By Nita Robertson, AIFD

Indian weddings are among the most visually spectacular and culturally rich celebrations in the world. Known for their grandeur, vibrant colors and elaborate decor, flowers play a pivotal role in the celebration. Deeply woven into Indian traditions, different flowers carry unique symbolic meanings—representing purity, prosperity, beauty and spirituality. With more than 30 diverse South Asian cultures, each celebration reflects unique traditions and spirit, influenced by the couple’s family heritage. The specific rituals and traditions can vary across different communities, regions and families. Understanding the customs and traditions surrounding flowers in Indian weddings can unlock incredible opportunities to create stunning, culturally resonant floral designs. Let’s dive into the world of Indian wedding flower traditions and explore how you can cater to these timeless ceremonies.

A FLORIST’S DREAM

Unlike Western weddings, which typically last one day, Indian weddings often span several days. Each day features elaborate ceremonies, receptions and cultural traditions—many of which require fresh flowers. From the sacred wedding canopy to intricate garlands and floral jewelry, flowers play a vital role in every aspect of the celebration. These multi-day events provide a wealth of opportunities for florists who wish to expand their services to include this growing market. 

COMMON PRE-WEDDING RITUALS

Here are the customary events that take place in the days leading up to Indian wedding ceremonies—as well as some floral design suggestions.

Sangeet

Traditionally celebrated in the Punjab regions of India, this ceremony has been adopted by many other regions as a celebration before the wedding. Traditionally, it was a female-only gathering, but modern times allow for men to join in on the fun too. Unlike religious ceremonies, such as portions of the wedding, the “sangeet” is solely conducted to relish in the joy of the couple, and to bond the families and friends of the bride and groom before the big day. Florists have a great opportunity to decorate for this festive occasion by offering centerpieces and flower installations.

Mehndi

The “mehndi” ceremony is one of the most vibrant and cherished pre-wedding traditions in Indian weddings. This event, typically held a day or two before the wedding, is traditionally a time for the bride, her family and friends to gather in celebration as the bride’s hands and feet are decorated with intricate henna designs. Mehndi symbolizes beauty, love and the couple’s future prosperity.

Floral design ideas include:

Backdrops and Photo Walls:A stunning flower backdrop serves as the perfect setting for photos and enhances the overall ambiance. Florists can design walls of marigolds, roses, jasmine or orchids to create an enchanting backdrop for the henna application area.

Hanging Garlands and Canopies:Hanging strands of marigolds, roses or tuberoses from the ceiling or archways bring a festive and traditional touch. Canopies made of fresh blooms and greenery can create a magical, fragrant space for guests to gather in.

Flower-Adorned Seating for the Bride:The bride typically sits for hours while her mehndi is applied, making it essential to have a beautifully decorated seating area. A flower swing or an intricately designed chair adorned with roses, peonies or bougainvillea can make for a lovely focal point.

Table Centerpieces and Rangoli:Low flower arrangements with vibrant blooms, such as marigolds, Gerberas and carnations can enhance the dining or lounge areas. Additionally, you can create flower rangoli patterns on the floor using petals, adding to the traditional aesthetic. Rangoli—a colorful Indian art form said to bring good luck—welcomes guests and deities and symbolizes joy and prosperity.

Fresh Flower Jewelry

A growing trend in mehndi celebrations is flower jewelry, where the bride wears earrings, bangles and hairpieces made from fresh blooms like jasmine, roses and orchids. Guests may also wear flower wristlets or headpieces to match the festive theme.

Haldi

The pithi ceremony, also known as the “haldi” ceremony, involves applying turmeric paste and rose water to the betrothed couple. Haldi is a Hindi word for turmeric. This spice, considered to be incredibly healing, is used for a pre-wedding cleansing and purification ritual. The turmeric is made into a paste and rubbed onto different areas of the body. The yellow paste is believed to ward off evil, help the couple’s skin glow before the big day and bless them with good luck. This ceremony is a fun event that involves both sides of the family, and everyone wears orange and yellow. Floral design ideas include:

Marigold-Draped Entrance and Pathways: Marigolds, which symbolize prosperity and happiness in South Asian weddings, are a staple in haldi ceremony decor. Florists can create grand entrances adorned with cascading marigold garlands, forming a flower curtain that guests walk through. Pathways can be lined with fresh marigold petals or potted plants to create an immersive floral experience.

Hanging Installations

Since haldi ceremonies are often held outdoors in courtyards or gardens, you can design stunning hanging flower arrangements. For example, strings of yellow and orange marigolds, interspersed with jasmine or roses, can be suspended from trees, pergolas or ceilings to create a vibrant, festive canopy.

Backdrops for Rituals and Photos

A haldi celebration isn’t complete without a beautiful flower backdrop where the couple sits during the ceremony.  

Seating for the Bride and Groom

The couple usually sits on a low bench or swing during the haldi ceremony while family members apply turmeric paste. For example, you can design a flower swing draped in yellow and orange blooms, accented with flowing fabrics or fresh greenery—or, alternatively, a flower-adorned couch.

Centerpieces

For a cozy dining or lounge setup, you can create low centerpieces with yellow and orange roses, carnations and chrysanthemums. Or how about lush flower garland runners draping across tables?

Flower Jewelry for the Bride and Guests

Just like the mehndi ceremony, flower jewelry is a beautiful trend for the haldi event. Consider offering hair accessories, such as flower crowns or jasmine garlands to be intertwined in braids.

WEDDING RITUALS

Here are the specific parts of the ceremony that require a florist’s touch, as well as some other aspects of the wedding for which you could offer floral design.

Baraat

The word “baraat” means marriage procession. During this event, the groom makes a grand entrance into the wedding ceremony, often on horseback. In modern times, the baraat may include a fancy vintage or sports car, or motorcycle, instead of a horse. Florists can decorate the “vehicle” the groom chooses to make his ceremonial entrance into the wedding.

Flower Garlands (Jaimala or Varmala)

One of the most iconic elements of an Indian wedding is the exchange of garlands between the bride and groom. It symbolizes acceptance as well as shared love and responsibility. This moment has similar significance to the exchange of rings in a western wedding ceremony—it’s a union of two people and two families. Garlands are often made with marigolds, roses or jasmine, and embellished with golden threads or pearls for added elegance.

Wedding Mandap

The “mandap” is a four-post canopy altar that is a sacred space in which the bride and groom exchange their vows. The focal point of the wedding ceremony, it’s decorated with flowers to create a divine and festive ambiance. Traditional mandaps feature marigolds, roses and lotuses, while modern designs incorporate orchids, hydrangeas and lilies for a contemporary touch.

Entrance and Venue Adornments

From elaborate flower arches to cascading flower curtains, entrances and venues are adorned with flowers to welcome guests with grandeur. Traditional setups often use marigold strings, while luxurious weddings may incorporate exotic blooms like orchids and roses.

Bridal Accessories

Flower jewelry is a growing trend, especially for pre-wedding functions like mehndi (henna) ceremonies. Brides wear necklaces, earrings and hairpieces crafted from fresh blooms, such as jasmine, roses or carnations.

Indian weddings offer an opportunity to showcase creativity and cultural sensitivity on an unparalleled scale. By blending tradition with innovation, you can create unforgettable experiences that honor the rich heritage of Indian weddings while captivating modern couples. Are you ready to bring your floral artistry to Indian weddings? With the right vision and expertise, the possibilities are endless!

Insights from Wedding Florists

Rachel Stevenson, owner of EverAfter Floral Design, a custom wedding and event design company located in Myerstown, Penn., says she does an “inner happy dance” when contacted by Indian clients to design wedding flowers. That’s because she loves working with the bold colors that feature prominently in their vision.

“Bright, vibrant colors symbolize various aspects of Hindu spirituality. Red is the predominant color—especially for the bride’s dress—as it symbolizes prosperity, new beginnings, passion and feminine power. Other colors often featured include gold, green, orange/saffron, pink, purple and at times blue. All have various meanings within Hindu traditions symbolizing everything from purity, harmony and fertility to prosperity, luxury and power,” Stevenson explains.

“The symbolism continues in the various floral pieces traditionally used in the wedding ceremony,” she adds. “Flowers often adorn the mandap, with garlands of marigolds, jasmine and chrysanthemum being popular choices. Marigolds symbolize brightness and positive energy; the chrysanthemum symbolizes long life and happiness; and jasmine symbolizes elegance and spirituality. Jasmine is also often worn by the brides themselves, whether in their hair as a lucky charm or in the garlands exchanged between the bride and groom during the wedding ceremony.” Finally, Stevenson notes that when planning the floral designs with her clients, some opt to source the garlands used for the varmala themselves from a Hindu temple.

Rachel Cho, of Rachel Cho Floral Design in New York, also shared her experience with us. “Many couples, especially multi-ethnic ones, aim to honor their cultural heritage while adding a modern twist to their Indian weddings. This often involves blending Indian traditions with Western elements, like incorporating both Indian and non-Indian customs to represent both families. While the multi-day ceremony remains a key part, couples are opting for modern attire, decor and sometimes even a traditional Western ceremony alongside the sangeet,” Cho explains.

“Color plays a big role in Indian weddings, with vibrant hues like red and gold often taking center stage. Recently, we’ve seen couples modernize these colors by introducing softer shades like pastels or metallics, creating a fresh, personalized look while keeping the tradition alive,” she adds.

“What’s really exciting is seeing couples push creative boundaries,” says Cho. “We’ve worked on weddings where modern tech—like live performances mixing Bollywood and party music—is integrated into traditional rituals to capture the couple’s unique vibe. Ultimately, the goal is to create a wedding that reflects the couple’s unique love story and cultural background, while also giving them a space to express their individuality. As Indian weddings continue to evolve, it’s clear that tradition and modernity can coexist beautifully, and we’re thrilled to help bring those visions to life.”

