Any Flower, Any Time

By Beth Anne Piehl

Somewhere in the world, the flowers the bride wants for her fall or winter wedding are available.
“They grow flowers all over the world, so we can get practically anything at any time. Nothing is out of reach,” said Kathie Beamer, manager of the floral department at Christians Renolda Greenhouse in Harbor Springs.
One caveat would be peonies, she added, as they don’t hold up well in the cooler temperatures once they arrive, but other varieties can stay beautiful and colorful throughout a ceremony this time of year.
While brides are choosing whatever flowers they envision, they’re also preferring brighter colors, like lime green, mixed with blues, purples, reds and pinks, Beamer said.
Orchids and dendrobium orchids, small with a long stem, are a graceful and popular choice of area brides. Their cascading effect is beautiful in a bouquet and also individually as boutonniere, she said.
Smaller calla lilies are also a lovely choice for brides in any season, and they can be ordered in vibrant hues like mango, purple, orange and yellow. Only calla lilies are available in colors, she added; the larger lilies only come in white.
Hydrangea, in fall-inspired colors like purple and antique-green, add variety as well.
Particularly in the fall, berries and different leaves provide texture and interest in floral design, much like the changing landscape.
Mary Pasternak, owner of Nature’s Garden in Petoskey, said adding unique, natural items to centerpiece and floral arrangements throughout the wedding venues is a trend her brides are embracing.
“In the fall we do a lot of pumpkins, and I have one coming up in January with peach and pink ivory flowers for the church and at the reception there will be branches and vases with snow in the vases,” said Pasternak. “Brides are finding they don’t have to do the same thing at the ceremony and the reception. A lot of times, the wedding ceremony itself will look one way and we will decorate the reception hall differently.”
Another example of Nature’s Garden’s staff creativity can be found at an approaching fall wedding, where traditional flower bouquets will be situated among tables divided into different décor, with one-third having pumpkins, one-third having leaves and gourds and the final third having candles.
“Even if you’re on a budget, you can be creative and have two different looks,” she said, adding that one couple took the initiative to go out on their property and find the branches for the centerpieces and spray-paint them silver themselves.
“If you’re on a budget, the first thing I like to do is make sure the bride has everything she’s ever dreamed of, then you work the rest of it in,” Pasternak added. “Work with your florist to see that you capture your bouquet and work together to create the perfect wedding.”  

Preserving the bouquet

After the ceremony, the bride doesn’t have to say goodbye to her beautiful flowers. Alice Dunkel of Petoskey has been preserving wedding bouquets since 1988 as the owner of Alice’s Preserved Bouquets.
Some ideas for brides looking to keep a reminder of their flowers include preserving them in picture-like fashion, placing the flowers on matting and framing them in wood, metal or a colored frame. Dunkel also makes potpourri and can dry the flowers to create a meaningful wreath or swag.
Often, brides will have special requests, such as adding a wedding invitation or napkin to the dried flower display. Others have incorporated flowers from their mother and father’s wedding, or a remembrance of some kind like a dragon fly or photo of a family member.
Dunkel said preserved flowers can last forever if properly maintained.
“Light and moisture are preserved flowers’ worst enemy. They will discolor the flowers,” Dunkel said.
While she does not divulge her process, she has many happy return customers who ask her to preserve other special family natural arrangements through the years following the wedding.
“Some customers return years after the wedding and have me preserve their anniversary flowers,” she added.
For more information on Dunkel’s flower preservation business, visit www.angelfire.com/mi4/flowersforever/. Her e-mail address is preservedbouquets@charter.net.

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