Textures make a huge impact and by creating a floral design with these alternative accessories you are sure to express your creative spark in more ways than one!

Your local florist can create the prefect wedding bouquet for you. Or if weddings aren't on your horizon, opt for a beautiful arrangement of fall flowers instead! Same principles apply!

For more wedding photos, visit our sister site Wedding & Party Network's galleries.

The bouquet featuring orange lilies was created by Floral Design & Home Decor in Coeur D Alene, ID

Boutonnieres are a long-standing tradition; generally simple, delicate, and reflective of the partners wrist corsage or bouquet. But who says a boutonniere can't make a statement with a hint of flair, all on its own?

2011 fall boutonniere trends are leaning toward a more natural, earthy style than the average carnation or red rose.  Twigs, rope, feathers, berries, shells, stones, and thick textures turn what could be an ordinary boutonniere into something outstanding!

Natural Boutonniere Ideas:

• Imagine a sunflower donning driftwood and/or feathers
• Fun-textured greens nesting upon the lapel of a dark brown tuxedo.
• Green button poms with red berries, rope, and festive greens will POP against the back drop of a black lapel.
• Twigs wrapped together in raffia with a pheasant feather 

Natural and floral pocket squares are also very trendy this year.

No matter the color of the tuxedo or suit, these earth-inspired boutonnieres are sure to make a statement at any wedding or event.

Thinking outside the box!

Using your imagination as you get back to your roots with nature inspired boutonnieres will inspire you to create  a piece of wearable art that will stand out amongst the others!

Check out the galleries our sister site, Wedding And Party Network, for more wedding flower inspiration.

Well, our contest has come to a close. If you haven't been keeping up, we asked our florist friends to show us their predictions for the Royal Wedding Bouquet.  We had a lot of fabulous entries, but Royal Wedding florist, Shane Connolly took us all by surprise. The actual design of the Royal Wedding Bouquet was modest compared to what florists were expecting. Connolly used Sweet William, lily of the valley, hyacinth, ivy and myrtle — all have small white blooms, but deep meanings from the Language of Flowers, used heavily in the Victorian Era. Check out the pic of Kate's bouquet on Flirty Fleur's blog.

Because we couldn't just have a contest without a winner, we took the closest 3 bouquets and put them to a vote! We chose these because they (1) used white flowers, (2) included small flowers, (3) had a slight cascade shape, although Kate's was very slight.

Our Winner Is

Tina of Perfect Rose Floral Design, East Islip NY

Created by Tina of
Perfect Rose Floral Design, East Islip NY
http://www.perfectrosefloraldesigns.com/

Tina does fantastic wedding work! She also entered these two bouquets in our Royal Wedding contest:

Great work Tina! Congratulations!

This post is brought to you by Flower Shop Network, your source for REAL local florists.

About a month ago, we asked our florist friends to submit their predictions for the Royal Wedding bouquet! We were blown away by the incredible submissions! After finally getting a peak at Kate's bouquet, we've narrowed down the submissions to the 3 closest choices. Florist Shane Connolly went with something a little different than I think most florists were thinking. The bouquet was actually small, and predominately featured Lily of the Valley and myrtle. As tradition dictates for royal weddings, the bride's bouquet contains a sprig of myrtle from the original myrtle bush planted by Queen Victoria at Osborne House, Isle of Wight in 1845. It also contains a sprig from a plant grown from the myrtle used in The Queen's wedding bouquet of 1947.

None of our submissions were spot on, so it's going to be a tough choice for the winner.

WE NEED YOUR HELP! Scroll to the bottom and select which florist you think should win!

Created by Jennifer of
Joy's Floral & Gift, Powhatan VA
http://www.joysfloralandgifts.com/

Created by Nancy of
Alma Blooms, Alma WI
http://www.almablooms.com/

Above 3 created by Tina of
Perfect Rose Floral Design, East Islip NY
http://www.perfectrosefloraldesigns.com/

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We will announce the winner on Tuesday, May 2nd. Good luck! Thank you for ALL of the submissions!

This post is brought to you by Flower Shop Network, your source for finding real local florists anywhere in the US and Canada.

About a month ago, we asked our florist friends to submit their predictions for the Royal Wedding bouquet! We were blown away by the incredible submissions! Only about 1 more day left before we FINALLY get to see what we've all been waiting on!

The Royal Family has done an excellent job keeping the details of Kate's bouquet top secret! We do know they have chosen renounced London-based, floral designer Shane Connolly to head up their wedding flower team. He also holds a Royal Warrant from the Prince of Wales, making him an official supplier of flowers for royal events, including Princes Charles's 2005 wedding.

According to the royal wedding website, he is known for his sustainable approach to floristry, using growing, rather than cut, plants and trees, and for producing "elegant and unique displays" using seasonal, natural and organic flowers.

While the bouquet is still a mystery, we know that the floral displays in Westminster Abbey feature a variety of seasonal growing and cut British flowers and trees sourced from Royal Estates and other growers around the country. The flowers and plants include blossoms, azaleas (rhododendron), euphorbias, beech, wisteria and lilac.

The floral displays in the Abbey itself will include eight 20 feet-high trees: six English Field Maple and two Hornbeam. All the trees will be growing in planters, which have also been designed by Mr. Connolly and which were made by craftsmen at Highgrove, The Prince of Wales's Residence in Gloucestershire.

Also, according to the Royal Wedding website, the couple has taken an interest in traditional Language of Flowers and are using these flower meanings to tell a story through their flowers. So far the flowers they've chosen mean:

• Azaleas (rhododendron) – "Take care of yourself for me, temperance, fragile passion"
• Lilac – youthful innocence
• Beech Trees - harmony, peace, balance and all that is good.
• Wisteria - honor, memory, patience

After the wedding, the flowers and plants will be left in position in Westminster Abbey for the public to view until Friday 6th May 2011. Following this, many of the trees will be taken to Highgrove Gardens, where they will be planted. The Couple's intention is that many of the cut plants and flowers and all the growing plants will be donated to charities or re-planted.

Now, take a look at the at the amazing designs created by real florists all across the US and Canada. Which one do you think will be the closest to the real design for the Royal Wedding Bouquet?? Let us know in the comments below! Continue reading "Florist Predictions For The Royal Wedding Bouquet" »

DIAMOND FLOWERS

April's favorite flower color is diamond-white. This year, we are spotlighting unique flower colors for you to use in custom flower arrangements, wedding bouquets, centerpieces and anywhere else you might need great-looking flowers. To make the chosen colors a little more interesting, we are starting with birthstone colors. Last month's was aquamarine, and this month it's diamond, or whiteish-silver. (Click here for all of our color of the month posts)

The name diamond is derived from the ancient Greek word for "proper", "unalterable", "unbreakable, untamed." This is a very fitting name for something as perfect and strong as the diamond.
We often see diamond used in jewelry, particularly for weddings, and it's the birthstone for April.

When creating your wedding bouquet,

Since 'diamond' is not really a color, we are associating it with lighter shades of gray. There are many, stunning flowers that come in light gray colors, as well as shimming silver and pale blue. When creating a color scheme using these light grays, you can either stick with a monochrome palette, or add a punchy, accent color to really bring out the dynamics! Imagine bright red with silver-diamond colors, or how about a vivid blue paired with diamond flowers and silver accent.

This is a great flower guide for brides looking for unique color palettes and unusual flowers for their wedding. Continue reading "Unique Diamond-White Flower Guide" »