Wedding Flowers

You picture the perfect wedding, all the way down to details like flowers used for site and for reception decoration.

Lovetripper.com recently interviewed floral expert Courtney Nethercutt of The Renaissance Mayflower Hotel for her tips on wedding flowers.

For hotel weddings, what trends are you seeing related to flowers, both for the wedding party and for decorations?

A strong trend for brides as related to flowers is personalization. Brides these days are career driven professionals who each have distinct tastes and styles. Brides like to have their weddings be a reflection of them and the couple’s personalities. Whether she is a sleek modernist or an incurable romantic, the flowers in both bouquets and table décor reflect her flair.

For example, today’s modern bride prefers a sleek glass container with an architectural inspiration. The flowers may be simple with one dramatic swirl of elegant miniature calla lilies in bright modern pop colors or clean crisp white.

The romantic brides gravitate toward the soft pastels and the classic appeal of roses. Often brides want family and heritage to be reflective in their celebrations. For one bride we incorporated vintage Chinese silks brought overseas by her family to dress both bouquet stems and accent containers.

Some brides are looking for the unusual décor items to delight and surprise their guests, making their wedding standout from the rest. For a recent wedding, we created a new twist on the escort card table by designing a fresh floral tree resembling a weeping cherry tree from which the place card ”leaves” hung down on ribbon. Each guest was delighted as they had personal assistance by white-gloved attendants to locate and remove their table assignment. The tree then served as a focal point for the lavish dessert buffet served at midnight. Integration of personal style, reflections of heritage, and distinctive elements are being reflected in wedding flowers for today’s bride.

Do you have any special advice related to flowers for winter brides?

Winter brides can incorporate many seasonal elements to resonance the festive time of year. Winter touches such as whimsical white feathers and luxe touches of faux fur can evoke the season’s frosty elements for winter wonderland accents. As well, the flowers may be in snowy hues of white with touches of icy blues to emulate the frosty season.

Some brides may prefer a warmer atmosphere for their celebration and incorporate the festivities of the holiday flavor. Rich crimson flowers and opulent velvet to luxuriant satin linens to dress the tables. Injections of fresh cranberries, pomegranates, and blood oranges to the tabletop design add a bountiful nuance of holiday charm.

How are couples incorporating flowers into the ceremony itself?

From flower enveloped chuppas to inspired aisle décor, couples are integrating flowers as a focal point of their ceremonies. For Jewish weddings, couples are going for an array of looks with flowers to embellish the wedding ceremony. A current trend is the understated chuppa (AKA Jewish wedding canopy) with unique touches of fresh flowers such as hand-strung floral orchid boas simply accenting the supports, and crisp simple shantung canopies. In church weddings, couples are opting not for big displays at the altar, but rather on the aisle.

Posh hand-tied bouquets with tailored dupioni silk sashes (rather than fussy bows) are popular choices for couples. Many of the church items can be brought back to the hotel reception for additional décor, such as head table chair embellishments or cake table adornments.

What tip can you share about how brides can save money on their flowers?

Every bride has a budget be it modest or extravagant and certain expectations they envision for the flowers on their big day. One area to save money is reusing aisle décor floral designs for centerpieces in the dinner reception. Especially in hotel weddings, an aisle is often created from floral elements and design. This is an excellent area for the flowers to play double-duty as ceremony aisle décor then used for some of the dinner table centerpieces.

Floral designers can be creative in changing containers to give the design a new look for the reception. This money saving suggestion can save a bride a significant amount of money since the table flowers tend to be the largest portion of the wedding flowers. In addition, candles incorporated into a tabletop design can create drama and reduced the need for oversized lush bouquets on every table.

Also, choosing several different styles of designs can reduce costs by incorporating lower floral designs with taller designs instead of having all tall designs on every dinner table. For a price savvy and simplistic look, a bride might want to consider using all one type of lower cost seasonal flower such as tulips in the winter and spring for centerpieces. This gives you a more dramatic look without breaking the bank. But, be careful not all seasonally available flowers are always the most inexpensive option.

To plan a Marriott wedding, call the Marriott of your choice and ask to consult with the hotel's wedding event planner. For more information on Marriott Hotels, Resorts, and Suites, call 1-800-228-9290 or see www.marriott.com.