Well…. it’s January.
January is booking season. January is also the time that we all have settled into the “off-season” enough to reminisce about our recent season. January is also “submit to publications season”.
So… I was sifting through wedding portraits from an incredible wedding season. Deciding which portraits to submit is a big process. While going through 2015’s weddings, I couldn’t help but notice all the beautiful florals I was lucky enough to photograph, so here I am, procrastinating on choosing weddings for submission. This procrastination doesn’t come without benefits though. There florals are easy on the eyes! You can almost smell them. They’ll give you inspiration for your own wedding plans. Did I mention that they’re beautiful??
Florals are a tricky thing to figure out. How many do you need? How big should your bouquet be? How will the flowers fit in with your wedding aesthetic? Do you want a wild and loose bouquet or something more classic? Bright or soft florals? Ceremony florals? Floral centrepieces? Floral headpieces? Will the flowers you want be in season? The options are endless, but the decision to include florals in your wedding is an important one!
One of the best things about being a Kelowna Wedding Photographer is that I get to work with SO MANY amazing floral artists. Lucky for all you brides, I’m just going to go ahead and help you skip good old Google, and share some of the best in the Okanagan with you! I have included a couple DIY wedding florals for inspiration, but the rest were all created by the best of the best. All those questions I listed above. Overwhelming, right? It’s ok – the florist you choose will be able to help you with all those questions!
I love florals. All of them. They smell good. They look great. They tie everything together and are the final touch to the bride’s look. They’re the final touch to the reception tables, to the bridesmaid’s and groomsmen’s attire. Christina, of Classic Creations Floral Design put the perfect florals together for Kate and Jeff’s September Sparkling Hill/Private lakeside residence wedding. Pulling colours from Kate’s dress, her accessories, and bridesmaid dresses tied everything together perfectly. Kate and her bridesmaids raved all day about how much they loved their flowers. I loved them too.
This next bouquet made by Christina (Classic Creations Floral Design, again!) was perfect for Amanda. Amanda and Ryan’s Hotel Eldorado wedding was classy, beautiful, and romantic in every aspect. Florals can really set the tone of the wedding. These florals are classy, beautiful, and romantic. In addition to Amanda’s beautiful bouquet, Christina provided the reception florals, which were simple and beautiful.
This next wedding’s florals were DIY. Well, kind of. Amanda and Andrew were married at Big Bar Guest Ranch in Clinton, BC. They rented the entire Ranch for the weekend of their wedding. This wedding is famously known (in my house) as “The Weekend Wedding”. Many members of Amanda’s family contributed to several aspects of the wedding. Luckily, Amanda’a aunt – a former florist, offered to put together her bouquet, boutonnieres, ceremony, and reception florals. She did not disappoint! This end of summer wedding couldn’t have had more perfect florals. They included elements of the ranch’s natural surroundings. I personally think that including natural elements of the location of your wedding takes place is the best idea ever. It keeps the wedding’s aesthetic cohesive and pleasing to the eye. Amanda’s dress had a blush under-layer and the florals complement it perfectly!
Let’s talk reception florals. Have you ever been in a room with no plants? And then, you add a plant, and suddenly the room feels just so alive and comfortable? That’s what I think about reception florals. I think every reception should have loads of florals. It brings life to an indoor venue and it enhances the natural beauty of an outdoor location. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by beautifully smelling and looking florals? Ok, maybe it’s just me, but I think the idea of a garden wedding with florals everywhere would be SO beautiful! These beautiful florals are put together by Janice of Crocus Floral Design. Janice definitely isn’t afraid to include florals in every element of the wedding. I love how she can add just one single, pretty little flower on the top of a plate and suddenly, the plate is infinitely more beautiful.
I did mention that I love outdoor weddings, right? Ranch weddings, cabin weddings, lakeside weddings, barn weddings, garden weddings. I want to photograph them all! Carlee and Matt were married at the beautiful Cozy Cabins in Vernon. Carlee wanted a wild, big, beautiful bouquet. They didn’t arrive exactly as she wanted (hey! It happens!), but we were able to make the best of the situation by picking some fern leaves from the grounds and adding them to her bouquet. Voila! Big, beautiful, and wild! Again – the natural elements tying all elements of their outdoor wedding together.
Amy and Mark were a fun couple who had a beautiful outdoor wedding at Linden Gardens. Amy’s fun-loving and adorable personality were reflected in her bright and colourful wedding florals. Amy and her bridesmaids adorned beautiful floral crowns as well. I don’t think Amy could have chosen better florals for her wedding – naturally beautiful, as is she. They were truly a reflection of their personalities. These florals were put together by a friend of Amy.
Society Floral hit the nail on the head with these wedding florals. Christie and Rob wanted their Hotel Eldorado wedding to be classically beautiful and romantic. With romantic blush and gold as their wedding colours of choice, the green accents in the arrangements brought so much life to their decor (which was the amazing work of Vintage Origami Weddings). Roses just scream classic beauty.
Sometimes, picking florals that are completely different than anything you’ve ever seen before, is the best idea ever! Megan’s dress was blush chiffon with a blush sequinned bust. A simple and beautiful dress. The florals add an element of uniqueness to her overall look and the floral crown perfectly compliments her natural make-up. This wild and creative bouquet is compliments of Darquise of Blue Sage Farms.
Colour is your friend. Go for it. Add colour. Get creative! Rustic Wedding, in Sorrento, BC, put these beautiful florals together. And sometimes, all you need is a pinecone on a plate to bring life to the party. Plus… how cute are pinecones?!
Caity’s bouquet choice was definitely a reflection of her personality. Classic, beautiful, bright (have you seen this girl’s smile??), and colourful. Caity definitely makes a statement and isn’t afraid to be the centre of attention with these colourful florals. This beautiful creation came from Tangerine Orchid. AND they included the cutest note and towel for drying off the stems. it’s the little touches, right?
That wraps up this florals post! If you’re getting married in Kelowna, you’re exceptionally lucky to have this much talent to choose from! This is just the tip of the iceberg – there are so many other wonderful florists in the Okanagan.
I hope this post provided you with some valuable information and inspiration! Happy planning!!
