Wedding Flower Trends 2011

I`m so excited about the wedding flower trends for 2011! Especially since many wedding flower ideas for 2011 lend themselves well to a do it yourself type of wedding. I`ll first discuss the color trends then go into flower styles and popular flowers for 2011.

Wedding Flower Color Trends 2011
There is a wide variety of choices when it comes to the color palette for 2011 wedding. Your personal preferences will ultimately determine which way you will go when confirming your selection.

This year`s color trends come in two distinctive groups according to expert Michelle Mospens. She is a true genius for detailing color trends and wedding styling. I encourage you to visit her site. (after you finish reading this article) http://www.mypersonalartist.com/blog/?s=wedding+colors

Michelle Mospens has been helping brides with their color decisions since 2001 and according to her research, "The 2011 year in color will not only be BRIGHT and amazing, it will also be vintage, earthy and sun washed."

The Two 2011 Color Groups for You To Choose From 

1. Vintage Look: To achieve the vintage, nostalgic look include soft pastels with an undertone of gray in your wedding colors. For example a monochromatic creams (not white) would fit right in. Pinks accented with grayish silver would be perfect for this look.  Greens, cream and burnt red would also work well for a vintage look.                                               It`s all about choosing washed out colors for that aged look.
   Navy is always regal and can easily lend itself to the vintage look when combined with other blues, especially other dark blues like royal blue, perhaps a touch of violet and a sumptuous washed out yellow or you could go with a faded platinum silver. There are many options to achieve this stylish nostalgic look...
2. Bright, Fun Look: Hot Pink, Carrot Orange and Many Shades of Green and blue are at the top of the list to achieve the second color trend of the year. Tropical colors in funky combinations are ideal for 2011 weddings. This contemporary color theme can really make a statement. Let your imagination go wild for a  wedding that will really stand out!

Wedding Floral Trends and Popular Flowers for 2011 

1. To Match the Vintage Look: Loose, natural organic garden look. Just greens for centerpieces could work Use a single flower en masse for the ultimate 2011 trend.  All roses or masses of hydrangeas, callas or ranunculus reflect this popular trend well. As for foliage, dusty miller foliage and seeded eucalyptus lend themselves well to the vintage look especially when accompanied with asparagus fern  and ivy for a final wispy romantic touch to your bouquets.  Another idea for a vintage look for your centerpieces is to have cottage garden bouquets resting atop empty tall glass containers. Since the long rectangular tables are much more fashionable than the round ones this year, another idea to consider is a series of arrangements composed of a single flower laid out across the length of the table in combination with tea lights. Vintage accents are the ultimate in bringing this look together. You could include family heirloom jewels in your bridal bouquets or find unique vases and containers at flea markets to use for your centerpieces. 
2. To Match the Bright Fun Look:  You could still use garden flowers for a contemporary look but use them in bright and unusual color combinations. For example, you could combine hot pink, lemon yellow with royal blue or violet. There are many fun lights, spotlights, floralytes and battery lights on the market now that can be used in combination with your centerpieces to make them light up and add fun and glamor. Jewels in all colors, many shapes and styles are also on the market to add excitment to your wedding.  Rhinestone bracelets for wristlet corsages, jewels and "diamonds" to add to your bouquets  and wire strands of jewels to wind through your centerpieces are all ideas to help you integrate this fun look for your wedding.  Use bold orchids, callas, gerberas, daisies and roses to bring this trend to life.  Again, mass groupings of a single flower would work wonderfully. Think birds of paradise, oncidium orchids, mokara orchids, green cymbidium orchids and heliconia. 

If you want to learn to create bouquets yourself using the basic step by step instructions in my book to make them come to life, click here: howtoweddingflowers.com

If you want to read more about saving money on wedding flowers, go here: hub/flowergyrl

How to Choose Fantastic Wedding Flowers

Here is an excellent article i found at Brides.com

Tips For Choosing Fantastic Wedding Flowers

They had an interview with a famous florist to get his opinion on choosing wedding flowers.

Celebrity florist Mark Held on famous weddings and getting more bloom for your buck

What wedding trends are big right now?

We are seeing some of the wedding designs being affected by the economy right now. We're seeing a return to classic elegance and a little bit less of the over-the-top, flamboyant designs that we saw two and three years ago. There is a concentration on beautiful flowers rather than elaborate props.

What's a common mistake you see brides make?

One mistake that brides make is to not have a budget in mind when they first meet with their florist. You should give your florist an idea of what you want to spend on flowers so that you aren't wasting your time or his or her time. I do get people that come in, and they want the world. Then I'll do the estimate and they'll be like, "Oh, no, we only want New Hampshire."

How can brides get a luxe wedding look for less?

You have to be realistic about your decor, just like everything else in life. What I usually recommend is to concentrate on the areas that show the most and are the most important. For example, you want to concentrate on the focal area of the ceremony. You may want to pull back a little bit on the aisle. It's the ceremony space that guests are seeing and is often the backdrop for so many of your pictures.

You've worked with everyone from Fergie and Josh Duhamel to Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi. What is it like designing weddings for celebrities?

I think it's a little different because most celebrities know that the wedding is going to be photographed and will usually be seen by millions of people. They want to put their best foot forward and present themselves beyond just having a romantic ceremony. So if it's someone like Gwen Stefani, she has such a specific sense of style that we have to reflect that in what we do. For Fergie's wedding that we just did in January, I think the design reflected not only what she wanted, but also the way she and Josh live their lives.

Is it important for a bride to have a vision in place before she meets with her florist or wedding planner?

I think it depends on the bride. I have brides that come in who have a pretty good idea of what they want and what they don't want. I had one bride who had been planning her wedding since she had been five years old! There are other brides that may come in and say, "I don't know what I want." So we start that process and it's interestingpeople do know what they want. They know what they like and they know what they don't like.

Has there been a celebrity wedding that you especially enjoyed designing?

Ellen and Portia's wedding was very interesting because it was a true original. Portia had very specific ideas about what she wanted color wise. I think we did something very original in the design by using very faded pink tones with amnesia roses and faded pink garden roses. It was also something special to be part of that particular wedding because it really made a statement. I think it was the first really major celebrity gay wedding that was out there.

Find the perfect flowers for your wedding with Bride.com`s Flower Finder.

— article by Kathryn Papanek from Brides.com