Photo: Gia Canali
No wedding day is complete without an abundance of beautiful flowers. From bouquets to centerpieces, selecting the right blossoms makes a major impact on the overall feel of your celebration. To ensure your big-day blooms are up to par, botanical stylist to the stars Kimm Birkicht — beloved by Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, and the Fanning sisters — is spilling how to get gorgeous wedding blossoms.
Bring a list of questions to your first meeting.
Ask: "What's readily available on my wedding day?" (You'll save money by sticking to seasonal blooms.) "Which flowers match my style?" "Which come in my wedding colors?" "How would you decorate my venue?" (Show up with photos in case she's unfamiliar.) And, of course, "Can you work with my budget?"
Go for baroque!
Elevated ranch and bohemian chic are beautiful styles, but isn't it time we moved on? Look up "Dutch masters flowers" or "Gothic romance at Valentino" and you'll see a new mood unfolding: It's painterly, luxe, and incredibly feminine. For a wedding, this translates to a burgundy, aubergine, and chocolate palette with pops of white and gold. Ask for arrangements of fritillaria, open pomegranates with black callas, figs, gardenias, and champagne grapes in gilded urns. Candelabras, yes! Skulls, no.
See More: Every Single Question You Need to Ask Your Florist
Embrace gold.
It's not gaudy if it's done well. I love a centerpiece with gold-leaf-dipped magnolia-tree blossoms or painted Bosc pears. Or cover a cake in glitter-dipped feather butterflies! I once trailed them from the cake down to the tablecloth to the floor. It looked like they'd flown in and swarmed onto the dessert table.
Choose bouquet flowers that age well.
Peonies and anemones are the most in demand, and they look great out of water for a while. I can't say the same for lovely-but-wilty hydrangeas, dahlias, and viburnum.
If you're doing a single flower en masse (stunning!), do all roses.
Just not Ecuadorian roses; I have an aversion. Ask for Patience and Vendela, and if you can't get your hands on roses, use equally ruffly ranunculus, which come in a wide spectrum of hues. For the ceremony, create a super-lush carpet of rose petals and throw in a few open garden-rose heads. With petal-strewn aisles, if you're going to go for it — go for it.
Skip flowers altogether if you really want to make a statement.
Maiden ferns, moss, and succulents are sophisticated on their own. I wish more brides would ask me to go all green!
Want a wow factor? Do flower sculptures.
Carnations are best for this. If your venue has a pool, float your monogram in blooms! It's not the easiest thing to do, and two people will always have to get wet.