Resource: Online course on Indian wedding planning and décor design.

Created by renowned wedding expert Mayuri Parikh, this course offers unmatched insights into the intricate world of Indian weddings.

https://indianweddingsworkshop.com/course-and-workshop

In the thick of wedding season, it can happen fast. We can lose ourselves during this hectic time and feel like each wedding begins to blur together. We can fall into the trap of losing touch with the importance of the wedding ceremony. The ceremony is what our clients look forward to most of all. It’s the moment they declare their love, devotion and promise—a moment they’ve dreamed of and planned for extensively. Photographs that capture the ceremony will become the treasured images our clients revisit for years to come. And we get to be right there, accentuating and crafting the beautiful setting to accompany their “I Dos.” What are your clients seeing, the moment they stand at the start of the aisle? What flowers will surround their first kiss, their first time hearing their names announced as a married couple?

It’s time for all of us to place ourselves in our client’s shoes and take a walk down the aisle. Because the ceremony is one of the most important designs of the entire wedding, it deserves our best effort. To explore the evolving trends at the altar and down the aisle, we’ve asked some of the industry’s top wedding designers for their input. Read on to learn more about a few new key trends in ceremony flowers.

Blending with the Surroundings

As sustainability and environmentally friendly practices continue to be a focus for consumers heading into 2025, a sustainable, locally sourced, nature-inspired look is increasingly popular in retail and events. While an “overgrown” smilax draped look has been a popular wedding installation for nearly the last decade, this nature-inspired aesthetic is getting a makeover. Rather than depending on vines alone to achieve this look, couples are opting for a more integrated, naturescape vibe. This often takes the shape of a grassy, meadow-inspired look, as seen in our last issue’s 2025 Trend Report, Meadow Modernism.

“Movement, shape and natural elements like grasses have been a popular choice,” says Frannie Priley of Figment Floral Design in Denver. “Unusual shapes like winding aisles, asymmetrical meadows and varying heights have been coming up more often. Nothing super ‘polished’—more organic like clustered groupings of flowers [that] naturally create a more garden feel,” she adds. These naturally inspired creations are often designed to reflect the environment where the ceremony takes place; after all, the couple selected the location with care. The atmosphere, features and natural elements of the ceremony space should be taken into consideration when crafting your floral plan, especially when designing a meadow-style installation. “Getting married in Colorado often means you’re framed by incredible mountain views,” says Priley. Describing her approach to responding to the scenery, she explains: “We don’t want to obstruct those views, compete or over complicate it. Creating a design that complements the space while highlighting the couple is something we always consider.”

Quite often, this look integrates the aisle into the altar, with a meandering meadow that follows the full journey of the ceremony. Foraging (with permission!) is an excellent way to keep the full installation cohesive, while also incorporating the surrounding environment into installations. Branches, brambles or grasses from the surrounding area are a great place to start, paired with locally sourced flowers and feature blooms, such as Cosmos, Allium, explosion grass and garden roses. Alternatively, this “meadow” vibe can be achieved by simply using carefully curated textural filler elements, such as long winding aisles of Gypsophila, Limonium, Queen Anne’s Lace, etc. If an installation is taking place inside, consider combining the architectural elements into the installation as an effective way to respond to the space, and bring the natural world indoors.

Color Your World

The classic white and green wedding will always be a traditional, beautiful presence in the wedding industry. However, bold splashes of color are having their moment. “We are increasingly asked to incorporate vivid colors that reflect a couple’s unique style and vision,” says Katie Noonan, AIFD, CFD, of Noonan’s Wine Country Designs in San Luis Obispo, Calif. “However, working with color comes with its own set of challenges, she adds. “As floral designers, we are accustomed to creating impactful moments through color blocking, where complementary hues are strategically placed for maximum visual effect. But using bold colors in a wedding requires careful planning and a keen eye for balance. The key challenge lies in making sure that the color story aligns with the overall aesthetic of the wedding while still creating visual harmony,” explains Noonan. To accomplish this, it’s important to understand color theory, recognizing how tone (which refers to a color’s shade or brightness) and hue (the pure color on the color wheel) can play together to create an impactful burst of color that is in harmony and not overwhelming.

“Creating the right color palette, from rich jewel tones to pastel gradients, is essential to bringing the client’s vision to life. It requires thoughtful pre-planning, understanding the interplay of hues, and knowing when to tone things down to create moments of subtle elegance or to allow certain colors to pop,” Noonan continues. This approach of color can be seen in a wide range of palettes, with bold citrus tones and meticulously curated earthy palettes, which will see a boom in 2025 with Pantone’s Color of the Year, Mocha Mousse. To bring out the richness of this color, for example, consider its place on the color wheel (a light tone, warm soft brown hue), and pair it with colors of a similar tone and warmth (For example, pair a warm mauve hue with a light tone, or a sage green. Or perhaps for bold contrast, pair it with a warm magenta or burgundy, while still maintaining a similar tone. Sample palettes featuring this color can be found on Pantone’s website). Expect to see more creative color palettes emerging in 2025 weddings.

Let Your Artistry Shine

According to wedding experts at Vouge, The Knot and Martha Stewart Weddings, 2025 couples are increasingly opting for more customized, highly personalized wedding details. Rigid traditions and timelines are less popular, with couples seeking more authentic, artistic expression on their big day. Fashion choices are becoming less predictable, and menus are evolving. In addition, custom decor is a huge focus. That’s great news for flower designers, as more couples want something unique and unexpected.

To fully take advantage of this new mentality, be sure to really get to know your clients upfront. Megan McCarter of The Little Branch in Los Angeles, is no stranger to a comprehensive consultation process. “I try to pull unique components, likes and inclinations from each couple and translate that into their installs,” notes McCarter. Unique elements are becoming increasingly popular in wedding décor—featuring everything from fruits and vegetables, drapery and large scale, textural installations. The key is in finding ways to incorporate custom details into the installations, creating one-of-a-kind decor that celebrates and showcases the love story of the couple. Perhaps the couple is from a region with specific foliage, fruit or flowers, or the fashion they choose has specific texture or embellishment that can be reflected in the installation. The opportunity for creativity, customization and collaboration is literally limitless–allowing flower designers to truly flex their creative muscles and explore new possibilities.

The biggest takeaway regarding these upcoming ceremony trends? Be fearless. Try new mechanics, new color combinations and new materials. Think of the entire ceremony as one complete idea, using these trends and techniques to create an immersive experience for both your clients and their wedding guests. To embrace these trends, break out of your comfort zone. Propose something daring, bold and unexpected. Often, clients will be receptive to your passion, creativity and energy. After all, just as they carefully selected their venue, menu and other vendors, you too, as their floral designer, are a specific choice. Lean into that trust. Together you can create something truly magical, never forgetting the gravity of that walk down the aisle.

Expert Input: What floral trends are couples moving toward in upcoming weddings?

• Couples in 2025 prefer more sculptural, architectural drama rather than just having an installation for volume or coverage. Using unique shapes and elements to create a wow factor that transforms a space has been a more popular choice, compared to lining the room in smilax in years past, even though that’s still pretty! I’m seeing more value placed on an artistic approach. –Frannie Priley of Figment Floral Design (Denver)
• One of the most common and enchanting trends we’ve been creating recently is the use of “grounded meadows”—lush, organic arrangements of flowers that line the aisle and backs of chairs. These meadows, inspired by the beauty of wildflowers, create a soft, romantic and immersive atmosphere. Some designs feature continuous rows of blooms, while others alternate between varied textures and colors. It’s like they mimic nature’s own rhythm, creating a sense of movement down the aisle. –Katie Noonan, AIFD, CFD, of Noonan’s Wine Country Designs (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)
• It’s important to have a good concept and vision but be sure to really let the materials shine. I especially love using dramatic branching foliage for a big impact. Often what can make the biggest impact on the design is incorporating something foraged that you just can’t get at the market. –Deanna Balmer of The Wild Pansy (Toronto)
• I am seeing a lot of clients moving into refined yet minimal design. More focus on quality over quantity. I am also seeing a strong inclination toward vintage-inspired elements, which I personally love, and I’m really excited about. I enjoy bringing in retro/vintage elements mixed with modern ones to create an eclectic yet cohesive design. –Megan McCarter of The Little Branch (Los Angeles)

By Jill Brooke

At the recent Fleurs de Villes “ARTISTE” show in New York City’s Hudson Yards, florist Lorena Eni, owner of LEF/Lorena Eni Flowers in the borough of Manhattan, and her team were busy using double-faced tape to paste wheat strips along a rectangular glass vase. Inside, they expertly added spectacular taupe tulips tipped in white along with soft grey hellebores for a dreamy effect.

In fact, judges, which included me, couldn’t help but gasp at the loveliness of the vases surrounding the 10-foot-tall flower-dressed mannequin inspired by the work of Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. It was part of the reason that this show’s mannequin won applause from not only the judges but also the public.

“Vases,” says Eni, help “create the mood” of any creation.

The famous fashion photographer Francesco Scavullo once said that just like a museum painting needs a great frame to dazzle; the same can be true about vases and other flower vessels.

Most florists understandably buy quantities of reliable gold or glass vases in a variety of shapes. These vases line wedding tables or larger versions for bar areas and are purchased from reliable vendors.

For example, Accent Decor, Momma Pots and OASIS^® Floral Products, a division of Smithers-Oasis, all have a wide range of vases and are always coming out with new products. Accent Décor, for example, offers collections of on-trend vases and vessels that bring flower arrangements to life and stand out on their own. The glassware line by OASIS^® Floral Products comprises dozens of different shapes favored by florists. We spoke with Kelly Mace, CFD, AAF, PFCI, marketing manager at Smithers-Oasis, about the new 8-inch-tall clear glass “Haven Vase,” which features clean sleek lines and a minimalist aesthetic.

