To toss or not to toss? That is the question!

Tossing a bouquet at the end of your Wedding Reception is not for everyone. Some Brides think it's just too traditional and some Brides I have known have even said "it's cheesy". It becomes even more questionable when you realize that you only have a limited number of single ladies attending that will be eligible for the catch.

Here's a suggestion that seems to work well....

Ask all of your married couples to stand up at some point in the Wedding Reception. The MC then asks those married less than 5 years to sit back down. Then s/he asks any of those married less than 10 years to sit down...and on it goes until you see only one couple standing. That wife receives the bouquet.

photo: Miles Robison

With the recent increase in same-sex marriage ceremonies, flowers can be tricky to design. The traditional "Bride with bouquet" seems a bit of a moot point, but here's something I came up with a few summers ago for these two ladies.

I designed simple, white dendrobien orchid leis. The couple wore them during their vows and as part of the Ceremony, they placed similar lies over their parents' shoulders as a symbolic gesture of thanks. This idea would also work with two men.

Welcome back to Wedding Bouquets - (Part 4 of 4)

"Bridal Bouquets - Different But Matched Set"

photos by bloomroom.ca

This Bride really wanted to try and individualize her Bridesmaids' bouquets, without straying too much from her colour scheme. In other words, she wanted the bouquets to be different, but the same?????

This is not always an easy request for a florist to fill, so I came up with these bouquets.

The Bridesmaids each had one type of flower in their bouquets - one had freesia, one roses, one lisianthus and one alstromeria - all in tones of purple. The Bride's bouquet had all four flower types, plus mini calla lilies and berries - a mixed display. The Bride's bouquet was symbolic, as it made her feel like she had a piece of each of her Bridesmaids along her walk down the aisle.

Here's another example...

This fabulous beach in Tofino, BC on Vancouver Island was the setting for a fun wedding a few years back. It was a crisp and sunny May weekend when the Bride and Groom tied the knot! The Ceremony took place in the late afternoon after a sports day on the sand with all the family members participating.

BloomRoom scattered rose petals (blocked by the wind by the guests forming a circle), and dug "mini bouquets" into the sand. We also added some hurricane candles (a good idea to deflect the wind that you often experience on the beach). We transferred the hurricane candles to the gust tables at the Reception (a great way to double-up and reduce costs!).

Of course we had sand in the hurricanes to
keep the candles anchored, so the beach stayed with the guests as they devoured their seafood supper.

photo: BloomRoom.ca

Some Reception venues have limited seating which can, in turn lead to your number of guests as maximum for the space. This sometimes results in the venue using narrow tables to increase the number of seats.

This picture shows a simple and classy dendrobien orchid with a curled bit of green leaf. They are showcased in a narrow vase that doesn't take up any excess space on the table top, yet the simple centerpiece still makes a statement.

The use of a clear glass vase (vs. a ceramic or solid container/vase) also adds to the non-cluttered feel.

For this outdoor wedding, the Bride wanted something a bit different.

We brainstormed together and came up with the design to place the guest chairs in four sections, to "surround" the Bride & Groom within a circle. There were four "aisles" or entry points, so the Bride walked into the circle and the Groom came in through the opposite side.

It was symbolic of true partnership and the wash of petals in the middle made for a fabulous pre-Ceremony focal point. We placed single red roses on some of the front row seats for the parents and other immediate family members.

This wedding couple designed a crossword with answers about their lives and time together. The guests were entertained with
the crossword until the wee hours! It was a wonderful way to start a dialogue between guests and get to know the wedding couple even more.

The black pencils stood in a small vase of rice, wrapped with a black ribbon. A single white gardenia completed the centerpiece and together these elements supported the black and white theme of the Wedding.