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Spring Wedding Reception Table Styles – theknot.com

Classic Spring Wedding Style

Colors: Peony pink and leaf green

Table Settings: Make these classic colors stand out by incorporating them in unexpected ways. Instead of a table runner, use pink and green ribbons in varying shades, widths, and textures to create a colorful statement on white linens. Give some tables green napkins and others pink napkins. White chiavari chairs will play up the garden feel. Add sashes or cushions in pink and green hues.

Centerpieces: Don’t feel obligated to stick to two shades. Instead, go for lush centerpieces that incorporate a range of pinks, from deep pink peonies to pale pink freesias, and rich greenery pieces like hanging amaranthus.

Finishing Touch: Place a single fresh flower in each guest’s napkin. If you’re going with colorful napkins, choose a contrasting bloom or try using white, which will stand out against the fabric.
See more pink weddings.

Rustic Spring Wedding Style

Colors: Chocolate brown and robin’s egg blue

Table Settings: Use the main chocolate-brown tone for your linens; then pick up the blue subtly — think ivory-colored napkins with a blue edge. Opting for family-style banquet seating will add to the sophisticated ambience, as will candles in Mason jars. To keep with the color scheme, use coffee beans to anchor the candles inside the jars.

Centerpieces: Place trios of centerpieces on each table arranged in unique containers — think branch baskets, Mason jars, or, if you’re up for hitting some yard sales, antique ceramic pitchers. Go with the main brown hue for the largest centerpiece using curly willow, dried seedpods, and dried herbs. For the middle size one, blue hydrangeas will beautifully tie in the accent color. In the smallest, use white blooms. We love the idea of displaying one or two super-sized blooms, like peonies or gardenias.

Finishing Touch: Place a mini bird’s nest with three blue Jordan almonds inside next to each guest’s charger.
See more blue weddings.

Modern Spring Wedding Style

Colors: Poppy orange and celadon green

Table Settings: Choosing spring colors with a dramatic contrast — one bolder, one more pastel — makes this combo modern. Use the same philosophy with your decor. Mix and match square and round tables. Set round dinner plates atop square chargers in celadon. Bring in the poppy orange with napkins in neatly folded triangles. Keep your linens white or ivory so the colors and shapes really pop.

Centerpieces: Alternate between high and low centerpieces. For a low centerpiece, bright green wheatgrass studded with anemones or gerbera daisies in orange hues are simple but make a statement. For tall centerpieces, go with a few stems of brilliant orange Mokara orchids springing from a celadon vase, or consider green cymbidiums and a deep orange vase.

Finishing Touch: Create place cards in the wedding colors, but instead of having them alternate back and forth, do them in pairs — two orange cards followed by two green so couples will have the same colored place card.

Vintage Spring Wedding Style

Colors: Pansy purple and butter yellow

Table Settings: To keep things modern rather than kitschy, stay somewhat subtle. Instead of opting for patterned linens, get a similar effect by placing a vintage-inspired, lacy white overlay over butter yellow linens. Then bring in antique-y patterns for other details, like using toile or chintz seat cushions that incorporate the wedding colors.

Centerpieces: Go with classic spring blooms, like grape hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips, growing from pots. You can leave the pots terra cotta or seek out ones glazed in seasonal colors. Alternate between full-size plants and the mini versions; set out trios of the minis. In addition to purple and yellow, feel free to mix in a little bit of pink and orange to keep things from getting too match-y. A bonus: Guests get to take the flowers home.

Finishing Touch: Use vintage images from seed packets or old decor and gardening magazines (try eBay or antique stores to find them) on your stationery, like your place cards or table numbers.
See more purple weddings.

Formal Spring Wedding Style

Colors: Warm ivory and candlelight white

Table Settings: Choose rich and contrasting textures to keep things from being too washed out or wintry — think candlelight pintucked linens and ivory satin napkins. You might also choose to bring in a subtle metallic hue with pale silver or platinum chargers, or even chiavari chairs in one of those hues adorned with rich ivory cushions.