Adding to the requests now from florists are vessels that are environmentally friendly and sustainably produced. According to a study from the Sustainable Wedding Alliance, a collective of businesses with the purpose of creating a more sustainable, environmentally conscious wedding industry, 98 percent of nuptial couples said that sustainability was a factor when planning their weddings, with 78 percent saying it was important or very important to them.

Danica Mirrasoul, operations manager of Momma Pots in El Cajon, Calif., says she’s seeing an uptick in “high-quality porcelain vases and pots” being used by florists needing vessels that are “stunning and sustainable, able to keep up with today’s eco-conscious couples while also highlighting floral masterpieces.”

“These vessels are durable and reusable, and they practically shout “sustainability,” making them a top choice for modern brides who care about more than just the blooms,” Mirrasoul says. “With a palette of trending colors that play perfectly into the rise of monochromatic bouquets, they make it a breeze to match any wedding color scheme with effortless style.” Mirrasoul calls them “the ultimate floral sidekicks you never knew you needed but now can’t live without!”

Also trending are containers in two-tone and multi-hued colors, which enable the flowers to “pop” by expertly using them synchronisticly. Furthermore, with flowers being so expensive, not as many are needed. And of course, the vases are recyclable and can be easily amortized.

So, how many vases do you have as a florist? We would bet not enough. They are essential accessories for your success. All florists need to have a variety of vases in their repertoires for wedding work. Tables, of course, must have consistency. While a row of vases for a table can be the equivalent of the perfect black dress in your wardrobe, have a few that are the stand out “accessory.”

An area for creative opportunities is the bar. Why not purchase a large unexpected vessel that becomes a focal point. The flowers don’t always have to be the star. They can be the “side dish” to a visually special vessel. Plus, it takes less flowers to make a big impact.

Leatal Cohen, owner of Pic and Petal, a floral-and-event-design and photography firm in Brooklyn, N.Y., is known for her colorful waves of blooms in wedding work. She, like many florists, say that collecting vases helps her business. It is also an opportunity to stand out from the crowd of other florists.

“For each event, I look at the environment it’s in and the colors in the room, and then think of what vessel I should use,” Cohen says. “Will the vessel be complementary and also different?” Thus, she says, she does shy away from traditional clear glass vases. While a big fan of Accent Decor and Jamali Garden, she says she is also sourcing Etsy and thrift shops for vintage vases. In fact, vintage vases are often quite inexpensive and accessible in thrift stores. In the right hands, these vessels become not only beautiful but modern when filled with unexpected flowers. They also hide design mechanics like chicken wire.

“For a dinner party or corporate event, vintage vases can be used effectively,” Cohen says, “enhancing your brand.”

Some of the vintage and even ancient vases one might find can also hold histories. Much of the human experience is etched on these vases—especially the Grecian ones—and reveal cultural connections. Become knowledgeable about the histories of the most timeless and classic containers, and infuse your pitches to wedding and event clients with a bit of the information you discover. For example, did you know that the ever-popular blue-and-white porcelain originated in China in the 14^th century, but that in the early 1600s, pieces made their way to the Near East and Europe via the Dutch East India Company? Influenced by the Chinese porcelain, potters in the Netherlands city of Delft soon began manufacturing their own versions, which became known as Delftware. There are also Japanese and Islamic/Persian adaptations of the classic blue-and-white porcelain.

The same advice goes for flowers, as well. Incorporate flowers with origins and cultural connections related to the containers, creating fascinating and cohesive stories with your floral designs.

Florists can also benefit from accessing the special mementos from their clients. Jim Osburn and Michael Grim, co-owners of The Bridgehampton Florist in the Long Island, N.Y. hamlet of the same name, often scour. Osburn and Grim, who do lots of in-home work, often try to personalize their arrangements. Clients’ candy dishes and urns are great resources, they share. “They make an event feel more ‘homey’ and personal versus industrial,” Osburn says. Furthermore, they also choose vessels that complement the tablecloths in clever ways.

Consider the British florist who asked her client for special teacups that belonged to the client’s grandmother, for a birthday party for the grandmother. Lining the table with ivory chamomile flowers arranged in the teacups created a memorable tablescape. Or perhaps your client inherited a box or a vase from another relative. Maybe a vase was bought on a honeymoon or special trip. Ask about items like these in sales conversations.

The more you interact with your clients and incorporate the “memorable” into your work, the more bonds you will create with those clients. It becomes an interactive exchange. It is surprising to me how few times florists ask their clients if they would them to use personal containers and incorporate other personal items into the floral designs.

Also, be expansive in realizing how the unexpected can be a creative opportunity. Cake stands often have interesting motifs. Collect them. One of my cake stands makes me laugh and reminds me a bit of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Always a good start. It is literally my base, my starting point for many designs, and it becomes a conversation piece every time I use it at events—and I also keep it at home.

Every flower shop has its ebbs and flows, but you need to know which flowers you most consistently purchase and sell for events. Then start collecting vases, stands and bottles to complement this collection of flowers.

As the creative writer, philosopher, social evolutionist and founder of Descriptionari.com Angela Abraham so intuitively writes, “The vase is beautiful in its simplicity, just as a canvas is simply there to hold the art so lovingly applied, it allows the flowers to take centre stage. They are so bold in the room, and all the more wonderful for it. So many vibrant hues dance in a breeze that saunters in through open doors and windows, together a festival for eyes who care to see.”

Which is why, of course, a vase should never be an afterthought. It is the costar along with the flowers.

Cover image credit- Floral design by Leatal Cohen Pic and Petal

Presented by Smither-Oasis

Sympathy flowers have long been a heartfelt way to express sorrow, love and support to grieving families. But as funeral traditions change and consumer preferences shift, florists are being called upon to adapt, transforming their craft to honor lives in more personalized, meaningful ways.

Sympathy flowers play a crucial role in many traditional florist businesses. Typically delivered to funeral, memorial or celebration-of-life services, they are increasingly being sent to the homes of loved ones. Staying updated with current trends in both the sympathy flowers and the funeral industry is vital for florists to remain competitive in the market. Today’s consumers may seek personalized arrangements that reflect modern themes and favorite colors, moving away from traditional designs and including unique, customized, on-trend memorial installations, which can differentiate your business.

The funeral industry is undergoing a profound transformation, influenced by cultural shifts, changes in taste and a commitment to sustainability. For florists, this means embracing new trends and adapting their offerings to meet evolving consumer preferences. By staying attuned to these changes, florists can continue to play a vital role in conveying sympathy, comfort and remembrance in ways that honor the lives of loved ones.

The Rise of Cremation and Personalization

The evolving landscape of memorial services includes several noteworthy trends. Recent years have seen a significant rise in cremations, driven by a combination of cost factors, changing cultural attitudes and environmental considerations. The already exploding cremation rate in the United States is expected to increase by at least another one-third, from 60.5 percent in 2023 to 81.4 percent by 2045, according to the National Funeral Directors Association’s (NFDA) “2023 Cremation and Burial Report.” With fewer associated costs such as caskets and burial plots, cremation offers a more affordable alternative to traditional burials. Additionally, evolving perspectives across various cultures and religions have increased acceptance of cremation as a respectful option.

The continued upward trend in cremation as a preferred choice for end-of-life arrangements has transformed the funeral industry, prompting funeral homes to diversify their services and memorial options. Florists, too, need to adapt by offering floral designs tailored for cremation services, including options that complement the flexibility of urns as well as memorial and ash-scattering services. For example, Gina M. Krassow, office manager and planning counselor at Santa Cruz Memorial (mortuaries, crematory and cemeteries), in Santa Cruz, Calif., shares, “Of course, we have been seeing more and more cremations and celebrations of life in recent years, but scattering-at-sea services for memorials are also becoming popular now. I think that is very telling of how those wish to be remembered and honored.”

A new trend in cremation is “water cremation,” also known as aquamation, alkaline hydrolysis and flameless cremation. The process involves the use of a liquid solution to facilitate decomposition, and at the end of the process, bone fragments and a sterile liquid remain. The fragments are pulverized to create a powder (similar to ash), which is given to the family, and the liquid is released as wastewater. Water cremation is considered by some to be a gentler end-of-life option than traditional flame cremation.

Another notable trend is personalized memorial services focusing on the personal interests and passions of the deceased, creating more meaningful and personalized experiences. And with flowers, that means personalized and meaningful tributes that reflect the unique life and passions of each deceased such as custom sympathy arrangements that incorporate favorite flowers, colors and even items representing hobbies or interests. By crafting bespoke designs, florists not only celebrate the individuality of the deceased but also provide solace to the bereaved, making the memorial experience more personal and comforting.

I recently spoke with Mike Hollenbeck, AIFD, owner of Floral Artistry in Lewiston, Idaho, who confirmed significant changes in how people commemorate their loved ones. “For example, more and more celebrations are without a casket; instead, clients are asking us to incorporate photos, urns and personal items into our designs for them,” he explains.

Hollenbeck emphasizes the emotional depth required in creating sympathy arrangements, saying, “Don’t just design the flowers, let them express themselves with love and honor. A sympathy presentation must evoke an emotion from the heart of the creator.”

Furthermore, increasing numbers of people are choosing simpler and highly personalized services that celebrate lives lived in a joyful and uplifting manner. While traditional whites and pastel hues remain staples, bold and vibrant colors are becoming preferred for making joyful statements in celebration of the vibrant spirits of their loved ones and making a memorable impact during services.

Celebrations-of-life are more prevalent, as well, moving away from traditional somber services to celebrations that honor the deceased’s personality and achievements. Casual and informal gatherings, such as outdoor events or virtual gatherings with family and friends, have become preferred ways for many to honor their loved ones.

