Bouquets bloom with brides' favorites
Karen Stewart has seen wedding flower trends sprout up, have their moment in the sun, then wither and be replaced by a new crop of floral favorites.
During her 35 years of creating wedding bouquets, corsages and decorations for The Butler Florist, 123 E. Wayne St., she said flowers and plants can regain popularity after fading into obscurity for a time.
“Right now, it's the bohemian look. We're getting a lot of requests for that,” Stewart said. “It means a lot of greenery and not a lot of structure, lots of eucalyptus, a lot of hydrangeas.”
Creative requests are always in bloom.
“In the last few months, we've had requests for bouquets where it has just been baby's breath,” she said. “Honestly, I don't know what you would call it. It's just baby's breath and nothing else.”
Ed Bloom, the owner of The Butler Florist for 40 years, has even more novel uses for eucalyptus.
“I've even used eucalyptus table runners, a garland effect down the table, mixed with other flowers,” said Bloom. “It's not connected, but looks like it.”
“We can form archways, arbors, make up walkways and trim chairs and pews with it,” Bloom said.Outside of the baby's breath bouquets, Stewart said popular flowers and plants for current weddings include eucalyptus, calla lilies, hydrangeas and gerbera daisies.The continuing popularity of barn weddings — ceremonies held in converted barns — has had its own influence on bouquets and other floral decorations, she said.“For bouquets used in a barn wedding, I'll wrap burlap around the handle. A lot of the table decorations are just Mason jars filled with baby's breath,” she said.Currently on the outs with future brides planning their weddings are carnations, which used to be a go-to flower.Stewart said it takes her 35 to 45 minutes to craft a wedding bouquet depending on how complicated it is.“Sometimes I wire them,” she said. “We have plastic frames we use where you can just stick the flowers through.“I don't know if you can make a bad bouquet if you use good quality, fresh flowers.”Sometimes it is more than flowers that get added to a bride's bouquet.“A month ago I had a bride who had a sleeve off her father's shirt. I slipped it up the handle of the bouquet,” Stewart said. “I've added lockets, special jewelry they will bring to me.”
A bouquet, whether with added jewelry or other mementos, isn't a long-lasting creation.“They can last two or three days provided they don't get thrown in the corner, thrown into the air or passed off hand to hand,” Stewart said.Prices for bouquets can range between $80 and $140. “That depends on the type of flowers used,” she said. “Calla lilies, roses, will put you on the higher end of prices.”Stewart said she's there to make the bride's floral dreams a reality.“I will make whatever you want. You have to tell me what you want,” Stewart said.Although fall brides better get their bouquet requests into her soon.“It's been a somewhat slow summer, probably because of the rain and the heat,” Stewart said. “But October is turning into a big month.”Weddings, like bridal traditions, are never out of season.“It seems like June or October will be the biggest months this year,” Bloom said.