Centerpieces: All shades of warm white, obviously! Make the most of the season with springtime blooms like French tulips, lilies of the valley, and hyacinths. Flowers that have a hint of green in them, like lady’s slipper orchids and cabbage roses, will add depth and bring in a bit of seasonal color. Another option is to highlight the flecks of yellow, pink, and brown on white irises or alstroemerias.

Finishing Touch: Candles in frosted white glass votives will provide a rich glow for your tabletops, or choose tealights in clear or frosted glass holders. Keeping your whites warm will banish any idea of winter and announce that spring is here!

– Kate Wood

Spring Wedding Myths Busted! – theknot.com

Spring is the time of year most often associated with weddings, so you might feel there are even more expectations about what kind you should have. But we’re here as always to tell you that the kind of wedding you should have is the kind that works for you! We’ve broken down some of the most common assumptions about spring weddings to help you make your own rules.

Myth #1: You Must Use Pastel Colors

Though some spring brides embrace the colors traditionally associated with the season, others cringe at Easter egg-inspired hues. If you find yourself in the latter category, go with a color scheme that fits your style best. Pulling off an unexpected palette gives your wedding an element of surprise that will wow your guests. If you want to go with a seasonally appropriate but still unconventional choice, take the pastels up a few notches and go with brighter hues like hot orange, acid green, and magenta.

Myth #2: You Have To Have Flowers Everywhere

On the one hand, spring is a bride’s bonanza for flowers — a huge variety of blooms are in season and easy to get. But if flowers aren’t your thing, there are lots of options for creating interesting and unusual decor. One way is to incorporate other kinds of natural elements into your centerpieces: Think moss, wheatgrass, river rocks, or herbs. While these will still evoke a spring-like feel of freshness and rebirth, there’s not a flower in sight. Want something more dramatic? Towering, blooming branches like cherry blossoms, quince, or dogwood look modern and incorporate some flowers without being in-your-face. Best of all, they look great anywhere — whether on the altar or on your reception tables.

Myth #3: You Have To Have a Daytime Wedding

Dreaming of an evening affair? Don’t let the season stop you. Some associate spring with a brunch reception. Brunches are beautiful, but they’re not the best option if you want to have an all-out dance party. Though the days are getting longer, you can still wait until sunset (or even later) for your ceremony. If you want a daytime wedding — particularly outdoors — go ahead and take advantage of the fair weather. Spring’s milder temperatures make a midday wedding much more comfortable than it would be in the heat of summer.

Myth #4: You Have To Stay Inside

We know, we know — April showers. While in many places early spring (in other words, March) can be unpredictable, don’t rule out an outdoor wedding for the entire season. The elements will be a factor in an outdoor celebration at any time of year, but rather than giving up on going al fresco, just plan ahead. When you’re looking at ceremony and reception sites, ask what other couples had done as a rain plan and whether any changes needed to be made. Get the details on those other spaces so if you’re planning to have 200 guests, you won’t choose a site where the indoor space can only hold 120. Another option: Reserve a just-in-case tent.

Myth #5: Your Attire Should Be Informal

The weather’s warmer so hemlines can be higher. Sure, your bridesmaids won’t have to worry about freezing in tea-length dresses, but it doesn’t mean you have to have them. If floor-length is more your style, that’s just fine. Same goes for your gown and the guys’ attire. Though a light-colored linen suit would be perfectly apropos for some springtime affairs, if a classic tux better suits the tone of your wedding, go for it. No matter what time of year you’re marrying in, the main thing that’s important is comfort — so if you love the look of satin dresses but are worried your maids will be melting, choose a similar style in a more forgiving fabric like a silk blend.

Special thanks to Amy Child Marella, designer and owner of The Hidden Garden Floral Design, Los Angeles, CA; Christine Paul, owner of Christine Paul Events, Inc., New York, NY; Maya Kalman, founder and president of Swank Productions, New York, NY

 

– Kate Wood

Spring Wedding Catering Ideas; theknot.com

The weather’s warming up and everything’s in bloom — what’s not to be excited about? Bring the best of the season to your reception menu by adding a hint of spring to your plates.