In addition, alternative, nontraditional settings and locations for funeral and memorial services are on the rise, too, such as in homes, parks, event venues, restaurants and other meaningful places. According to the NFDA’s 2023 “Consumer Awareness and Preferences Survey,” 53.1 percent of respondents have attended a funeral at a nontraditional location. Florists need to make plans for handling services in these alternative locations because they can make the delivery process and other aspects more complicated.

There is a relationship between the rise of cremations and various types of services in nontraditional locations. “Cremations allow families and friends to more easily celebrate their loved ones in a variety of settings,” says Marta Sondej, AIFD, from Bartlett’s Greenhouses & Florist in Clifton, N.J.

“Green” burials are also a rising trend in today’s funeral and memorial services marketplace. Green burial emphasizes the natural biodegrading process over attempts to preserve the body of the deceased. Typically, the green burial process skips embalming and places the deceased’s body in a biodegradable casket, often made from a material like bamboo or wicker, which is then interred in a designated natural burial site. Along the lines as green burial is human composting, which is exactly what it sounds like—composting human remains so that they become fertilized soil. If you are curious about how it works, visit the website of Recompose, the world’s first human composting company (recompose.life). If the thought of human composting freaks you out a little, don’t worry too much—yet; currently, it’s legal in only 12 states—so far.

Dovetailing with the green burial trend, many consumers are requesting that biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials be used in their sympathy flower arrangements. Florists are responding by offering locally sourced, organically grown flowers and using biodegradable containers and wrappings. These practices also include incorporating living plants, which can serve as lasting tributes that offer ongoing comfort.

“Biodegradable sympathy work is on the rise,” Sondej confirms. “We offer casket sprays and urn rings made entirely with biodegradable products—no water tubes, floral or plastic foam, glue, or wire. Some clients even request that their pieces not only be biodegradable but also able to feed wildlife, so we often incorporate fruit and birdseed into their designs.”

Driven largely by millennials—those 28 to 43 years of age this year—the “Death Positive Movement” is also gaining traction. Started in the 1970s, this movement views death as neither morbid or taboo and encourages open and honest conversations about death and dying. This shift in perspective has contributed to the growing popularity of death doulas, also known as end-of-life doulas and death midwives, who are trained nonmedical professionals who provide emotional, spiritual, physical and educational support to those facing terminal illnesses and death, as well as their families and loved ones. These new realities are impacting many florists’ sympathy business, so it is important that you be ready to embrace them and learn as much as you can about them. One suggestion is creating “partnerships” with death doulas in your area to recommend each other’s services.

In a world that is rapidly changing, florists who adapt to the evolving trends in the death industry will not only  be able to provide the comfort and compassion that today’s grieving families are seeking but also ensure their businesses thrive in this new era. By staying attuned to the needs of today’s consumers embracing personalization, eco-friendliness and creative innovation, florists will continue to offer the enduring gift of remembrance for years to come. As we navigate these changes, one constant remains: the enduring power of flowers to express compassion and celebrate the lives of those who have passed.

On the Cutting Edge

Leading the way in the development of innovative environmentally friendly products for the floriculture, horticulture and other specialized industries is Smithers-Oasis Company, a global enterprise specializing in the development and marketing of innovative floral mechanics, containers and accessories, postharvest care products, propagation media, and much more. Through Smithers-Oasis North America and its flower business divisions, including OASIS Floral Products, FloraLife and DESIGN MASTER, Smithers-Oasis Company is consistently at the forefront of research to stay aligned with evolving trends in the flower industry. As a leading supplier, the company understands the importance of providing products that meet the changing needs of florists, particularly in the sympathy sector.

Kelly Mace, CFD, AAF, PFCI, marketing manager at Smithers-Oasis Company, explains that the company offers staple items specifically designed to make sympathy arrangements easier to create, streamlining the process for florists while ensuring the designs remain meaningful and impactful. The company’s commitment to innovation allows florists to stay ahead of trends and offer relevant, heartfelt tributes to grieving families. The company offers many solutions, including floral-foam shapes and bases for cremation floral designs, as well as eco-friendly options. For example, with personalization trending, the company just came out with OASIS® Letters, 14-inch-tall floral-foam letter shapes that give florists an easy option for creating personalized floral designs. They also recently introduced a “U”-shape floral-foam mechanic that is a great option for creating modern cremation designs.

Along with its OASIS® Floral Foam Maxlife, which degrades 75 percent within one year in an anaerobic environment, and its eco-friendly floral media such as OASIS® FibreFloral™ Design Media and OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media, the company offers a range of natural products, including the ECOssentials^™ line of floral containers, which are made of natural by-products; OASIS® Naturals Bamboo Greening Pins and Bamboo Card Holders; mâché-backed floral-foam forms; OASIS® Naturals BioWire; and OASIS® Naturals Self-Sticking Twine. The company continues to lead the flower industry with its commitment to innovation, sustainability and providing high-quality products to florists worldwide.

Marketing Sympathy Flowers

The successful marketing of sympathy flowers requires a sensitive and compassionate approach. It’s all about establishing your shop as the go-to source for expert guidance, knowledge and service in this segment of floristry, as well as for creative and modern design ideas. Here are eight tips to help you effectively reach and support customers during their difficult times.

1. Emphasize Empathy and Sensitivity

Ensure that all of your marketing, including website content, advertisements and social media posts, convey a tone of compassion, understanding and expertise. Use language that not only is comforting and supportive, acknowledging the emotions and challenges families are facing, but also conveys experience and knowledge.

2. Offer Customization

Highlight your shop’s ability to create unique and customized floral designs that reflect the personality and preferences of the deceased, the wishes of the grieving family and/or cultural and religious preferences.

3. Create a Dedicated Sympathy Section on Your Website

Create a dedicated section for sympathy flowers where customers can easily browse and find inspiring arrangements, including modern options for cremations and various types of services (e.g., funerals, memorials, celebrations of life, wakes). Also create sections for traditional floral designs, like casket sprays, standing sprays and set pieces, as well as more modern, creative and personalized designs, such as installations and settings.

4. Collaborate with Mortuaries and Cremation Service Providers

Build relationships with local mortuaries and cremation service providers, making them aware of your knowledge of the latest types of services people are requesting and your shop’s ability to create appropriate floral designs for them. This can lead to referrals and recommendations. And, although it’s rather old-school but still standard practice in some areas, consider creating a referral program where funeral homes can earn a commission for recommending your services and even selling floral items to their customers.

5. Provide Easy Ordering and Delivery

Make the ordering process as simple and stress-free as possible, understanding that customers will likely be under emotional strain. Create a dedicated area for sympathy consultations that is private and quiet. Don’t use your wedding consultation area; that mixes emotions and does not project the image that your shop is the authority in your area on sympathy flowers. Also, offer (and publicize) reliable and timely and delivery services that are as custom as your designs, including moving floral tributes from location to location—such as from the site of the service to the cemetery, the reception or celebration venue, or the family’s home—if a customer desires.

6. Offer Product and Service Packages

Consider offering sympathy flower packages that include multiple arrangements for different aspects of the service (e.g., one for the casket, one for the altar, and one for the family). For those seeking more modern options, bundle personalized flower arrangements for a cremation urn and memory table with creative specialized services—which you can offer through your store or contract out—such as planting a tree or flower seeds (that are given to guests at the service) or releases of balloons, paper luminaria lanterns, paper boats or even live doves. Imaginative options are endless these days.

7. Share Educational Content

Create blog posts and/or social media content that educates customers about the meaning of different flowers, appropriate choices for sympathy arrangements, and how flowers can express condolences. Showcase your knowledge of the latest trends in funeral services industry, and provide guidance on what to send for today’s various types of services.

8. Promote on Social Media

Use social media to gently promote your sympathy flower offerings. Share testimonials from satisfied customers and images of tasteful arrangements. Created targeted posts that reach people who may be searching for sympathy flowers or related services.

Those who live in the floral world are people who care about nature. After all, florists willingly enter a profession that requires insatiable demands of physical labor, mechanical expertise and time. It also requires creative talent and a deep appreciation for nature’s bounty of flowers in so many types and textures.

Flowers are too closely connected to Earth and the essence of all things for a flower person to be dismissive. The aching truth has been that until recently there haven’t been a great number of good and practical sustainable and environmentally friendly options for florists to choose. For instance, depending on your location, it can be hard to find locally grown wedding flowers in the frigid cold of winter. Then, florists might wonder what are the best paper options to reduce their use of plastic and cellophane. Pin frogs and chicken wire can be wonderful design mechanics, yet they, too, can present some challenges.

To help with clarity and perspective, it’s important to understand that while the terms “eco-friendly” and “sustainable” are closely related—generally referring to minimizing harm or damage to, and even helping, our planet and its environment—“eco-friendly” more specifically pertains to reducing the production of waste, reusing, recycling, composting, safe disposal and biodegradability while “sustainable” refers to avoiding or minimizing the depletion of natural resources and even replenishing or regenerating those that are used.

Because we all seek perfection but also must be practical, we at Florists’ Review are giving you a present. Here are some of the newest and best eco-friendly and sustainable products on the market so you can decide what works for your business and your abilities.

VESSELS, POTS AND MORE

Accent Decor is always on the cutting edge of design and practicality. Like many companies, it is continuously increasing its eco-friendly and sustainable offerings. Florists applaud the Capricorn, Cassio, Elijah and Orion compotes, which are designed specifically for eco-friendly design mechanics and hold lots of water. Renowned Ann Arbor, Mich.-based floral designer, educator and author Susan McLeary likes Accent Décor’s Harlow stands and footed bowls, as well, which enable elevated designs.

