European floral influences
Wedding flower styles come and go with time, but these floral influences stay around and can be adapted for any modern bride. There are 5 big influences that I am going to look at. They are: Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Georgian and Victorian. Each of the styles have their own beauty and lend themselves to different types of weddings. I hope this helps you to find a style of wedding flowers you like and can incorporate into your big day.
Renaissance: Renaissance originates in Italy and means “rebirth”. This period ran from 1300s-1700s and combined historical influences from ancient Greece and Rome with modern day. During this time people became very innovative and liked to explore new styles and ways of living. There are many artistic influences from this time including:Botticelli, Bosschaert and even William Shakespeare with his plays inspire by love, death and betrayal
Key flowers to use to evoke this style are:
Lotus, Jasminum (jasmine), Iris, Tulipa (tulip), Rosa (rose), Hyacinthus (hyacinth)
Displays with flowers for weddings.
Table displays would use baskets, urns, vases and woven baskets to display flowers for a table. The display is normally quite low and would lend itself to a collection of vase designs along the centre of a long table and garlands.
Images from: weddingbells.ca/pintrest, Bridal musings/Dreamy and feminine Renaissance, Chic vintage brides/modern renaissance.
Baroque: The Baroque period over lapped with the Renaissance and started in 1600 and lasted until 1750. Baroque was influenced by the Renaissance style but added lots of eclectic items like birds, shells and more foliage. The designs where BIG and had lots of flowers and foliage to fill them using bold colours to add drama to the scheme.
Artistic influences: Rebrandt, Mignon along with other Dutch artists of the time who painted large over flowing vases of flowers usually with animals depicted in them.
Key flowers to use to evoke this style are:
Rosa (rose), Dahlia and Estoma (Lisianthus)
Displays with flowers for weddings.
Like the Renaissance this style lends itself to vase displays but you can now start to look bigger and bolder, with higher displays and more suitable for round tables.
Images from: Cinque Terre wedding/Baroque wedding, Jemma-Jade/Baroque styled shoot, The outside bride/Baroque wedding shoot.
Rococo: Pastel power and cake to match. That’s the Rococo style. Marie Antoninette said “if the people have no bread, let them eat cake” which I think is a great way to be at a wedding. This style only ran over a small period of time, running from 1720-1760, but has a big effect on style and design. It was very French and pretty, gone was the dark colours from the previous styles and in came pastel colours and flowers where everywhere.
Artistic influences: Drouais, Nattier and other French artists along with fashion at the time from the French aristocrats.
Key flowers to use to evoke this style are:
Delphiniums, Hyacinthus (blue hyacinths), white Rosa (Rose) and pale pink hydrangeas.
Displays with flowers for weddings.
This style lends itself to many different presentations. High, low, urns, vase, cocktail glass and modern styles like chic, French Country and Provence Style. No matter how you use this style the over all effect is super feminine and fresh.
Images from : Emily K Weddings/Floral design threw time, Lakeshore in love/French rococo wedding inspiration, confetti daydreams/rococo inspired wedding ideas.
Georgian: Wild and windswept is a good way to sum up this style. It is free flowing and allowed to look as if the flowers are moving or growing. It lends itself to the country garden look and the displays look like they have just been picked from a garden and put into a pot. This period ran from 1714-1830.
Artistic influences:Silk works are used a lot as this time by women at home. Flowers where also starting to be used in wallpaper and so many more people could have images of flowers in the home without having to spend to much to get it. Jane Austin was a big influence at this time with her stories of love and drama.
Key flowers to use to evoke this style are:
Rosa (rose), Daises, Pansies, Paeonia (peonies) and Astilbe (false goats beard).
Displays with flowers for weddings.
The displays will be loose and the flowers will feel like they have room to move. Flowers in the hair are very popular and it lends it feeling to a country garden wedding and rustic or vintage weddings.
Images from: Sara’s party perfect/Bridal shower, Love my dress/meadow wedding, English wedding blog/Indigo yard floral design.
Victorian: This style ran from 1800-1900 and stems from England. A big influence is from Queen Victoria herself and her wedding. She made flower crowns very popular. This brought about a love of the small. Small delicate flowers became popular and had a harp back to Baroque style with other objects being brought in along side the flowers, such as feathers and shells.
Artistic influences:As I have already said Queen Victoria was a big influence during this time and her wedding inspired others. Artists like William Henry Hunt and George Henry Hall inspired with their still life paintings.
Key flowers to use to evoke this style are:
Dianthus (carnation), spray rosa (spray roses), or forget-me-nots.
Displays with flowers for weddings.
Glass bell jars are used to display the flowers with single stems in glass vases and a number of vases next to each other to build up colour on the table. Posie and small hand tied bouquets.