 

Divine Drinks

A signature cocktail is a great way to personalize your wedding any time of year, and spring is no exception. With temps on the rise, drinks that are crisp, cool, and refreshing — think Limoncello or champagne cocktails like Bellinis — are perfect for spring. One idea we love: Use a squeeze bottle to monogram frozen margaritas or blended daiquiris (or any drink with a thick, frothy top layer) with a mix of Chambord and honey. But don’t drive your bartenders crazy! Stick with your last initial.

For a nonalcoholic drink, one great option is a lemonade bar. Serving different flavored lemonades — raspberry, lavender, kiwi, and so on — from large glass jars is refreshing for your guests and, with the range of colors, a lovely focal point for your decor.

Outstanding Apps

Kick off the meal with seasonally accented hors d’oeuvres. People associate eggs with spring, but rather than doing an all-out Easter-inspired feast, subtly bring them in with your appetizers. We love the idea of serving single poached quail eggs on demitasse spoons. Another to try: mini egg souffles.

You can also evoke a springtime theme with your salad course. Skip the iceberg; instead, go for mixed baby greens or mesclun, which have more of a fresh, straight-from-the-garden appeal. Adding a fruity element, like a few berries or a fruit-infused vinaigrette, will also play up the seasonal vibe.

Enticing Entrees

For your main course, keep things on the lighter side — skip the heavier fare associated with the winter months. Take popular wedding staples, like chicken or fish, and give them a seasonal touch by choosing entrees that bring in fresh herbs, like rosemary and mint. Citrusy marinades are another scrumptious, seasonally appropriate option.

Another way to bring a hint of spring to any entree is to garnish your plate. Choose a selection of cooked baby vegetables or asparagus spears, which are at their peak, or add a seriously spring-like touch with an edible flower, like a pansy or orchid.

Delectable Desserts

There are so many sugary delights that fit perfectly with spring. We love the idea of giving guests monogrammed petit fours or colorful French-style macaroons. White chocolate-dipped strawberries, which are in season, are another sweet idea. No matter what you choose, play up the time of year by leaning toward lighter flavors like vanilla, lemon, and berry creams.

One delicious dessert option is a Belgian waffle bar — perfect for a nighttime reception but also a great daytime-appropriate option. Rather than doing the full-on, plate-size kind, keep the fluffy creations about the size of an Eggo waffle. Offer guests a buffet of build-it-yourself toppings like fresh whipped cream, berries, and melted chocolate for a treat that’s guaranteed to please.

Special thanks to Christine Paul, owner of Christine Paul Events, Inc., New York, NY; Maya Kalman, founder and president of Swank Productions, New York, NY; Debbie Geller, owner of Geller Events, Los Angeles, CA

 

– Kate Wood

Winter Weddings: Dos and Don’ts of Winter Weddings – from theknot.com

Winter Wedding

Weddings aren’t just spring and summer affairs these days. More and more couples are opting to marry during what used to be the “off season” for nuptials, and why not? The romantic ambience of a snowy landscape, the relative lack of competition for vendors and sites — there’s lots to love about having a winter wedding. Read on for some of our tips on how to make yours memorable.

Don’t: Be Afraid to Experiment With Color

You shouldn’t feel bound to a palette of winter whites, greens, and reds that traditionally surround the holiday season. Why not choose bold, bright colors and create a tropical wonderland of mango oranges, Key lime greens, or pineapple yellows? It sounds counterintuitive, but it can actually create a fun, unexpected setting for your guests.

Do: Dress Your Bridesmaids in Style…

Throw out the old-school rules that say you have to wear certain fabrics depending on the time of year you’re getting married. It’s completely okay to choose a strapless dress rather than one with long sleeves, or silk charmeuse rather than double-faced satin — go with whatever works for your wedding style and your bridesmaids’ bodies. Check out photos of our favorite bridesmaid dresses.

