Winter weddings are beautiful – sparkly, white, a minimalist’s dream. (And by avoiding the more popular spring and summer wedding season, potentially a bit cheaper!) But they definitely come with some challenges, like the cold. Luckily, there are ways to create extraordinary winter wedding bouquets that will stand up to the cold and add magic to the day. Even if every one of your guests is attending via Zoom.
Fill your bouquet with winter-y beauty
There’s no use pretending you are on a beach in Hawaii if you are in Edmonton in the dead of winter. Embrace the landscape and the beauty of the surroundings by using what nature offers. Think boughs of fir, cedar or juniper, some (spray painted or natural) pinecones, and even lovely twigs or slender branches like curly willow. Not only do these lovely natural components make a nice nod to our surroundings, but their addition makes for a visually interesting bouquet.
Add some berries
Berries add a lovely textural component to a bouquet and tend to handle frosty temperatures better than many flowers. Whether you use the dusty blue-grey of a juniper or the classic wedding staple the hypericum berry, these can add liveliness to your bouquets, or stand up on their own as minimalistic boutonnieres. Holly and mistletoe make a wonderful festive addition to table centerpieces if you are planning a Christmas wedding.
Choose hardy flowers
Of course, most brides still want their bouquets to have flowers in them. And flowers you shall have! There are many beautiful varieties of blooms that fare well in short stints of freezing temperatures – carnations, tulips and roses, for instance. Ranunculus, with their layered blooms, add texture and interest to a winter wedding bouquet, and are in season.
Delicate flowers like hydrangea or orchids won’t fare well in cold temperatures, so keep that in mind when choosing your flowers.
Add other interesting textures
You don’t have to just stick to what you find outside or what flowers do well in the cold. You can always add other interesting items to a bouquet to make it pop. Christmas decorations, feathers, and ribbon (or other interesting materials) add dimension and contrast (and maybe some sparkly glamour) to a bouquet that won’t be affected by the weather. Dried lotus pods, either au naturel or spray-painted gold, silver or bronze, also add an interesting variety to a bouquet. Add sparkle with vintage brooches, buttons or beads; add delicate fabrics.
You can get as creative as you want with your additions and trust that they will not only hold up to the weather but help create a special wedding bouquet that is truly your own.
Go with white
Nothing screams winter or wedding quite like a monochromatic white bouquet. Adding cream colours, pale greens, and lots of varied texture keeps an all-white bouquet from appearing too boring, and it will always look beautiful with the dress and sparkling snow. White is a classic look for a reason. It looks fresh and clean and incredibly glamourous. And so many beautiful flowers come in shades of white, so you don’t have to worry about being limited in choice. Adding different sizes and shapes and touches of warmth keeps the bouquet from appearing too prim and traditional (though that can be beautiful as well!)
Go bold
Of course, not all brides want muted white. For the wedding that demands a little brightness to contrast to the stark surroundings, winter bouquets in rich jewel tones, bold reds and greens, and even black or dark purple can be stunning against a snowy backdrop. Embracing Christmas themes and going with poinsettias is easy and breathtaking. Or you can go for monochromatic looks in bolder colours, like pinks or purples, and add lots of texture and visual interest with other materials and a variety of blooms. Just work with someone who understands arrangements (ahem!) so that the bouquet still fits a cohesive theme and doesn’t embrace boldness simply for the sake of boldness.
Bold Winter Bouquet Created by May
Whatever you decide to do for your floral arrangements on your big, wintery day, you don’t have to make sacrifices. You just have to take the weather, environment, and your needs for the day into account when you are picking your bouquet. Ultimately, you can make whatever you want work. But by considering your surroundings, you can make the day even more beautiful and little less stressful.