COLOURS OF THE WIND
While the everlasting elegance of white floral arrangements will never go out of style, thanks to the gifts of nature, there are a plethora of other colourful options and vibrant shades both worthy of consideration and vying for a spot in your bouquet of brilliance. Here, Melbourne Wedding & Bride editor Bethany Hayes seeks the wisdom of Tanya French, owner of Heavenly Creations, and shares her tips on crafting a wedding bouquet brimming with vibrant colourful beauty.
The colour of love has long been synonymous with alluring shades of red, giving a welcome nod to a colour traditionally known to symbolise energy, strength and passion. Whether you’re seeking to match your wedding florals to the overarching theme of your celebration, infusing your ‘something blue’, or just after blooms in your most favourite of colours, nature has a range of spellbinding flowers to captivate. In Tanya French’s professional experience, supporting Australian growers and making the most of locally grown seasonal flowers are the foundations for a brilliant bouquet.
Powerful In Pink
Drawn to nature, flowers and the garden from a young age, French attributes her love for her job and passion for floral design to the endless ways in which flowers can be presented. “The abundance of colours nature provides us with is something I never get used to,” she notes. “I love to work with all the different textures, smells, styles and forms, and the world of floristry is evolving each year – with new and exciting techniques coming to light from all around the world.” With new trends continuously making their way to the forefront of floral design, so too do bold and bright colour combinations – from gorgeous soft lilac shades to Autumnal orange pigments.
One of perhaps the most enduring shades in floral design and wedding styling, pink flowers are refreshing on the eyes and complement almost every other colour combination as well. French credits pink’s well-loved reputation to its undying versatility. “When you think of pink, what comes to mind?” she quizzes. “Sweet, playful, happiness, love, emotion, youthfulness and romance to name just a few – what better day than a wedding to showcase all of these emotions?” The colour also comes in a vast spectrum of shades – from soft, pale peach to bold fuchsia. And there are ample creative ways you can infuse this shade throughout your chosen venue, be it subtle pops of pink through a beautiful tablescape, or statement blush roses in an arbour. “I don’t think pink will ever come out of fashion,” French affirms. “But couples get more adventurous when it comes to combining pink with other colours, which is exciting.”
Mother [Nature] Knows Best
During the initial stages of planning your bouquet, it’s important to know what season your wedding will take place in, so that your florist can work with the flowers in bloom during that particular month – or offer you some stunning alternatives, should the need arise. “My philosophy is to use what nature provides us with, and work with what each season brings us,” French says. “Australia has such an amazing