…But Don’t: Leave Them Freezing!

Remember, though, you can’t be overly picky about what they wear when your bridesmaids are outdoors (which they will be, even if it’s just to dash from the limo to the church). If you’ve opted for glitzy heels that would be hazardous in snow (let alone ice), be okay with them toting along sneakers or boots to get from one place to the next. And obviously, coats are a must — in most parts of the country, it’ll take more than a pashmina to ward off the winter chill. Get more ideas for winter wedding accessories.

Do: Create a Cozy Reception…

There are plenty of ways to make your reception an even more inviting space. With the sun setting early, candles will create a romantic glow right from the start of your party. To add to the ambience, consider bringing in lush, soft textures: Think velvet ribbon tied around each napkin or chenille pillows and throws in a lounge area.

…But Don’t: Let It Overheat

Okay, we know it’s cold outside, but things may heat up on your dance floor. If it seems like guests are breaking a serious sweat, ask your wedding coordinator or site manager to turn the heat down a notch. Another option: If there are separate thermostats for different areas of your reception space, set the one for the dance floor area a few degrees lower.

Do: Be Gracious to Your Guests…

There are tons of winter-inspired ways you can thank your guests for joining you at your wedding. Winter- or holiday-themed favors are always favorites, like ornaments with each guest’s name on them before Christmas or delectable truffles near Valentine’s Day. Another option is do an extra late-night snack. We love the idea of giving out hot cocoa with shortbread cookies or mulled apple cider with gingerbread. See more top winter wedding ideas.

…But Don’t: Leave Them Out in the Cold!

If you want to have a receiving line, plan ahead of time how it will work so guests aren’t left freezing outside. If your ceremony space has a large enough entryway or vestibule, you may be able to wait there and have guests greet you after the ceremony. To hold a receiving line at the reception, do it inside rather than greeting guests as they enter. That way, when the line starts to bottleneck, guests in the back aren’t left waiting (and shivering) to get indoors.

 

– Kate Wood

Winter Weddings: Bridal Beauty Tips

winter weddings - beauty tips

Your Eyes

The best part about winter? The holiday cheer. The worst part? The dreary light that makes dark circles look darker and puffy eyes look puffier. Create a glow by using a little under-eye highlighter and having a hint of shimmer in your eye makeup.

Your Lips

If your wedding falls in the middle of the holiday season, consider making your lips appear glossier and add a touch of sparkle and shimmer to your makeup. Just don’t use shimmer on more than one part of your face: Do your lips or your eyes, not both.

Your Skin

Concentrate on warm, glowing hues. If you tend to look pale in winter, invest in a self-tanner and check that your foundation is still a proper match with your skin tone. To make sure your skin doesn’t dry out from the cold, add moisturizing oils to your bath; use a petroleum jelly product on your nails, heels, and elbows; and drink lots of water. The end result? A radiant, lit-from-within look.

Winter Weddings: Top Winter Menu Trends – from theknot.com

winter weddings - menu

Take advantage of the season by creating a mouthwatering menu that will keep your guests toasty on the inside and fuel them up to dance into the wee hours. From your cocktail hour to dessert, consider these fresh-from-the-hearth menu ideas.

Cocktail Hour Bites

During the winter months, the hearty classics are in demand, and caterers can fulfill that desire with whimsical takes on childhood favorites. For your cocktail hour, have waiters pass trays of delectable bites, such as spoonfuls of breadcrumb-coated mac and cheese; demi forks of spaghetti and meatballs (penne pasta with a mini meatball and a drizzle of Bolognese sauce); or panini lollipops (panini on a stick). Another top-ranking winter hors d’oeuvre: shot glasses of hot soup, such as tomato bisque garnished with grilled triangular cheese bites.

In place of roasted spuds on the side, consider having a risotto cake, a purple potato pancake, or wasabi whipped potatoes.