But it is not only the shape of the containers that is resonating but how they are composed. “In our upcoming January launch, we’re introducing a recycled terra-cotta collection,” says Caroline Woods, Accent Decor’s product design manager. “The recycling process involves taking dried terra-cotta scraps, grinding them down and mixing them into fresh clay, minimizing waste while creating beautiful, textured pieces like bowls and pots with saucers.”

Proven Winners, a well-known producer of garden plants, has also been innovative in creating eco-friendly pots for growers, garden centers and consumers. The company now offers 100 percent plastic-free compostable Eco+ Containers that are made in Minnesota from polylactic acid (PLA), which is formulated of natural sugars derived from U.S.-grown corn and sugar beet plant parts—parts that are not eaten. The best news is how these containers decompose. The pots look and act like plastic, which make them easy to work with for growers, but they break back down into inert organic matter over time in the garden. The pots have nutrients like calcium, nitrogen and phosphorus built in. The entire container can be planted in the ground where, as it breaks down, those nutrients are slowly released to the plants over time, helping them grow bigger and stronger.

The numbers are meaningful. As Marshall Dirks, vice president of marketing at Proven Winners, reveals, “In 2024 so far, we have eliminated 1 million pounds of plastic with our Eco+ Containers, and we expect to double that figure for 2025,” he says. Furthermore, Proven Winners has also introduced containers and plant tags made from 100 percent recycled plastic.

Keep in mind that for all these advancements, the companies have also invested considerable time and money into products that don’t produce the results they may want. I asked Dirks for an example. He recalls an attempt of using chicken feathers to create containers. Good idea, but the pots would break by the time they hit retail stores. However, he says, it’s all part of the global effort to be more sustainable in lots of ways and find products for the market that do work and endure.

Florists in their stores can use these stories to share with customers. In fact, a recent study conducted by Floral Marketing Fund reveals that while a majority of florists are implementing sustainability practices, “only 22.1 percent are actually advertising this to their consumers.” Obviously, reusing vessels and recycling or repurposing containers and pots, all have a collective impact on helping the planet.

At PICK THIS!, a sustainable floral solutions company based in Castle Rock, Wash., efforts are also focused on plastic waste reduction. It’s latest introduction is a biodegradable cardholder that doubles as an arrangement watering tube and breaks down naturally, leaving no harmful residue. The cardholders can accommodate all sizes of cards from standard florist enclosure cards to large greeting cards, and they can also be used in plants to hold identification/price signs and tags.

“The use of plastic cardholders may seem unimportant,” says PICK THIS! president Sandra Keatley, “but the number of plastic cardholders used by a single florist over the course of a year is significant. Multiply that by the thousands of flower shops nationwide, and the number is staggering. Our new biodegradable substitute is noticed and appreciated by consumers.”

ARCHWAY DESIGNS AND FLORAL INSTALLATIONS

Ask any florist about sustainability challenges, and most will say arch installations are the hardest with which to be sustainable. Accent Decor reached out to eco-conscious designers such as McLeary; Amy Balsters, The Floral Coach in Alexandra, Va.; and Paulina Nieliwocki, owner of Blue Jasmine Floral in Berkeley Heights, N.J., to address the needs of florists. One of the groups’ nifty ideas is the Soprano Vase Attachment—a flared metal cup and hoop that attach to the company’s Soprano Archways. McLeary points out designing in the reusable vases can be accomplished in store or studio or on site. Accent Decor also offers similar attachment vases for its Berkshire and Gothic Archways, as well as for its Conservatory Stands, for creating “broken arch” designs, and its inventive Tenuto Stands, structures for creating elevated table designs.

“These pieces are perfect for creating a dramatic impact while providing a water source for large floral installations,” says Woods. “When we were developing these products, with insights from Sue McLeary, we focused on solving the challenge of creating floating installations without using floral foam. Achieving height with a water source at the top is difficult, but these archways and stands make it possible.”

“You want products that are meant to solve common design and waste issues without compromising style, profitability and artfulness,” adds McLeary.

Holly Heider Chapple, another notable floral designer, educator and author, owner of Holly Heider Chapple Flowers and Hope Flower Farm in Waterford, Va., and an innovator in eco-friendly design mechanics, has designed two sizes and two shapes of “Installation Mechanics”—containers that affix in a variety of ways to any arch, arbor, chuppah or other structure. “Knowing the greatest area in need of advancements was large-scale installations, we created Installation Mechanics” says Chapple, referencing her partnership with Syndicate Sales, which produces and distributes the products. “These simple containers hold up to 40 water tubes’ worth of water but can be tied onto any surface or even hung on a wall. Think of them as movable self-standing mini vases of flowers that can be hung anywhere.”

PIN HOLDERS, TWINE AND MORE

Jennifer Reed, of Jennifer Design Events in Mullica Hill, N.J., notes that it’s an exciting time for florists. “There is so much information and so many resources on designing more sustainably,” she says. “My go-tos are using vessels with chicken wire, moss, branches, OshunPouches^® and Sideau AgraWool^®.”

Through its subsidiary OASIS Floral Products, Smithers-Oasis North America now offers a variety of eco-friendly floral design options. Kelly Mace, CFD, AAF, PFCI, marketing manager at Smithers-Oasis, mentions OASIS® FibreFloral™ Design Media and OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media as two such flower-arranging products, and she also notes that the company’s OASIS® Floral Foam Maxlife degrades 75 percent within one year in an anaerobic environment (ASTM D5511). Furthermore, Mace points to the company’s other new natural products including OASIS® Naturals BioWire, OASIS® Naturals Self-Sticking Twine, and OASIS® Naturals Bamboo Greening Pins and Bamboo Card Holders.

“In addition to those products,” Mace adds, “Smithers-Oasis North America has a line of floral containers, ECOssentials^™, made of natural by-products, as well as mâché-backed floral-foam forms. Many new products released recently are made of recycled materials, with a goal of moving the company’s utility plastics to all be made of recycled materials in the near future.”

Fitz Design, a purveyor of distinctive floral accessories in Port Charlotte, Fla., has added a new line of Clear Plastic Pin Frogs to accompany its line of metal pin frogs, which includes unusual round ring pin frogs. The Clear Plastic Pin Frogs are available in round and rectangle shapes and in various sizes, and they come with suction cups that create a firm hold on most smooth surfaces. “They are quite easy to work with, and on flat smooth surfaces, the suction cups hold really well,” says floral designer and educator Patience Pickner, AIFD, PFCI, SDCF, of Sioux Falls, S.D. “In addition, the clear plastic frogs are transparent and virtually disappear in the water.” In fact, this creative floral designer has fun suctioning them to windows, mirrors and the sides of large flat-sided glass containers.

Also, kudos to Syndicate Sales for its innovative DIY Floral Grid, which enables florists and consumers to place the supportive grid structure atop the opening of a container, arrange flowers into the container through the structure and then remove it. “This inventive tool has removed all need for grid taping vases for flower arrangements,” says Derek Woodruff, AIFD, AAF, PFCI, CF, owner of Floral Underground in Traverse City, Mich., and Syndicate Sales’ lead educator and brand ambassador. “What most floral designers don’t know is that one roll of waterproof tape is 60 yards of single-use plastic,” he informs. “With the DIY Floral Grid, you simply place the grid on top of a vase to create the design and then separate and remove the two grid pieces when you’re finished, and the floral materials stay neatly in place. As a bonus, the DIY Floral Grid makes it easier for the consumer to change the water in the vase, enabling the flowers to last longer. This product is a clear winner when it comes to eliminating plastic waste.”

Brenda LaManna, the dynamic owner of Damselfly Designs in White Plains, N.Y., has also been a role model in implementing sustainable practices, especially for packaging. “Many of our retail shops are ‘grab and go,’ so packaging was an immediate and impactful area we chose to improve,” she explains. “Presentation must go hand in hand with practicality. Because many of our customers commute or travel, packaging is a necessary evil to protect the beauty of our delicate products throughout a busy day or a long journey. Our custom wax-lined water bags and handle carriers are built to be sturdy, made without harmful dyes or chemicals, and printed with soy ink, making them 100 percent recyclable and often reusable. These simple alternatives to excess plastic not only enhance the practicality of transporting delicate blooms but also extend their lifespan. The design and functionality of our eco-friendly packaging has really resonated with our customers and is now one of the signature elements of our brand aesthetic.”

Plus, because LaManna is a natural educator, her customers realize that these efforts are more costly. “Yes, eco-friendly materials are more expensive, but running a business means taking responsibility for your environmental impact,” she says. “Consumers nowadays are smart; they see through empty promises and greenwashing, and they expect the companies they support to make genuine efforts toward reducing their environmental footprint. By being transparent about our choices and staying true to sustainable practices, we’re not only doing what’s right for the planet but also building trust with a savvy audience. What’s good for the planet is good for business.”

TIME TO GET ON BOARD

Over time, more products will become available, providing greater options for eco-friendly and sustainable floral designs, which are important for growing numbers of millennial (Gen Y) and Gen Z consumers—those 43 and younger this year. As a recent Harvard University study reveals, when these two generations believe that a brand cares about its impact on people and the planet, they are 27 percent more likely to purchase a product from that brand—a clear measure of sustainability’s power to drive buying decisions in these groups. In another study, nearly three-fourths (73 percent) of Gen Z consumers (27 and younger this year) said they are willing to pay more and wait longer for eco-friendly and sustainable products. Furthermore, forecasters calculate that the purchasing power of millennials and Gen Z’ers will surpass that of baby boomers by 2030.

