Choosing the Perfect Flowers for Your Wedding Day | A Look Behind the Scenes Planning Melanie & Lawrence’s September Wedding in Calgary, AB

One of the first stipulations Melanie had about her wedding florals was that they should feel “happy and bright”!  And although she didn’t have a clear idea about what types of flowers she wanted, she knew very quickly through looking at different inspiration photos what she did and didn’t like.

Part of the process when you begin thinking about your flowers isn’t just what colours you want… it’s more about how you want your day to feel.  As your florist, I love having a set of descriptive words for your wedding day.  I’ll ask you to describe your perfect day for me!  Do you want it to feel relaxed, calm and casual?  Elevated, classic or refined?  Fun and high-energy?  Romantic or whimsical?  The possibilities are endless, and can really reflect who you are as a couple and the energy you bring to your day.

For Melanie and Lawrence, it would have been easy to pop out a typical fall-inspired colour palette as they were getting married in late September, and in Calgary, the leaves and all the beautiful trees and bushes begin changing colours.  The couple had chosen a beautiful steel blue for their accent colour and hoped to have vivid oranges, yellows, reds and blues in their florals.  Melanie didn’t want anything pastel or muted and they both really love nature and outdoor adventures.  My fun challenge was to find the perfect colours and textures to pull it all together and create the vibe they were looking for!

Part of my job as your florist is to distill all of your ideas and tastes into a cohesive story that will reflect you as a couple and also speak to how you want your guests to feel on your big day.  Colour is an important part of that so I spend a lot of time thinking about how different shades and tones balance each other and how they come across emotively. 

For Melanie and Lawrence we chose vibrant but deep golden yellows and oranges to honour the fall colours, and we kept the colour palette bright and not moody.  Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) flowers were the star of the show with their sunshiny bright petals, the epitome of cheerfulness!  Some textural grasses and preserved beech leaves helped round out the look so it was fun and not stuffy.

Initially we were going to add blue flowers as well but we decided to let the bridesmaids dresses carry that bold colour all by themselves and used blue accents only in the reception florals.  A little pop of red and burgundy (along with some creamy yellows) balanced the colour palette perfectly.  The guests raved about all the colour!

The day of the wedding Calgary’s weather was all sunshine and blue skies, perfect for a celebration.  Melanie and Lawrence had their photos taken in some Calgary parks, and then at their reception located at the Silver Springs Golf and Country Club.  The perennials on the golf course included many Black-Eyed Susan flowers, beautifully matching the wedding party bouquets.  The day was HAPPY and BRIGHT!

Photographer Credits: Quinn Hystad Photography | quinnhystad.com