Your wedding day is no time to be a wallflower. As brides continue to find unique ways to make a personal statement on their big day, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing a resurgence of strikingly large bouquets that guarantee a grand entrance. Feeling bold? Choose a bouquet in one of these unique shapes, inspired by the past but updated with garden-grown and farmers market flowers.
(above left) ROUND Using spherical varieties like the coral charm peony and hydrangea as the focus, Solabee Flowers in North Portland created a compact yet lush globe of blooms from Oregon farms. The tightly manicured shape and cheerful shades of coral, ivory and green recall a midcentury idealism, perfect for a mod bride in a cheeky tea-length dress. Coral charm peonies, green hydrangea, love in a mist, blue succulents, tea roses, Romantik heirloom roses, Green Trix dianthus, deer fern and Alaskan fern; $145.
(above right) STARBURST Feeling a little wild, Susan Fischer at the West Burnside Zupan’s was inspired to let various orchids, leaves and grasses take their own shape. The result is a front-facing bouquet that erupts in every direction, yet the strong lines and simple colors keep it timeless, complementing sleek sheaths and clean A-line dresses. Lady slipper orchids, phaleonopsis orchids, jeffet orchids, dendrobium orchids, green tea roses, gardenias, monstera leaves, philodendron leaves, lily grass, explosion grass, Green Trix dianthus and reindeer moss; $300.
(above left) CRESCENT Allison Hull, who owns Bend’s Lemon Halo, decided to update these nostalgic side-sweeping curves (which nicely highlight a vintage-style corset or nipped waist) with shades from the fashion runway—blocks of color merge into each other, from rosy sweet peas to orange ranunculus to long burnt red euphorbia, sourced from Oregon farmers markets. Euphorbia, ranunculus, amaryllis, quaking oats, garden roses, sweet peas and anemones; $275.
(above right) PRESENTATION Overflowing with a wide array of vivid blooms like giant dahlias, geraniums and delphinium grown on-site, this long-stemmed beauty pageant staple takes on a casual exuberance thanks to Geranium Lake Flowers in downtown Portland. A spring-green ribbon subtly ties in the ferns and leaves; we see it in the arms of a casual, barefoot bride at her garden celebration. Red charm peonies, delphinium, dahlias, zinnias, hydrangea, weigelia, garden roses, chocolate cosmos, mokara and phaleonopsis orchids, Martha Washington geraniums, rosemary, lavender, ferns and garden stems; $175.
(above left) CASCADE A profile that could scream ’80s was effortlessly brought into 2011 by the ladies at Southeast Portland’s Punch, who chose greenhouse-grown orchids from Waldport for their natural drape. Pair with a simple bias-cut gown to play up the curves. Surprises like a pair of coral begonias and an underskirt of lavender hydrangea from their own garden show an attention to fun detail. Phaleonopsis orchids, gardenias, anemones, ranunculus, hydrangea, tulips, begonias, scented geranium greens, mint, eucalyptus and Dusty Miller; $190.
(above right) BIEDERMEIER The name recalls a period of simple order and elegance in 19th-century Germany, but Northwest Portland Old Town Florist’s choice of striking shapes and textures turn the concentric circles of this traditional design into a modern statement for today’s formal bride in a dramatic cascading gown. Eggplant calla lilies crown the otherwise classic layers of roses in shades of pink and peach, which are grounded in ferns and moss, as only in the Northwest. Pitcher plant, cinnamon rose, Peach Peony rose, Sweet Avalanche rose, tulips, eggplant calla lilies, umbrella fern and mossy branches; $295.
Dress throughout: Melissa Sweet from Anna's Bridal.