For all florists, but, in particular, for those doing weddings, this is good info to know. Carrie Rebora Barratt, Ph.D., whose stellar résumé include stints as CEO and president of the New York Botanical Garden in The Bronx and deputy director and curator of American Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, says that brides want sustainable considerations. Now director at LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton, N.Y., Barratt says clients are also seeking places where “a sustainable practice” is their mandate. “Chemical free” gardens and “natural gardens” with native plants are also selling points among brides seeking ceremony and reception venues, along with “locally” grown flowers being used. Florists with the same values would be wise to make connections with locations with eco-friendly and sustainability focuses so they will be recommended for future jobs.

With more consumers looking for environmentally responsible choices, florists now have increasing options, as well as stories to tell that support their commitments. This will also lead to sales for the future, which makes their businesses financially sustainable.

By Molly Lucille

As any florist knows, flowers possess the remarkable ability to elevate ordinary spaces into extraordinary ones. The experience of entering a room adorned with an abundance of blooms is truly enchanting, captivating the senses with scent, color and gentle movement. Among the most striking ways to showcase floral artistry are ceiling installations, which not only enhance but also redefine spaces. These impressive, large-scale installations offer unique opportunities to elevate events, corporate settings and more, profoundly transforming any environment and creating memorable and immersive experiences.

“You know you’ve made magic when you can’t bring yourself to leave the environment you’ve created,” reflects Semia Dunne, founder of Flowers by Semia in Providence, R.I. Her team, comprising Christine Fiore and Sarah Dunsing, recently designed a stunning event in the middle of the Scottsdale, Ariz., desert. Along with a team of freelancers, this powerhouse team created a lavish flower-covered framework that formed the illusion of a ceiling above the outdoor dining space, taking the creative vision of planner and creative director David Tutera to another level.

To combat the intense Arizona heat, the Semia team utilized a mix of both faux and fresh blooms designed in a combination floral-foam cages and chicken-wire frameworks. The installation featured bold, vibrant colors of oranges and yellows, mirroring the colorful landscape surrounding the event. “I remember a ‘pinch me’ moment, looking at my team, all of us on top of ladders designing and seeing the mountains in the background. It truly took my breath away.” These colors became all the more magical as night fell over the desert, with the mountains framed by moonlight and the blooms glowing in flickering candlelight, as the breeze gently played with the symphony of flowers overhead.

This event is certainly not the only “pinch me” moment of this East Coast-based floral studio’s portfolio. The Flowers by Semia team prides themselves in their ability to create meticulously planned, distinctive, unique and transformative environments. When asked how her team tackles these enormous challenges, Dunne stresses the importance of communication. Before any large-scale installation, these three designers measure and create samples based on square footage, creating a recipe for the coverage for a single square foot of the install, and then use that recipe to calculate the necessary product for the entire project. This approach also ensures that they think through any issues that may arise.

There are many different approaches to creating ceiling installations, and each requires a wide range of mechanics and strategic approaches. In event floristry, we’re seeing everything from full-coverage flowered ceilings to chandelier-style flower structures. One such structure is suspended rings, such as the flower-and-butterfly-covered ring created by Brian Watson and the design team at Myrtie Blue in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. The fluttering butterflies, in tandem with layered blooms and draping Amaranthus, created a magical focal point at the tented outdoor wedding, setting the ambience for the entire reception. Utilizing a framework to create a “chandelier” such as this can be a useful way to bring in intentional focal points to establish an atmosphere without overwhelming the existing space. This design calls to mind a quote by the 18^th-century French lyric poet Ponce Denis Écouchard Lebrun, who said, “The butterfly is a flying flower, the flower a tethered butterfly.”

Another trend is “flower clouds,” which are puffy clouds of blooms, frequently designed with baby’s-breath or textural dried elements. This trend is masterfully brought to life by floral designer Clare Cummings, owner of The Flowergirl in Perth, Australia, often in unexpected spaces. She has been hired by businesses all around Australia to create floating clouds of preserved and dried flowers as permanent installations. “It became something that businesses wanted after spending loads of money replenishing fresh flowers to decorate their spaces,” Cummings explains. “It can get very hot in parts of Australia during the summer months [December through February], and fresh flowers are super expensive, so a dried flower install is more economical in the long run.”

Rather than planning meticulously in advance, Cummings opts for a more flexible approach, responding to the vibe and atmosphere of each client’s space to inform her design decisions in the moment. “Gathering the right botanical materials is key to giving a natural but vibrant and long-lasting result.” Typically, installations created with dried and preserved products will last around three years.

As flower installations begin to grow in popularity and visibility, new types of immersive experiences can be created, even taking to the stage. In a recent collaboration with the Singapore Chinese Dance Theatre, the husband-and-wife team of Larry Wang and Jophia Chua, owners of HellofromFlour in Singapore, was hired to craft an installation to enhance the theater’s ambience for its August 2023 production of “Where the Flowers Bloom.” The duo created a wave of botanicals above the audience to involve them in the performance, echoing the movement of the dance and the color of the costumes. The performances were a celebration of flowers through the beauty of traditional Chinese dance, with choreography celebrating the whimsy of dandelion seeds dancing in the wind, the fragrance of flowers, and the beauty of blooms when they’re arranged perfectly in a bouquet.

“We designed a floating installation above the attendees’ seats, immersing them in the performance,” Chua explains. “The process involved detailed planning and careful consideration of factors like lighting and sightlines. The result was incredibly fulfilling. The flower arrangements added a new dimension to the theater, creating an atmosphere that complemented the performances beautifully.”

From intimate gatherings to small businesses, from the stage to luxury events, the transformative power of flowers is undeniable. The art of ceiling installations provides unique opportunities for designers to practice utilizing the movement and power of flowers to create space. With these installations, there is less of a confined framework within which to work. The sky is truly the limit!

By Jill Brooke

When Floratorium’s Carlos Franqui started out as a florist after a career in fashion and advertising, he noticed fellow florists focusing on indoor arrangements, weddings and bouquets. “I wanted to differentiate myself,” he recalls. What could he do different, he asked himself. “Then it hit me. Instead of focusing on the inside of a shop, I realized the outside of buildings needed flowers too.”

But fresh flowers would be too expensive and perishable for his outdoors vision to be impactful. Too many were needed. Tulips weren’t plentiful in the dead of winter. Yes, faux flowers were available. “But in 2014, they had a bit of a stench around them” says Franqui, laughing at how most people dismissed them as décor for an old person’s facility.

But Franqui envisioned their kaleidoscope of virtues. Now, 10 years later, from his headquarters in Wood-Ridge, N.J., Franqui has created an empire around his faux flower installations. Just last December, he opened a Floratorium “La Botánica” outpost in the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami, Fla. Indeed, the faux-flower movement is so popular that, in March of this year, The New York Times asked, “Why Are Restaurants Filling Up With Fake Flowers?” to another publication saying how “Fake Flower Décor New Trend.”

As the Times wrote, “Sprawling, towering, flamboyant installations of faux flowers and leaves are fast becoming a new hallmark of restaurant design, the florid successor to past fixations like open kitchens, Mason jars and those cordless lamps. In the last few years, they’ve sprung up across the United States and in cities like London, Paris, Toronto and Lagos, Nigeria. They form soaring arches, climb up dining room walls and send their tendrils deep into social media, where they brighten many a weekend-brunch post.”

Sabir Taheraly, managing partner of Jamali Garden in New York City, which started out in 1997 providing vases, gardening supplies and design-friendly event items to New York’s flower market, sees another reason for the faux flower popularity. Sure, Taheraly says, the pandemic increased public desire for flowers, creating 20 million new gardeners. But in that time frame, prices also increased for fresh flowers and impacted supply chains.

“Prices of fresh flowers have quadrupled, and some varieties aren’t easily available,” he points out. “It used to be that you could pay $10 for a bouquet that is now $25. Our collection [of faux flowers] mimics the real flower look, making them an ideal solution.”

Pop culture also helped. Shows like Netflix’s Bridgerton had people craving floating Wisteria blooms hanging from vines— which remains a popular seller, along with Bougainvillea.

Now a florist missing a flower from a bad shipment? No problem. The Hydrangea blooms are dropping? Substitute faux Hydrangea among the flock of other flowers.

“You have such variety of colors nowadays,” adds Brenda LaManna, founder and president of Damselfly Florals & Events, which has locations throughout New York City as well as in White Plains, N.Y., and Wilton, Conn. LaManna is known for eschewing plastic for biodegradable packaging.

It’s not an oxymoron to appreciate faux, which lasts forever, and focus more on waste from packaging. For me personally, I am such a faux flower fan that I will sprinkle faux Zinnia and peonies in my boxwoods during the winter months for a pop of outside color to lift my spirits. I decorate planters of hyacinths with faux petite Forsythia to fill it out. The English actor John Barrie once said, “God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.” But now flowers don’t have to be only a memory, regardless of season.

Furthermore, the faux-flower trend has dovetailed at a time when the manufacturing possibilities offer a better product. “It is now often hard to tell the difference between the real and the artificial,” says Mary Ragon, founder of Ragon House, a distributor of high-quality permanent botanicals, home décor and furnishings, decorative accessories and more based in Bolivar, Ohio. “So many of the current artificial florals are crafted by hand with a great attention to detail, life-like textures and realistic colors.”

Patricia Gonzalez, project developer at Floratorium, says the company has installed faux flowers in more than 300 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, along with “hotels, businesses and luxury residences.” Some of the big name clients include famed restaurants such as Marea, Avra Estiatoria and the Tao Group Hospitality’s LAVO Italian Restaurants; fashion brands Versace, Sézane and Intimissimi; Moxy Hotels; and Diptyque, among scores of others.

Real-estate agents also welcome florists who are adept with faux and real flowers. “During showings, especially for luxury properties, having a mix of low maintenance real and high-quality faux branches and blossoms brightens up a space and keeps it show-ready for weeks” says Diana Rice, a star agent at Sotheby’s International Realty in Manhattan. “I wouldn’t think of photographing without them because they are essential.”

