a December wedding

 
 

The photos speak for themselves, it was the wonderful winter wedding of Chiara and Alessio. As you can see the bride was radiant, sweet and romantic.

Chiara and I met for the first time in spring. During our meeting she expressed the desire to use red as the main colour for their day. So the floral moodboard I proposed was: white and red anemones, double red tulips, white and red ranunculus, berries, small apples, dried oranges, rosehips, silver pine, Norway pine, silver and green cypress.

Chiara chose the beautiful church of St. Zeno in Verona for her special day. It boasts many beautiful and opulent frescos, in particular the magnificent Mantegna altarpiece by one of the most famous Italian Renaissance painters. I suggested a neutral palette for the floral decorations white, different shades of green and silvery-grey. These colours enhanced both the beauty of the church and flowers.

With a snow white bridal gown it was essential a touch of red. Red rosehips were added to pure white anemones, ranunculus and small white rose buds. With a touch of red lipstick the bride was ready.

Bright red took center stage throughout the decorations: from the place setting to the centerpiece, right down to the wedding cake decoration. For each table I created colorful floral compositions wrapped in soft white linen and for the bride&groom’s table there were some small “floral cakes”. For each guest there was a small pine branch with a little red apple, and a cascade of red flowers for the wedding cake.

I would like to thank Chiara, Alessio and Paolo (the photographer) once again for letting me share their unique day.

 
 

anemones

 
 

In the winter flower gallery let us spare some time to better get acquainted with anemones. You’ll learn to love this graceful flower little by little. Anemones are so unpretentious and shy, always huddled together with their blossoms tightly closed as though they’re hiding a secret.

Once you buy them you need to arm yourself with plenty of patience. They will slowly reveal themselves like dancers doing pirouettes in light voile skirts. As the blossoms open up, they finally show off their dramatic black centre surrounded by bright coloured petals. We are spoilt for choice with all the variety of colours. From pure white, ideal for a winter bouquet to vivid red, perfect for Christmas and St. Valentine’s, right down to timeless elegant burgundy.

Here are some practical tips for caring for your anemones:

  • the hollow stems are very delicate so handle them carefully
  • they don’t need a lot of water (maximum 5 cm)
  • they’ll grow so keep this in mind when creating your floral arrangement
  • buy them at least 3 days before making your floral arrangement

I came across these photos of anemones and I was fascinated by them. This shots were taken by Jessica a Californian floral designer, who revealed that anemones are her favourite flowers. I think she managed to capture all their beauty, what do you think?

Which are your favourite winter flower? Let me know!