Soups and Salads

Toasty soup is a no-brainer for the first course of a wintry wedding meal. Some of today’s favorites: butternut squash with pumpernickel croutons, potato-leek with amaretto creme fraiche, or rich cheddar potato. And a winter salad calls for extra seasonal additions like cranberries, pears, and walnuts. Can’t decide whether to do soup or salad? Go with one of the season’s newest menu trends: soup-and-salad combo plates. Have your caterer place a small bowl of soup on one end of a rectangular plate and a cluster of salad on the other, or place the soup in the center of a round plate and surround it with salad.

Main Entrees

Especially appropriate for wintertime, top wedding planners are transforming the wedding meal into something more inventive and gourmet, a la what you’d find in a four-star eatery. Come entree time, classic filet mignon continues to be a favorite, but in place of roasted spuds on the side, you might consider having a risotto cake, a purple potato pancake, or wasabi whipped potatoes. Or opt out of the traditional steak and potatoes idea and serve a tasting menu — or “degustation” — of six or seven small courses. For example, you might start with a pumpkin soup served with an Asiago-truffle mac and cheese muffin; followed by a fish course, such as lemon-baked salmon; and then a meat course, such as horseradish-crusted lamb chops.

Veggie Entrees

Vegetarian and low-meat diets have begun to take center stage, and many brides and grooms are offering a veggie entree choice for guests. Whereas vegetarian options may once have been an unexciting afterthought (like a plate of mushy roasted eggplant, mushrooms, and peppers), caterers are now putting equal effort into making these dishes taste amazing. Two winter-appropriate, meat-free ideas: a jumbo portobello stuffed with cornbread, wild mushrooms and truffle essence, or a trio of peppers filled with three different types of risotto. Pasta dishes are back in a big way too, either as a second course or a vegetarian entree. Instead of plain pasta, go for whole wheat, spelt, or spinach.

Sweet Send-offs

Self-service candy bars (which can serve as both dessert and party favors) have been big for a few years now, but there’s a new take on them that’s perfect for trendy winter weddings: an all-white candy spread. Think white M&Ms, yogurt-covered pretzels, white chocolate-covered cranberries, white-coated chocolate mints, nonpareils covered in white sprinkles, and various white Jelly Belly flavors. Let your guests scoop up their favorites to take home with them in clear Chinese take-out boxes bearing a custom label or a snowflake icon. Another big menu trend that’s infiltrated the wedding scene: flights, aka three or more flavor variations served on one plate. We like this trend for a late-night chocolate dessert course made up of a mini chocolate pot de creme, a chocolate cheesecake lollipop, and a shot of Baileys Irish Cream in chocolate cup. It’s a sweet and stylish way to celebrate the season.

Sources: Andrea Correale, president of New York’s Elegant Affairs; Chicago-based event planner Debi Lilly of A Perfect Event

– Kathleen Murray

Winter Weddings: How to Deal With the Elements – from the Knot.com

winter weddings - elements

Dress Appropriately

You don’t have to forgo outdoor photos just because you’re getting married in the winter. Just make sure you’re prepared with warm attire to avoid shivering your way through your photo session.

  • Find a warm shawl or a winter coat to go with your gown. (This could even be your “something blue.”)
  • For shoes, go for a close-toed style. And if there’s a chance it’ll be icy, opt for a pair of white snow boots that you can change in and out of for traveling between venues.
  • Also, consider adding white gloves, extra-warm tights, and even fuzzy white winter ear muffs.
  • Don’t forget the groom! It would be a shame for him to have to cover up his slick, black tux. Instead, he can wear formal black coat to coordinate with his attire. For an added punch of color, have him pick out a cool scarf that goes along with your wedding colors and style.
  • Include your bridal party when you’re considering winter attire too. We know one Aspen, Colorado, bride who bought all her bridesmaids matching white down coats for the festivities. Give the groomsmen coordinating scarves and ask that they wear formal dark coats.

Arrange Transportation

Make it easy for your guests to get from the ceremony to the reception.