Franqui is by no means the only one recognizing the bounty from these performing botanicals. All across the country, florists are finding revenue streams—and fans—by utilizing faux flowers. According to the data analytics company Circana, sales of artificial plants and dried flowers reached $2.3 billion last year in the United States, a 52 percent increase from 2020.

In Fargo and Bismarck, N.D., Melissa Reichert, special events + culture lead at Love Always Floral, is finding success with faux florals, too. Store openings and corporate events now expect an Instagram-friendly floral display, she says. “We were hesitant at first, and our hearts were always with using live flowers,” she shares. “But a lot of retail and corporate companies are looking for special experiences for their customers. Live installations die in a week or a day. Not so with faux florals.”

Reichert notes that when she sees “the smiles and joy [they] bring customers and to the corporate clients,” she is no longer resistant. “It’s now grown into being part of our business. It’s having a lasting impact on how the public is also appreciating flowers.”

So popular is the faux-flower trend that people now look forward to a local pop-up or new restaurant décor. “People now expect a new floral design like they expect new items on a menu each season,” notes Rosanna Scotto, who hires Lawrence Scott, owner of  Lawrence Scott Events in Hicksville, N.Y., to create floral frescoes at her family’s Italian restaurant in New York City, Fresco by Scotto. For the restaurant’s spring and summer installation, Scott included pots of Hydrangea along with the faux flourishes.

These installments are not inexpensive. The average installation can cost $40,000 from these floral stars. Other installations average north of $10,000 around the country. Typical flower budgets in the past for high-end restaurants may have been $5,000 monthly in top cities.

“We have proven to business owners and hoteliers that they can see ROI on doing this with little maintenance,” says Floratorium’s Gonzalez. “With fresh flowers, you are changing them weekly. We not only alleviate overall flower budgets but reduce worries about people coming to the establishment to change the flowers.” (And that is no picnic for florists either because most hotels require them to come at 5 a.m. and earlier, before guests are up). “The quality now is so good that it’s become a game changer.”

In fact, says Mary Ragon, more good things are to come. “The latest trend is creating flowers that ‘feel real,’” she says. “Customers absolutely love this type of product. Not only do they look astonishingly real but now they also feel real. Who could ask for more?”

By EMC International

(European Master Certification)

How can trends help you unleash your creativity and grow your business?

EMC (European Master Certification) is committed to engaging with floral trends to inspire and empower designers to discover their unique styles while working within trend parameters. From yearly “Trend Reports” to collaborations with trend companies and documenting insights from leading trend authorities, EMC recognizes the enduring importance of trends, which are ever-evolving and adaptable.

In European floristry, discerning florists endeavor to stay at the forefront of evolving trends, seeking to grasp the nuanced preferences of diverse clientele. While the direct correlation between floristry trends and established psychological typologies may not be readily apparent, an intriguing parallel can be drawn, one that gives designers the freedom to be creative while addressing their clients with meaningful floral expressions.

In European floral design, 2024 brings a beautiful collection of color palettes to be explored, as well as new and intriguing shapes, forms and textures. The power of design lies in exploring the combination of these elements with consciousness. The four trends, like the four corners of a psychological compass, echo the various dimensions of the human typology spectrum, making them a compelling subject for exploration.

Do trends provoke you as a floral designer

In 2024, the “natural” trend in floristry—“PROVOKE”—embraces imperfections, reflecting authenticity and emphasizing the beauty of raw, unrefined elements. Inspired by nature, the “PROVOKE” color palette features earthy tones with a touch of “military blue,” symbolizing both contradiction and harmony.

This trend offers florists a great opportunity to embrace sustainable concepts—to use, reuse and recycle in creative ways. The inspiration offered by the color palette, forms, shapes and textures sets out possibilities to explore nature with a sense of time. It often seems easy to create floral expressions for clients who love nature and all it represents, simply because botanicals are the medium we use. Yet, being innovative and unique in bringing the spirit of nature in designs can be challenging.

For floral designers, understanding how trends work sets a premise for success in connecting with one’s clients and offering creative solutions that truly speak to their personalities. The “natural” trend in 2024 places the spotlight on elements that are less obvious, like rough stone textures, earthy colors and organic shapes. Flowers and plants complement these elements giving designs a new, fresh, unseen look.

What makes a trend special?

The modern trend “CELESTIAL ARDOR” is the dominant trend for 2024. It emerges as a celebration of new beginnings and a daring exploration of space, both physical and mental. The trend’s color palette is a vibrant blend of warm and bold hues, mirroring the quasi-surreal colors of a summer evening sunset and features the mood of Pantone’s “2024 Color of the Year” (“Peach Fuzz,” a light, delicate shade that sits between pink and orange), as well.

Within “CELESTIAL ARDOR,” there is an inherent optimism, inviting positivity and action. However, much like the dual nature of the sun, the trend acknowledges the challenges, weaving a narrative that reflects both the beauty and the potential adversities.

Trends serve as a guiding light, not only directing your attention toward your design process but also helping you make informed decisions about what to purchase and gaining insights into your clients’ preferences and desires. Taking inspiration from the elements that each trend offers is not a restrictive process; rather, it is a liberating one. Mixing elements from one trend with another is a smart choice especially when it comes to retail flower arranging. As floral designers explore this trend, they embark on a journey where tradition meets the avant-garde, and the classic seamlessly blends with the modern, offering a transformative experience that transcends the boundaries of time and space.

How do you dazzle your clientele?

Changes in society affect consumers’ habits, and, ultimately, they affect how you position yourself in the market. For 2024, in the lifestyle sector, we notice that “fake” is no longer perceived as a negative concept. It can be funny, beautiful and stimulating. Things no longer have to be real to provoke an emotion. It should come as no surprise that “RAZZLE DAZZLE,” the avant-garde trend, is one led by digitization, technology and the virtual world. Discovering, feeling and experiencing are extremely important within this trend. It comes as no surprise that many young people flee to this beautiful world where anything is possible, but it is also not without danger.

It is clear that most florists experiment with technology and digitalization, from using social media platforms to incorporating technology into their businesses. But have you considered that there are ways in which you can bring the virtual world into your designs, as well, aiming to target a younger audience who have always known technology as part of their lives?

Within the “RAZZLE DAZZLE” trend, textures become a whimsical blend of the bizarre and fantastical, shapes and forms defy convention and challenge typical standards, and the color palette mirrors vibrant hues that have become familiar to younger generations through games, AI and virtual worlds, influencing trendsetting across industries. Knowing how to use these elements in floral design will lead you into a creative exploration that will attract new clients and set you apart among your competition.

Can “classic” be trendy?

Classicism, a concept deeply rooted in the arts, has always served as an aesthetic anchor, providing a timeless and enduring foundation for creativity. The fourth trend of 2024, “QUINTESSENTIAL,” speaks about a comfortable return to classic values with a spin on interpreting what classic truly means. Real luxury is in the finish and detail. Subtle changes of traditional shapes and tasteful interpretations of classic items are present, adding a sense of time and translating the element of new in the trend.

Luxury within “QUINTESSENTIAL” is largely characterized by the way it was defined hundreds of years ago: bespoke, handmade and of fine materials. Much less ephemeral than hyped brands and with a certainty toward quality.

For many florists, classic is associated with being “boring” or “old-school,” yet there are numerous clients out there who look for classic elements as an anchor; they connect with them and find comfort and ease in the classic aesthetics. Surely, as florists who always strive to bring out something new on the market, approaching classic designs seems not an option, yet losing clients who are inclined to that is a risk one has to consider. Engaging in the trends, understanding them and being up to date with the latest gives you the power to tackle any type of design without fear of losing your signature style and individuality as a creative.

Trends are a tool: a method of communicating with people and a resource that you can dive into to bring out the best designs that speak of you yet emotionally engage your clients

“Distinguishing yourself while aligning with contemporary society involves adding a personal touch to a trend,” explains Tomas De Bruyne, CEO of EMC International. “Trends are meant to inspire, not to copy. Avoid being a trend follower; instead, personalize trends for your clients to generate authentic experiences. This is the core philosophy behind the “EMC 2024 Trend Report,” which makes this publication an infinite source of inspiration for florists all over the world.” (Visit europeanmastercertification.com/trend-report-24 to download a digital version of the report.)

At the heart of everything EMC delivers stands the concept that all creativity has to have practical applications that truly help florists and floral designers improve their businesses. Trends are not just about creativity; they are about giving you the power to understand your clients better and, most importantly, gain the ability to serve them best—ultimately, growing your business through that.

Ideas for safely decorating wedding cakes and cake tables in keeping with today’s trends and modern consumers’ tastes

By Molly Lucille

Wedding trends in the flower industry are always evolving, and a delightful revolution is taking place in cakes. As we move into an era of opulent weddings—in which couples are valuing experiences and curated moments over all else—the art of food is increasingly important. Within those experiences, the tradition of cutting the cake is being elevated by couples and photographers alike.

Having an understanding of how florists can jump into this trend is crucial to selling wedding florals at their very best and not missing a moment to upsell clients. The industry standard for years has been to supply simple blooms to be inserted onto, or, more often, into, the cake. This concept is lovely, but it is often overlooked and undercharged, and it has the potential of exposing people to dangerous chemicals and pesticides.

Enter the “cake meadow.” Ashley Fox, owner of Ashley Fox Designs in Woodbury, Minn., recognized the opportunity to hop on this trend by creating absolutely stunning installations around the cake—a trend we’re seeing popping up all over the wedding industry.

“Over the years, when I looked through wedding photo galleries, many times, my favorite moment of the couple was at the cake table, and I wanted to bring flowers into those moments,” Fox shares. “I began to add a large ‘flower garden’ surrounding a simple frosted cake. I always look forward to making a memory for the clients and creating a ‘wow’ moment for guests. Layers of flowers create movement, and local seasonal fruit and foliage set cakes apart from event to event.”

