When you picture flowers at a wedding you generally think of bouquets, boutonnieres, garland (for the church pews) and centrepieces (for the tables at the reception).  However, modern brides have become much more creative with flowers, using them to add a personal touch to all the wedding day’s events.

After your gown, nothing makes a statement about you more than your bridal bouquet.  However, you don’t have to just carry your flowers, you can wear them as well.  Today’s brides have been known to creatively utilize flowers by adding floral accents to their wedding gowns.  Everything from dainty rose buds sewn into a gown’s skirt to a string of gardenias tastefully draped around the bodice are showing up on even traditional brides.  A flower sash tied around your waist also adds a hint of drama, or placing flowers or a floral band in your hair subtly incorporates a bit of colour into your overall look.

Flowers can also be used to set bridal mothers (and grandmothers) apart from the crowd.  In addition to corsages, why not also treat the mums to flowers for their clutch?  These small bouquets attach to the bag giving mum that little extra something that lets everyone know she’s a big part of this event, too. Typically, the mother-of-the-bride’s flowers match those found in the bride’s bouquet and the flowers carried by the groom’s mum match his boutonniere.  However, it’s completely acceptable to create unique bouquets for both mothers.

Flowers can also be used to get your ceremony off on the right foot.  Whether you’re getting married in a church or outdoors, flower petals are a unique way to highlight your walk down the aisle (this is especially helpful at outdoor weddings, where an actual aisle may not exist).  You can arrange for your florist to fashion a carpet of pedals ahead of time, or you can have a flower girl scatter flowers in front of you as you walk to your groom.  At outdoor weddings, flower petals are sometimes used to create an altar by arranging them on the ground in a circle or rectangle for the bridal couple to stand in during the ceremony.  You can also have your florist construct a flower arch that you and your attendants walk through, indicating the start of your procession.

Creative uses for flowers aren’t confined to just the wedding ceremony.  There are plenty of opportunities at the reception to use your floral imagination as well.  In addition to centrepieces, you can also decorate your table settings by hanging flower balls or coordinating garland on the back of each chair, and you can dress up the napkins by inserting small flowers in the napkin rings. And what better way to show off your wedding cake than to adorn it with blossoms that match those found in your bouquet?  Some couples go a step further and embellish the stems of their wine glasses and champagne flutes with little mini corsages that coordinate with the overall flower theme.  Even dull light fixtures can be spruced up (or hidden) by hanging bouquets from them tied with ribbon.  (Hanging bouquets can also be used to create room temporary dividers, if you want to keep your guests confined to a particular area.)

When it’s time for everyone to go home, nothing says thank you for coming to your wedding like complimentary single stem flowers (roses are always nice, but any flower will do).  As people leave, have someone hand a flower to each guest, along with a thank you card.  If your budget allows, you can even distribute small vases containing a rose bud, mini carnations, or some other equally elegant, yet diminutive, flower.

However you decide to use flowers at your wedding, keep in mind they’re for more than just bouquets.  Flowers add a touch of natural beauty that can’t be reproduced any other way.  Plus, they give you yet one more opportunity to add your personal touch to your wedding.