On Trend: Neutral Wedding Flowers

As we enter wedding season, we are excited to dive into the latest trend for wedding floral design: minimal + neutral colors. A lot of our current brides are drawn to a minimalist look when it comes to the colors used in their floral arrangements this wedding season. In this post, our owner Heather Hacker Hammer shares some of the top flowers and accent greens to consider for your neutral-colored wedding bouquets & décor accents!

Pampas Grass

Huge, Huge, Huge! This greenery is all over Pinterest and social media right now. Pampas grass has become so popular due to its great texture and neutral color palette. As an experienced florist, I appreciate it because of its perceived value. Just a few stems of this on a table in a neutral, blush, or clear container makes a big impact throughout your space. It really works well in the Midwestern states because it lends itself to our prairies and nature.

Bleached Ruscus

This bleached white foliage offers a preserved look and adds excellent texture in your bouquet. The bleached movement lends itself to the no-color wedding themes so well.

Eucalyptus

This ever-popular wedding trend is still holding strong. Eucalyptus comes in many varieties, such as Seeded, Bonsai, Gunni, and Silver Dollar. Eucalyptus certainly has its seasons where it looks the best. The grey-blue color pairs well with bridesmaid’s dresses that are slate blue, blush, champagne, sage, copper and the list goes on!

Magnum Chrysanthe-mum

An old-school flower has made its comeback. Again, a very value-based flower that takes up a lot of space. They come with many petal types, such as spider mums or large flat petals that are called Cremones.

‘Playa Blanca’ Rose

This rose is creamy white, so it goes with a white or ivory dress perfectly! I love this rose because of its habit. It just keeps unfurling and sometimes the center even looks like it is a double rose. My other favorite cream rose that has petals for miles is Moonstone. Other roses such as Sahara and Quicksand offer that taupe and light blush feeling which is popular in many no-color weddings.

Hydrangea

We literally use thousands of these value-based workhorses every year. Most of these come out of South America. They provide a base for the bouquet and the sheer size of them provides a lot of space occupied for not a lot of money. I generally start with the Hydrangea in my hand and thread my flowers and greens through it like a grid. This keeps everything exactly where I want it. By the time the bouquet is finished, it is tucked deep underneath all your premium flowers. Hydrangeas not only drink through their stems, but they also drink through their petals. Upon arrival, we soak their heads in water for up to 45 minutes. Then we cut their stems and place them in a deep bucket of water as they are a very thirsty flower.

Antique Pink Carnation

This lovely carnation adds texture and color deep down in the bouquet. Some people may not love carnations, but they can be an affordable way to add the perfect color and texture into your flowers. Often, we cluster them so they look like a Hydrangea, and we lovingly call them a “Carndrangea,” from afar no one knows what they are. I love to share our tricks of the trade!

Lisianthus

I love, love, love this delicate, romantic, and tissue-like textured flower. It adds that bit of light sage green at the tips of the buds that makes for a perfect contrast to the neutral color of your bouquet. It can also tie Eucalyptus into the bouquet if you choose to use that too.

Ranunculus

This little gem is full of petals. It really reminds me of a mini peony. It unfurls beautifully and is light weight. I love to use this as a boutonniere flower, with just a little grass and foliage you have the perfect flower for your hubs-to-be! It comes in many colors such as blush pink, deep burgundy, red, and a deep purple.

‘Peach Jana’ Spray Rose

For the bride who wants a little more color in her bouquet, this locally grown treat is the perfect light peach color. This multi bloomed stem usually has 5-7 blossoms per stem and always performs on point.

Crushed Velvet and Sheer Fabrics

We are seeing a ton of crushed velvet coming into play in Slate blue, golds, rusts, champagne, and blush. I have to admit, I love velvet! I am 43 and my prom dresses in 1994 and 1995 were black and emerald green velvet, respectively! I see a lot of brides wanting to combine the crushed velvets with the sheer fabrics to create that rich textural experience.

An Example Bouquet

I assembled all these flowers in one bouquet. As you can see, the grass adds that great texture and movement. The hydrangea, chrysanthemum, and carnations are buried deep with in the center to provide that needed color and shape down deep. The roses create a focal area that gives your eye a place to rest. The spray roses are used to add texture and bulk, and the ranunculus and lisianthus are used higher up in the bouquet to show off their exquisite features. The bleached ruscus reinforces the no-color theme and adds great texture. I use greens around the base just to cover some mechanics.

As I write this, we have been in a long stretch of negative temperature weather! Can you picture yourself or your daughter carrying this bouquet down the aisle of the ceremony as the sun is setting and the warmth of that sun is beating down on your shoulders? If you’re ready, we encourage you to reach out to schedule your Wedding Floral Consultation to get started!