Montreal Wedding Planning: An Unconventional Glossary for Memorable Celebrations. Letter B: Bouquets & Boutonnieres
Florals for your Montreal Wedding
are an essential element that can beautifully enhance the overall aesthetic of your special day. From vibrant blooms to delicate accents, the right floral arrangements can create a stunning atmosphere that reflects your personal style and complements your wedding theme.
Bouquets and boutonnieres are the wearable florals and bring vibrancy, colour and texture to the wedding day and to your portraits. They are symbolic of love and of new phases of life and should reflect your personalities and values. Here are 3 things to consider when selecting fresh blooms for your wedding and tips for showing their beauty in photographs:
1. Longevity
I had a recent wedding where the groom’s boutonniere flower wilted mid-day. The couple wasn’t happy and in the formal portraits I was able to use the best man’s bloom (that was identical) and swap it in post-production. A wilted bouquet doesn’t have such an easy fix, because it’s the only one! This situation prompted me to reach out to a florist colleague Karine Vigneau of Oxide Design Floral in Lachine, Quebec and she provided advice for selection of flowers for boutonnieres. You can read the blog post here.
Flowers need to be hearty enough to keep for most of the day, as often the couple portraits are scheduled for late afternoon after the ceremony and family formals. It’s important to speak to your florist and listen to them when they give you guidance on your selections. Sometimes we may love the look of a particular flower but it won’t hold up well for the day. Your florist can recommend something with a similar look that will last longer. When delivered (usually they come early), they should be placed in water but don’t worry, when photographing preparations I will dry off the stems so that no water drips onto your dress. They are then replaced into water until the ceremony, to maintain freshness and structure.
What if the flowers don’t last as long as the love does? Don’t worry. Your wedding portraits don’t have to incorporate the flowers, or we can position them with the best blooms to the camera or hide the damage with posing. A quick trim of wilted pieces can save the bulk of the bouquet without affecting aesthetic (so it’s always a good idea to have a small pair of scissors accessible). In a pinch you can borrow a bridesmaid bouquet if it’s in better shape and similar to the bridal bouquet. If the bridal bouquet was larger, then we can combine 2 bridesmaid bouquets for a similar look.
2. Energy
Each flower holds a particular symbolism as well as a look and feel. For a comprehensive list you can click here. It’s important that the flower energy matches the energy of your personalities and your wedding theme. If you want your wedding to be over the top romantic with soft pastels and a princess feel, then you probably want to avoid dark red roses. Conversely if your wedding is a true reflection of your rocker lifestyle, red roses may be a great choice! Identify your energy and your theme first and it will help narrow down the selections. Then work with your florist to make that energetic flower match!
This was an alternative backyard wedding where the bride wore a black wedding gown which makes this bouquet a propos. The groom’s boutonniere was a variation on the same theme.
This wedding was a soft and neutral palette where the rustic setting of Moulin Callières di Jasmin was the feature. The flowers were subtle to blend in rather than stand out.
When the flowers are a good energetic match, your photographs come to life with the wedding story. Looking at each of the bouquet images above I’m sure they communicate a lot about the couples and the flavour of each event. And in portraits such as below, they really create a stunning complement to you!
3. Variety
Along with the energy of the type of flowers you choose, the amount of variety in terms of colour, texture and flower type in a bouquet communicates yet another energetic element of the wedding theme. In an otherwise neutral wedding theme, a vibrant bouquet filled with many different flowers and many colours stands out and creates contrast and layers of texture. Your bouquet may also be partially determined by your dress. A simple, silk gown with little texture might be paired with a colourful and highly textured bouquet containing some stronger structural elements, whereas a princess-style dress with lots of texture may be beautifully complemented by a bouquet with a singular and soft flower in a monochrome palette. This creates contrast, but you could also go the other way and create cohesion for a more subtle look. Florists have an eye for design so if you bring photos of the dress, they can assess they style and material and make good suggestions.
In photographs, bouquets and boutonnieres become important compositional elements because their properties - texture, colour and structure are all photographic compositional elements as well. It is important to assess the ‘strength’ of the florals in order to use them in a way that complements and supports the wedding story.
The asymmetry of the greens and the v-shape of the leaves complements the v-shaped neckline of this dress and the looser and more casual style of the bouquet contrasts with the fine beadwork of the dress.
His personality was a eclectic and colourful as his choices for tie and boutonniere. The elongated structure of the boutonniere resembles the shape of the tie and the colours really stand out against the deep blue of the jacket.
This bouquet is meant to blend with the dress rather than contrast. The large use of baby’s breath creates a textural intricacy which matches the the textural intricacy of the bodice of the dress, creating a gentle cohesion and adds to the princess feel that matched the bride’s personality.
Lucy is a
Montreal WEdding Photographer
I’m here to photograph your joy, and [hopefully] make you ugly-cry (even if in private or just on the inside!)
My mission is your dream wedding.
Photo Credit: Talia Dezso Photography
Leverage the knowledge and expertise of the florist to help you navigate through the plentiful and colourful world of flowers. They may not last longer than the day, but in photographs, the wedding bouquet and boutonnieres will live on!
