When it comes to choosing wedding flowers, foliage often takes second place to the blooms themselves. As a self-confessed lover of greenery, tropical foliage is a much overlooked natural treasure trove. It’s bold and can really add the wow factor to a wedding.
Think of palm fronds, fatsia, monstera leaves, elephant ears, aspidistra and ferns. The best thing about palms and tropical foliage is that, because of their size, they can make a real statement in bouquets, garlands, ceremony backdrops or hanging installations.
Enormously Versatile
Palms and their tropical relatives come in all shapes and sizes. Some are as small as your hand and others taller than a person, so they’re enormously versatile. They’re also pretty tough and long lasting, so they hold their shape well. This makes them perfect for installations and arrangements without using vases full of water or heavy floral foam.
The rich green of palms and tropical leaves in wedding decoration is the perfect base for a big installation, and works with any flower colour. From purest white to vibrant pink and orange, wonderful tropical foliage is a wedding florist’s dream and works with everything.
For wedding bouquets, palm leaves, monstera or tropical leaves and ferns can give a bridal bouquet a wonderfully asymmetrical shape. They’re great for combing different textures and for setting off luxurious blooms such as orchids, which might lose their impact when combined with more traditional foliages.
When used in large focal arrangements such as urns or reception table vases, palm leaves are fantastic for making a bold statement. Their graceful arching shape gives instant height and width, plus an effortless style which needs little embellishment. If you want to continue the topical theme, smaller leaves are ideal for place settings and, for those with beautiful handwriting, even place names.
Tropical foliage in all its forms is a wonderful way to add a great style statement to a wedding. So, be bold, have fun and go green!
Guest post by Simon Nickell
Images from…
Backdrop and Place Setting: Monique Smiles Photography
Bouquet: Stacy Able Photography
