Flowers

Blooms for the bride

Bliss’s Top Five

Whether you’re a flower fanatic or clueless in the floral department, it’s always good to know what’s hot for your wedding day blooms. We asked local expert Betti Bliss of Bliss Fine Florals to fill us in on the top five latest trends.

1. In Flowers We Trust
Planning floral arrangements around the type of venue is essential to achieving the perfect look. And according to Bliss, the preferred destination for weddings is changing. “It seems that the traditional church wedding is becoming less and less,” says Bliss. “The ease of choosing a venue that serves as both the ceremony and the reception is easier and more cost efficient with respect to flowers because it's easier to reuse the blooms from the ceremony into the cocktail hour and ultimately the reception.”

2. Technicolor’s Last Stand
Gone are the days of the multi-colored bridal bouquet. Today’s bouquets are more streamlined, monochromatic and timeless, according to Bliss. “Brides should be choosing less of a mix of flowers, especially in regards to color,” she says. “I think it's okay to mix blooms as long as you stay within the same color family.”

3. Apple of Her Eye
Apple green is the new “it” color in wedding floral design. “I like to see brides using this color because it's so natural and there are so many varieties of flowers and even succulents that we can use,” says Bliss. Apple green plants and flowers can be dressed up for more elegant weddings by accenting it with white glass vases, or it can be dressed down in wood boxes for a more rustic look. Just remember to keep it simple – one main color is all you need.

4. Call of the Wild
“More ‘organic’ looking flowers are becoming very popular – things like kale, cymbidium orchids, pods, fern shoots, and moss,” says Bliss. The use of fruit (real fruit, not wax replicas) in floral arrangements is also making a comeback. Bliss recommends brightly colored fruits like blood oranges or freshly cut pomegranates that look great when mixed with a variety of similarly hued blooms.

5. Get Higher, Baby
Tall, dramatic centerpieces have been all the rage in recent years, but they’re due for an overhaul. “Brides still gravitate toward the globe form of flowers on top of a tall glass vase, but height can be added in so many other ways,” says Bliss. For one, using interesting wrought iron pieces that have different levels to them adds dimension, she says. Bliss also likes using a tall glass with the majority of the blooms at the base of the vase rather than at the top.

For more information, contact Bliss Fine Florals, 224 Balboa Ave., Balboa Island; (949) 675-2110, www.blissfinefloral.com

Brandishing the Bouquet Every Bloomin’ Thing owner Bettina Miller knows a thing or two about flowers – she has owned her own floral shop since 1990. Her gorgeous bridal bouquets incorporate color and dimension that translate into a stunning show of floral delight for every type of wedding. Every Bloomin’ Thing, 250 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa; (949) 646-7899, www.everybloominthingoc.com

The One-Stop-Shop Ever wish there was one central place to go for all your wedding needs? Well, there is: Planit Event and Floral Boutique, an OC-based one-stop-shop for planning. If you have an idea (or even if you don’t), owner and founder Terri Gentry and partner Laura Dubrish are there to help you with over 30 years of experience in the hospitality business. From in-house floral design to day-of coordination and vendor communications, Planit will ease your worries, solidify your ideas and turn your fantasies into reality. Planit Event and Floral Boutique, 25 Mauchly, Suite 328, Irvine; (949) 727-4091, www.planit-oc.com

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