wedding 2023 | Flowers For Your Wedding

From Bougie to Basic

by Anne Pyburn Craig

date posted: March 16, 2023

Flowers by the bride.
Photo by Clean Plate Pictures.

The most basic wedding flowers are bouquets, boutonnieres, and centerpieces.

The beauty, scent, and subtle sexiness of flowers make them the perfect wedding decor. Even if you’re minimalists eloping in a meadow, you’ll probably find yourself picking a few daisies for the bride to hold. Assuming you’re going a bit more elaborate, here are some floral hints, tips, and inspirations for your festivities.

floral decor

The most basic wedding flowers are bouquets, boutonnieres, and centerpieces. If you’re going to start adding from there, think about altar flowers and decor for the head table at the reception, both locations that are likely to be photographed a lot. Talk to your planner and florist about repurposing floral arrangements from the ceremony as part of the reception decor..

If you want to dress up the pews or chairs of your ceremony venue, consider small organic arrangements—they’re easier to repurpose than “pew markers.” Consider making a floral portal with a statement piece on either side of the aisle at each end. At the reception, centerpieces for tables should be small enough that they don’t interfere with eating and talking. Avoid heavy scents that might compete with the flavors of the meal.

Remember those repurposed ceremony arrangements we talked about? They’d work great beside the bar and/or at the dessert table. Where else can you put flowers? Pretty much anywhere they fit! If there’s a spot that really needs some cheer, but there’s no room for traditional arrangements, consider hanging baskets, garlands, or floral chandeliers.

Top Left: Flowers by Adams Fairacre Farms. Photo by Sweet Alice Photography. Bottom Left: Flowers by Earthgirl Flowers. Photo by Couple of Dudes Photography.

floral wearables

Your bridal bouquet is a statement piece—it’s going to be in lots of photos and get lots of attention. If you’re hankering for a big one, remember you can bulk it up with greenery or with less costly flowers that mesh well with your fancier blooms.

Consider getting a smaller, simpler version of your bridal bouquet for the bouquet toss. You can take home your primary one, to preserve or just enjoy for a few days, and it lessens the risk of knocking over a small flower girl. Speaking of flower children, keep things tastefully simple for them with a small floral crown and basket of petals. Boutonnieres need not be fancy, but it’s nice if there’s an echo of the bride’s bouquet in them. Same for the corsages for any VIPs.

Try repurposing floral arrangements from the ceremony as part of the reception decor.

adams fairacre farms

Hudson Valley, 845-336-6300 (Kingston), adamsfarms.com

Create your own bouquet or let one of their florists design an arrangement for you from their array of fresh-cut flowers: roses, snapdragons, orchids, lilies—selections from far and wide that change from day to day and season to season. They also specialize in creating arrangements for every kind of event, and they deliver locally. Stop by any of their four locations and see what’s blooming at the Adams Flower Shop.

dirty girls design

Hudson Valley, 845-626-1310, dirtygirlsdesign.com

Inspired by place and informed by season, Dirty Girls Design’s arrangements capture the wilds of the Hudson Valley—spring’s emergent growth, summer’s explosion of color and bounty, fall’s abundance of foliage, flower, and fruit. Even winter offers hardy, textural foliage and striking architectural forms. We are committed to sourcing local material, both farmed and foraged, and cultivating authentic relationships with clients to create distinctive occasions.

earthgirl flowers

Callicoon Center, 845-807-3747, earthgirlflowers.com

Getting hitched? Having an affair? Invite (hire) us to be your flower girl. Specializing in weddings we design your flowers down to the very last petal. Our flowers come direct from our farm to your tabletop and we have access to other local blooms and flowers from around the globe: Please call, email or text to discuss your upcoming event. Orders accepted days, weeks, months or years before. Engage us for Sullivan, Delaware, Ulster & Orange Counties.

flowers by jo-ann

Washingtonville, 845-496-3343, flowersbyjoann.com

We are a mother/daughter design team with a passion for nature and creativity. Our mission is to design floral creations that are a tribute to your personality. We consider it an honor to design the florals that will become a focal point of your special day. We accept a limited number of weddings, allowing us to work with each couple and provide the best experience possible. We love getting to know our couples going the extra mile to make sure every detail is perfect and fits into your overall look, creating beautiful memories that you will cherish for a lifetime.

gnomes home floral

Catskills, 518-821-1750, gnomeshomefloral.com

Handcrafted and locally sourced custom wedding arrangements and decor. Bountiful bouquets and lush greenery to unique crystals and whimsical displays. We simply enhance the scenery of the Hudson Valley and embrace your ideas! Over 10 years of wedding planning and design experience.

kalleco nursery corp.

Tillson, 845-658-3553, kallecoplantnursery.com

Kalleco Nursery is home to Maureen Newman, who’s been creating floral works of art for over a decade. A Hudson Valley native, she draws inspiration from her home. Her offbeat, romantic design sense and open nature make her your perfect partner to make your floral visions a reality at your wedding or celebration. Bouquets, tablescapes, and boutonnieres, as well as plant and rustic décor rentals.

meadowscent

Gardiner, 845-255-3866, meadowscent.com

Wedding flowers should be as unique as the couple getting married! From rustic and romantic to sleek and contemporary, Meadowscent’s designers are the professionals keeping up on current styles and trends. Let them take your pictures and inspirations and create stunning florals just for you. Meadowscent carries flowers from sustainable farms and features local products seasonally, providing you with the most beautiful blooms available in a responsible manner.

petal creek farm

Milan, 845-379-0345, petalcreek.com

Petal Creek is a family-run micro flower farm and design studio located in the heart of the Hudson Valley, specializing in crafting bespoke floral designs for personal and corporate events, weddings, hospitality, commercial, and home. Seasonally offering CSA flower shares, dahlia tuber sales, local wholesale partnerships, bulk, and so much more. Slow Flowers Society and ASCFG member.

the dancing tulip

Saugerties, 845-247-3164, dancingtulipfloral.com

The Dancing Tulip will work with you to make your wedding day exactly what you envisioned. Consider us your partner on this floral journey. We are a full-service floral boutique. We are here to help you every step of the way: from discovering your unique floral style to delivery and set-up. Let us bring your floral dreams into full bloom.