  • If snow and ice are a possibility, consider having your ceremony and reception at the same venue, saving your guests any travel trouble.
  • If guests will be driving to the reception space, consider valet parking so that they don’t have to walk far from their cars to the entrance.
  • Have the number of a car service on hand at the reception just in case the weather takes a turn for the worse. That way, you can be certain everyone gets home safely.

Prep Your Space

Take care to avoid any cold-weather mishaps when you make arrangements for your reception space.

  • Have a place for all your guests to put their coats and scarves. For parties of 50 or more, you’ll most likely need to hire a coat-check attendant to take care of your guests as they enter and exit throughout the evening.
  • At the entrance to the reception, make sure there’s a proper all-weather mat for guests to wipe their shoes on. This is especially important if the sidewalks are slushy.
  • Choose a reception venue that has plenty of space between the door to the outside and the reception room. That way, you’ll keep the indoor environment toasty and warm. If your reception will take place in a tent, arrange for an extra tent layer and double-door tent to create an entryway and keep out the cold air.
  • If you’re having a tented wedding, definitely make sure you order heat lamps. Place them around the room — one per ten guests should be enough.

 

– Anja Winikka

Winter Weddings: Winter Wedding Cakes

winter weddings - cakes

See photos of the best winter wedding cakes.

Wedding Cake Flavor

For your winter wedding, pick a cake that tastes like winter. What does winter taste like, exactly? Think rich flavors — and don’t be afraid to stray from the traditional white cake. Consider a caramel spice cake filled with caramel and a buttercream frosting, or an orange chocolate cake with dark chocolate filling and decorated with flecks of orange. For a lighter cake with a taste that still reflects the season, go for a white cake with cranberry buttercream frosting and filling.

Wedding Cake Color

Color counts for every wedding cake, and nothing says “winter” better than a palette of whites, icy blues, and deep reds or rustic greens mixed with brown. Add a hint of winter color with a simple chocolate ganache-covered cake trimmed in light blue, or an ivory buttercream cake trimmed in red. Or let the winter colors pop with an ivory cake covered in red sugarberries and green sugar holly leaves. See what real brides chose as their winter wedding colors.

Wedding Cake Flowers

Match your wedding cake to your bridal bouquet by asking your baker to create sugar versions of your flowers. For a modern wedding, ask your baker to make a few large graphic sugar calla lilies for your cake tiers. If you’re going for a more classic look, find out whether your baker can “paint” small stephanotis flowers along your cake using an edible dye. Find your winter wedding flowers.

Wedding Cake Shapes and Add-ons

When it comes to a winter wedding cake, snowflakes, pinecones, and other winter elements made out of chocolate, sugar, or gum paste are an obvious choice. But you don’t have to go overboard with these add-ons to get a wintery look. Instead, you can order a white cake with subtle white sugar snowflakes. The tone-on-tone look will up the elegant factor and still give you the same seasonal effect. See more winter wedding ideas.

Wedding Cake Sides

Whether you’re already set on a wedding cake design or you’ve decided to take your wedding cake in a not-so-seasonal direction, consider serving a winter-inspired side with your wedding cake. Serve cake a la mode with black walnut ice cream; add a handful of starlight mints to each plate; or indulge comfort-food lovers with warm chocolate pudding.

 

– Anja Winikka

Read more: Winter Wedding Cakes – Real Weddings – Winter Weddings – TheKnot.com http://wedding.theknot.com/real-weddings/winter-weddings/articles/winter-weddings-winter-inspired-cakes.aspx#ixzz1fJsAEXcf

Winter Weddings: Winter Cocktail Hour Ideas -from Knot.com

winter weddings - cocktails

Find the Perfect Drink

Spruce up your cocktail hour with flavors of the season like peppermint, butterscotch, and cranberry. Try a peppermint-infused martini garnished with mini candy canes for a decidedly December wedding. Or try a cranberry cosmopolitan garnished with tiny dried cranberries. For a drink that’s sophisticated yet unique, serve pear champagne cocktails garnished with frozen pear wedges or mint sprigs. Are you having your wedding in a really cold climate? Warm everyone up with cups of hot chocolate and hot buttered apple cider (check out the recipe below). If you think your guests might not be up for a warm, rich drink before dinner, serve the drink after the cake-cutting.

