One of the things I love most about wedding days is the elaborate wedding flowers. When else in your life do you get to work directly with a florist to design your dream florals? As a live wedding illustrator, I’ve seen many fun ways couples have incorporated flowers throughout their wedding day. Whether you’re having a garden-themed wedding or simply love flowers, here are some of my favorite ways I’ve seen them used. 

Add Flowers to Your Outfits

The first place to consider adding extra flowers on your wedding day is in your outfits! For partners wearing suits, you can opt for a flower pocket square or even a full flower lapel instead of a traditional boutonniere. Partners with long hair can choose a braid or similar style with small flowers woven in. And don’t forget floral fabrics! You can opt for a full floral dress or something more low-key, like a floral pattern lining on the inside of your suit. 

Cocktail Hour Flowers

Another fun place to add unexpected wedding flowers is cocktail hour. Edible flowers are great additions to drink and food – who wouldn’t want a lemon spritz topped with a pansy? You can even freeze them in ice cubes! I also love the idea of a bouquet bar at cocktail hour. Give your guests a fun activity that also doubles as a favor! And I’d be remiss not to mention incorporating florals into your live guest illustrations. We can work together to design a floral border around the illustrations that match your wedding flowers perfectly.

At the Reception 

Of course, we can’t talk about wedding flowers without talking about the reception. Beyond the traditional centerpieces, there are so many fun and unique ways you can incorporate florals into this part of your day. For a big statement, consider a hanging arrangement over the dance floor or sweetheart table. Or, install a flower wall behind your sweetheart table or as a photo booth backdrop! For something more subtle, you can opt for individual blooms at each place setting. You can place them on top of the menu or attach them to each place card as a unique detail. 

Other Fun Ideas 

There are so many incredible things you can do with florals at your wedding, and they don’t have to be limited to the actual wedding day! For example, you can send dried or pressed flowers with your wedding invitations as a fun embellishment. I love seeing them attached to the stationery with a custom wax seal! Don’t want the flower fun to stop when the wedding’s over? Send your guests home with seeds as favors so they can grow them at home and think of you when they bloom. 

Weddings with Samia Lynn Designs

I absolutely love wedding flowers and seeing how couples come up with unique ways to include them throughout their wedding day. Whether you opt for real or faux flowers, they’re a beautiful way to add a fresh element to your day. If you want your wedding florals memorialized in guest illustrations, reach out! We can work together to plan the perfect design for your big day. 

If you’ve been a long-time follower of this blog, you know that we’re ALL ABOUT mementos. But, we’re also about repurposing too. I mean, you poured a lot of time, energy, and money into this wedding, you might as well be able to keep something from it besides your new spouse!

You’ve probably already heard about options for preserving your gown, but what about your wedding bouquet? There’s so many creative options for making it a timeless piece so let’s dive in:

1. pressed in a frame

I recently met Hana Willow Design at a wedding show and was immediately obsessed with her work. Did you know you could get your entire bouquet dry pressed into a glass frame to hang on your wall? To me, this is the best keepsake for your beautiful florals. Don’t want a hanging piece? That’s fine too! Artists like HWD can also take small pieces from your bouquet and turn them into pendants

Note: I did not get paid for this plug, I’m just genuinely obsessed with her work!

2. put in resin

There are approximately 1 million different ways to use resin, but here are a few ideas for your florals:

• In a block: a way to keep the flowers 3D and makes for a gorgeous focal decor piece. There are so many size and shape options, you’re bound to find one that will work in your home

• Coasters: get some of your smaller flowers pressed in or do one big flower for the whole piece, it’s totally up to you

• Jewelry: what a beautiful and unique way to keep your special bouquet with you on a regular basis! If you’re someone who prefers something “functional” over decor, this option is perfect for you

3. a 3d frame

If pressing your voluminous bouquet flat is a horrifying concept to you, let me introduce to you a 3D frame. You’re still able to hang it on the wall, but it will have more depth. You can also make it into a table top!

4. Ornaments

There are a couple different ways to go about turning your flowers into an ornament. You can dry them and stuff them into an empty, clear ornament. Or this is another great option for resin if you’d like to press them flat. Just keep in mind that resin objects do get heavy so your ornament will have to stay at a certain size

5. a TERRARIUM

Terrariums aren’t just for living flowers, just dry your bouquet and arrange how you’d like! You could have them in a tall, rounded glass terrarium with a wooden bottom (think ‘Beauty and the Beast’ rose vibes), in an octagon with metal edges, or in an open bowl with rocks or marbles at the bottom. Terrariums are perfect for basically anyone because they come in all shapes and sizes! The options are endless

Florals are a big part of many peoples weddings, so you should be able to do something with them afterwards! The options listed above are all great avenues to explore and be sure to have an idea picked out BEFORE your big day so you can get them over to the right person before the bouquet wilts or browns.

Which preservation option is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

Samantha Shammas, Author and Owner of SamiaLynn

Ok, real talk: I know very (VERY) little about flowers.

I’m the odd Millennial that is as far from a plant lady as they come (hello faux plants), but like most people, I love floral decor! The way they can completely transform a space is incredible and it’s amazing the different varieties and colors they all come in. Floral designers are definitely in an art category all their own. So this post is for all my fellow “flower lover not flower knowers”. It’s the biggest gap in my wedding knowledge so I asked Haley and Allison of Cedar & Lime Collective to help with a few floral tips for fall:

1. Decide what YOU want!

Not your mom, not your best friend; just you and your fiancé. Hop on Pinterest or your favorite wedding blog and take the time to gather inspiration as a couple and find something that feels like *you* and goes with your overall wedding theme. Florals is where your color palette will really pop so make sure you are the one that truly loves them

2. Choose seasonal blooms

Just like produce, it’s best to pick what’s in season. This will look different depending on where you live, but for most of the US, fall is when dahlias shine! Dahlias come in every color imaginable and each variety is unique and beautiful. They make for a stunning focal flower and elevate every arrangement they're in!

3. Lean in to fall colors

This doesn't mean you need to stick with the traditional fall colors across the board, but pick one or two as a base and build the rest of your palette around it. Love yellow? Add a little orange and red if you want traditional fall colors, or soften it up with white and peach if you want something a little more subtle! Muted greens and darker accent flowers also read more “fall”

4. Don't be afraid of dried goodies!

Grasses and foliage begin to dry and brown in the fall and it can be a great way to add texture to your pieces. You can also mix in dried flowers with fresh for a unique fall look or “alternative” grasses like pampas or tail. Not everything needs to be fresh (and dried lasts longer too!)

5. Trust your florist!

At the end of the day, your florist will always know what to do. Come to them with a broad vision of what you like and let them fine tune the details of how to make it happen. They're professionals and you're hiring them for their talent and expertise!

One more thing to add: depending on what you’re looking for (especially out of season blooms), many florists import plants from out of state or out of country. Therefore, it’s always recommended to start the process a year in advance (as you would for many wedding vendors), but 6-8 months also works as well.

Haley, Allison, and the whole team at Cedar & Lime do gorgeous work to make your wedding vision a reality so be sure to check them out on Instagram @cedarandlimeco and if you’re in the DMV area looking for a florist you can reach out to them online at www.cedarandlimeco.com

Haley Tobias, Author

Haley is the founder and lead floral designer of Cedar & Lime Collective and is based in the DC area. Her love of plants encompasses not only work, but her own flower and veggie garden as well. Her favorite flower is the Icelandic Poppy and she also has a background in ballet and modern dance!