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Flower Power From rosy pink peonies to dramatic blue delphiniums, here are the best floral bets for matching your wedding’s color scheme 
When planning the look and tone of your wedding, it’s easy to make your invitations or table linen match an all-white color palette, or maybe a pink and lime green combo, or maybe blue and orange, or perhaps burgundy and black; but when trying to match the floral arrangements with your wedding-color scheme, certain flowers certainly do make it easier than others. According to Karen Bussen, a wedding expert in New York City and author of “Simple Stunning Wedding Flowers” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2006) there are a variety of flowers that are grown in many different colors, such as peonies, orchids, roses, tulips, dahlias and more. These popular wedding flowers make matching popular wedding colors a snap, but there are certain color choices that will severely cut back on your blossom options. “Aside from brown and black, which typically aren’t too popular anyway, the single most difficult flower color to find is blue,” says Bussen. “The best blue blooms are lush hydrangeas, dramatic delphiniums and delicate tweedia. But you will not find blue roses, tulips, peonies or orchids, so if your color story involves blue, consider using gorgeous green flowers and foliage (like viburnum, hypericum berries or lady’s mantle) or adding another more common color such as white for a soft look, or bright orange for a more vibrant feeling.” Janis Steinfeld, owner of the floral design company August Gardens in Hillsboro, Ore., agrees that true-blue is the most difficult color to find in flowers, with cream or ivory coming in a close second. “White is really white and not ivory,” points out Steinfeld. “It’s difficult to get a real off-white shade except with some callas, some mums, a few rose varieties and a couple strains of orchids.” Despite these limitations, if a bride cares a lot about color but isn’t too particular about the exact type of flowers she will have at her wedding, there are flower choices in most colors available throughout the year. Start by thinking about the season in which your wedding will take place. According to Bussen, spring features a wide variety of color choices in the showiest flowers (peonies, ranunculus, hydrangeas, sweet peas, etc.), with highlights in pastels and bright colors, plus all the flowering branches that are only available in spring (cherry blossoms in pink and white, dogwood in white, pale pink quince, bright yellow forsythia and white and lavender lilac). Summer is a great time to get wildflowers (cosmos, zinnias and daisies) and herbs (rosemary, thyme, chamomile and lavender). Fall then brings out the vibrant reds and oranges, says Bussen, including dahlias, all the berries (rosehips, hypericum and viburnum) and even turning leaves (pear, maple and oak being the most dramatic). And, finally, winter highlights dramatic amaryllis in a wide range of whites, peaches, reds and deep burgundy, along with the start of ranunculus, tulips, and delicate anemones, which come in purples, whites, reds and pinks. Late winter adds more bulbs in whites, pinks, purples and even yellows (hyacinth, daffodils and narcissus). “Time of year can make a difference – obviously, there are more red flowers available around both Christmas and Valentine’s Day,” says Steinfeld, “while coppery and burnt orange colors are very limited in spring through late summer. But pretty much every color is in fact available year round due to technology and the influx of South American and Mexican product into our marketplace.” If a particular flower is important to you, consider checking with a flower expert before setting your date, says Bussen. However, you also can accent a limited color with other details, such as a coordinated napkin in blue, a chocolate-brown ribbon around a vase or a candleholder in lime green. Steinfeld also likes to throw something unexpected into the color scheme. “For matching purposes, roses, gerberas, hydrangeas, alstromeria, callas, mums, dahlias and tulips are great combinations,” she says. “But I love adding unusual dark purple berries or black twigs, fern curls, a small cabbage head or even a small Jerusalem artichoke to an otherwise traditional palate, both in terms of color and texture.” Clearly both creativity and personality are key to helping set the mood of your wedding with flowers and color. But even though some flowers may make it easier than others, when it comes to matching your floral arrangements to your color scheme, the world is blossoming with a rainbow of options. |
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