Choose a Menu

When you’re selecting your cocktail hour hors d’oeuvres, choose flavors that mesh well with your signature drink. You might love mini quesadillas, but sipping a peppermint martini at the same time could leave an odd aftertaste.

Talk to your caterer about making sure the hors d’oeuvres match the libations, and let seasonal ingredients be your guide.

Like your cocktails, opt for savory winter bites infused with seasonal foods and flavors, such as rosemary, almond, and warm cheeses. Try a menu of mini shortbread tarts, cheddar herb rolls, and white chocolate pretzels. Or go for spinach-cheese phyllo triangles, sausage-stuffed mushrooms, and crackers topped with a walnut-date spread. Talk to your caterer about making sure the hors d’oeuvres match the libations, and let seasonal ingredients be your guide.

Deck out Your Space

One clear way to make sure your cocktail hour reflects the season is with the decor. Adorn your space with shimmery silvers, sleek winter whites, and glowing candles. Try floral arrangements with twinkling lights mixed in, such as white pomanders hung with ribbon and miniature Christmas tree lights.

Beyond the flowers, lighting is key to create the right mood for your cocktail hour space. Consider hiring a lighting team that can wash the space in a soft blue light, or pinspotting to illuminate the centerpieces and add a sense of drama. Or cover the room in glowing votive candles to create a warm, romantic atmosphere.

 

– Anja Winikka

Winter Weddings: Flower Arrangements for Winter Weddings – from knot.com

winter weddings - flowers

Romantic Winter Whites

White weddings have always ruled in winter, but an all-white color palette doesn’t have to mean modern, stark white floral arrangements. Stylish brides and grooms are going for a soft, “antique” white effect, made up of flowers in creams, ivories, and even very pale blush hues. As for the blooms themselves, consider a mix of classics like white amaryllis, calla lilies, orchids, tulips, and anemones. This combo can create an effect of gently modulated color and texture that will look both elegantly monotone and lavishly romantic.

Rich, Festive Reds

Decadent reds have become especially popular flower arrangements for weddings in December and February. The best red winter blossoms: roses, anemones, amaryllis, gloriosa lilies, calla lilies, and cymbidium orchids, just to name a few. Floral designers are using “monofloral” arrangements in which one flower type is bunched tightly into high-impact, sculptural displays and spread throughout the room. Another idea is to go for more variegated centerpieces; a broad palette of shades including ruby, deep orange, wine, and plum are combined for a visually rich, intriguing effect.

Find out when flowers are in season with our ultimate wedding flower guide.

Tactile Accents

Florists can add dimension to your centerpieces by mixing in touches of sage green lamb’s ear and silvery Dusty Miller leaves. You’ll get a frosty effect that reflects the season while breaking up an all-white or red palette. You can do the same with your bouquet. Carry a single-flower cluster down the aisle (think a mass of anemones, tulips, or roses), and keep it interesting by incorporating these small bursts of color and texture.

Beyond Floral Bouquets

Think outside the flowerbed and bring in a few nonfloral elements, such as white snowberries or viburnum, hypericum, or pepper berries, which add dimension and serious seasonal appeal. Some brides are even adding dramatic feathers to their flowers, and most are asking for the boutonnieres to echo their multitextured bouquets. A few boutonniere ideas for the guys’ lapels: Use a single white feather and cluster of snowberries, or a eucalyptus berry against a silver-green Dusty Miller leaf.

Sources: NYC floral and event designer DeJuan Stroud; Debi Lilly of Chicago’s A Perfect Event; Andrea Correale, president of Elegant Affairs, Inc. in Long Island, New York.

 

– The Knot