This is a lovely opportunity to collaborate with the bakers themselves, ensuring that the flowers and other elements you include in your designs are in harmony with the cakes’ flavors. Scent and taste are closely linked, so keeping in mind how fragrances and flavors intermingle is a powerful way to create multisensory experiences in these big moments. Perhaps you could include raspberry foliage and berries around a dark chocolate cake, citrus blossoms around a lemon cake, or even herbs such as lavender or mint around an herbaceous confection. If multiple desserts are presented on a cake table, perhaps consider how flowers can elevate the collection to uplift each individual flavor. A quick chat with the baker is all you need to ensure that a cake table is designed with curated intention.

Beyond flowers around the cake itself, there are great moments to reuse entire installations, such as repurposing a ceremony arch as a backdrop to, or over, a cake table. “To max out a client’s budget and the floral impact on the wedding, design ceremony florals that can pull double duty—once during the ceremony and then again during the reception,” suggests Kate Campbell, founder of Kate Campbell Floral in Bel Air, Md. “In the image in this article, we repurposed the ceremony flowers for the reception by placing the cake table underneath the arch and adding the aisle pieces around the base and on the cake table. Often, my clients are willing to spend a bit more on their ceremony flowers when they know they will also double as a reception focal point.”

This approach ensures that you are making the most of your client’ investments. However, Campbell advises that there are several things to consider before selling the concept of repurposing ceremony flowers, to ensure that the transition flows smoothly.

• Make sure you charge for the increased labor cost of repurposing/flipping the ceremony flowers.

• Arrangements can be moved during a cocktail hour, but there is often not enough time to redesign them before a reception starts.

• If your clients take photos in front of the ceremony arrangements after the ceremony, there may not be enough time to move the arrangements to the reception. Partner with the wedding planner, coordinator and/or photographer to make sure there is enough time for the transition to happen.

While these larger moments are exciting and on trend, some couples will prefer simpler accents. If a client still wants flowers inserted into the cake, it is a good idea to stick to locally and organically grown edible flowers. This may not always be possible, so if you need to insert flowers that are not organically grown, simply insert a toothpick into the base of each bloom, and insert the toothpick into the cake. It’s also a good idea to rinse the flowers and allowing them to dry before adding them to a cake, to wash away any residue or debris from the petals. It is also worth noting that fake cakes are still common in weddings, so knowing if it’s frosting, fondant or polystyrene foam before inserting the flowers is important to know. All these details are crucial, and that’s why it’s important to request the baker’s contact information or, at the very least, the dessert details before planning any of these florals.

There are endless opportunities within weddings for flowers and floral décor, but attaching your designs to moments within a reception can be one of the most powerful tools in your tool kit. Elevating important moments such as the cake cutting is a no-brainer and can be an effective way to grow your weddings to a level that meets the trends of today’s events—events that are focused on experiences, both culinary and aesthetic. An, it goes without saying, these concepts can be achieved with budgets big and small.

The collaboration of florists and bakers is one we should all explore, to grow these curated moments within our industry. Let them eat cake!

20 Edible Flowers (and 13 to Avoid)

• Camellia

• Carnation, Pink (Dianthus)

• Cornflower, Bachelor’s button (Centaurea)

• Dahlia

• Forget-me-not (Myosotis)

• Freesia

• Fuchsia (lady’s eardrops)

• Gardenia (Cape jasmine)

• Geranium, esp. scented (Pelargonium)

• Gladiolus (sword lily)

• Hibiscus (mallow, rose mallow)

• Hollyhock (Alcea)

• Honeysuckle (Lonicera)

• Lilac (Syringa)

• Magnolia

• Nasturtium (Tropaeolum)

• Pansy, Violet (Viola)

• Peony (Paeonia)

• Rose (Rosa)

• Sunflower (Helianthus)

Poisonous/Toxic Flowers to Avoid

• Bluebell (Endymion)

• Clematis

• Daffodil (Narcissus)

• Delphinium

• Eucalyptus

• Foxglove (Digitalis)

• Hydrangea

• Larkspur (Consolida)

• Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria)

• Oleander (Nerium)

• Poppy (Papaver)

• Rhododendron

• Wisteria

For a list of more than 100 flowers and plants that have edible parts, along with their “flavors” and usage suggestions, visit thompson-morgan.com/edible-flowers.

Source: Thompson & Morgan

With each passing wedding season, fresh trends in bridal bouquets emerge and existing styles evolve, and for 2024, bouquets will encompass various styles, shapes and color palettes, harmonizing with not only the seasons but also diverse wedding themes and individual tastes. Today’s brides are embracing bold colors, innovative styles and eco-conscious choices. Here’s a look at some of the emerging styles in bridal bouquets for the 2024 wedding season.

Emerging Trends

BOLD COLORS

Traditional pastels are fading a bit, in favor of bolder and more vibrant colors. Many of today’s brides are more open to a wider range of color options, veering away from the softer color palettes of late and opting instead for eye-catching hues and palettes that make a statement.

CASCADING BOUQUETS

The resurgence of cascade- and waterfall-style bouquets offers touches of nostalgia, sophistication, romance and timelessness to modern brides and these graceful and ethereal styles complement a range of wedding dress silhouettes.

MONOCHROMATIC AND MONOBOTANICAL BOUQUETS

Exuding sophistication and elegance, monochromatic bouquets feature flowers in tints, tones and shades of a single color. Monobotanical bouquets, featuring a single type of flower, offer a minimalist yet refined approach that resonates with contemporary sensibilities.

SMALLER BOUQUETS

The trend of oversized bouquets is giving way to smaller, more manageable styles, reflecting a shift toward sensibility and practicality. Despite their reduced size, these bouquets still showcase creativity and artistry, proving that less can, indeed, be more.

SUSTAINABLE BLOOMS

With a heightened emphasis on eco-conscious choices, brides are opting for sustainably, organically and locally grown flowers, such as seasonal and native blooms, contributing to both aesthetics and environmental friendliness.

 

TEXTURAL BOUQUETS

Bouquets with a complex blend of intricate textures that transcend convention are gaining traction, adding an entrancing level of visual interest.

BOTANICAL VARIETY Modern brides are embracing combinations of various flower types—tropical blooms with temperate, bulb and/or “garden” flowers, flowers from disparate seasons, etc.—resulting in unique and personalized arrangements that captivate with their diversity. Whether combining roses with succulents or peonies with Protea, the possibilities are endless, resulting in bouquets that are as diverse and multifaceted as the brides who carry them.

Elaborating on these new style and color developments in bridal bouquets, Patience Pickner, AIFD, PFCI, a floral educator and former retail florist for 20 years in Chamberlain, S.D., says, “I see bouquets getting a little smaller than in recent years, as well as a bit more structured. Earthy and organic elements are becoming extremely popular, too. Monobotanical bouquets are gaining traction, as are bouquets with little or no greenery. Brides are looking for unusual flowers, textures and designs. Color is coming back big time, but moody pastels and classic white-and-green are also staying strong.

Incidentally, in collaboration with Daniel Fisher, owner of Fitz Design in Port Charlotte, Fla., Pickner has created “Mystic Crystals,” which are wedding bouquet holders with crystal (the spiritual stone type) “handles.” The collection, which will be available soon, comprises four colors: clear quartz, rose quartz, amethyst, and onyx/obsidian (black), and offers florists a unique way to personalize bouquets and add spiritual energy while providing memorable keepsakes for the brides.

Megan (Byrne) Ricciardi, owner of Wildflowers Florist & Gifts in Wall Township, N.J., highlights a departure from all-white weddings toward vibrant, expressive color palettes. She also observes a shift toward fuller flower arrangements. “Of course, there will always be the whites and blushes that we’ve seen for years,” she says, “but my brides are choosing to have more fun and express themselves with their wedding flowers.”

Adding to the conversation, Janelle (Janie) Gerestein, owner of Flowers by Janie in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, notes, “We are seeing a trend toward whimsical, garden-style, bouquets, with lovely assortments of flower types and colors, many of which are grown by ‘local’ farmers. We are also seeing more bloom-focused bouquets with less greenery. Color is definitely in this year because we are getting lots of requests for bright and bold designs.

Interestingly, Gerestein says she is seeing some couples decide against traditional wedding parties. “They’re opting for only standout bridal bouquets and grooms’ boutonnières and then redirecting their budgets toward larger centerpieces and statement floral installations. It’s a fresh take on personalizing their weddings.”

“2024 is a year all about color and femininity, from petite sizes to luxe embellishments,” says Amy Balsters, owner and CEO of The Floral Coach in Alexandria, Va. Known for creating lush, loose and airy “garden-gathered-style bouquets and arrangements, Balsters agrees that the trend of oversized bouquets is scaling back in favor of smaller, more sensible bouquets. She also says that “ultra femininity is taking a front-row seat with the popularity of the sweet, romantic and sometimes flirtatious ‘Coquette’ fashion trend. Lace, ribbons and bows, especially in pastels, have real staying power. I think we will continue to see more dramatic renditions of trailing ribbons and bows tied to flower stems and bouquets handles.”

“Monofloral and monochromatic bouquets are also having a moment,” Balsters continues, “allowing for mixing and matching so that members of bridal parties can complement their own unique styles. Cascade bouquets were trending last year and are still going strong in 2024, from avant-garde styles like architectural cascading bouquets to lush garden-gathered cascades.”

As weddings continue to evolve, so, too, do the trends in bridal bouquets. Whether characterized by sustainable blooms, bold colors, cascading bouquets or rich blends of textures, the popularity of wedding bouquet styles will be determined by their ability to express each couple’s unique style.