Flowers are an essential part of any wedding. From the all-important bouquet to the flower pins and centre pieces, your blooms add vibrancy to your big day, so choosing the right ones is not a decision that shouldn’t be made in a rush. Luckily, we’ve got the experts in to help.
Wedding flowers either dictate a colour theme or they compliment it. So not only do you need to get the hue right but if getting married in the UAE you need to bear in mind how long they will last in the heat. No bride wants to see wilting flowers as they say I do – hardly a positive sign.
Below we reveal the 10 most popular bridal flowers that are perfect for a desert wedding:
Rose
A symbol of beauty and love, the rose figures into many myths and fairy tales. When it comes to colour, the rose is one of the most versatile flowers – it’s available in solid, bicolour, stripped and tipped varieties. More than 3,000 varieties of roses are grown commercially, so many are available year-round. But, be aware not every rose is scented. Three main types are likely candidates for your wedding flowers: hybrid tea roses (the classic, uniformly-shaped commercial roses generally seen at your local florist), spray roses (a rose with five to 10 small heads on each stem and a ‘natural, garden-grown’ look), and garden roses (expensive, old-fashioned varieties with bushy, open heads and delicious scents).
Tips from the vendor:
In UAE, the most popular are pastel shades. Soft dusky pink, light pink, cream, peach and white plus light purple are the most popular for Arab and European weddings. Indian and Asian wedding tend to feature more oranges reds and hot pink.
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Tulip
Although it’s most often associated with the Netherlands, this flower is actually a native of Persia. Representing consuming love and happy years, the tulip can be a meaningful wedding choice. The flowers are grown in a wide range of colours, including white and cream, pastels like pink, yellow, and peach. There are also vibrant hues including magenta, red, and purple. Available throughout most of the year, there are three main varieties are commonly used: Dutch tulips (typically seen at neighbourhood florist shops and in gardens), French tulips (expensive and elegant, with extra-long stems and large tapered blooms), and parrot tulips (noted for their ruffled, striped petals in intense colours).
Tips from the vendor:
Tulips have a short shelf life and can be hard to get in good quality unless ordered in season, and well in advance. The flower size can vary depending on the season and growing region. Popular colours are white purple yellow and pink. They are not cheap so better for higher budgets.
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Calla Lily
The large calla lily flower is a traditional wedding flower native to Africa. It symbolises magnificent beauty in the language of flowers. The trumpet shaped comes in pink, yellow, purple and orange colours. It is also lightly fragrant. There are two different types of calla lily flowers used for wedding purposes. Large flowers with long stems are used for making bouquets and small flowers used for boutonnieres. The Greek word ‘calla’ means beautiful. Creamy ivory is the most popular colour, but calla lilies also come in yellow, orange, mauve-pink, and dark purple.
Tips from the vendor:
In the UAE calla lilies have lost popularity. When in demand, white red and orange are popular.
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Lily of the Valley
The small and sweet scented lily of the valley flowers is a popular wedding flower native to Asia and Europe. It has small bell shaped flowers and used for wedding bouquets and decorations. Lily of the valley is a symbol of springtime and also signifies happiness, humility and sweetness. Most people know of the white variety, but lily of the valley also comes in a very rare rosy-pink.
Tips from the vendor:
Not so suited to Dubai, but can be sourced for a big price.
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Hydrangea
The hydrangea signifies ‘you are the beat of my heart’. With its big bushy head and intense shades of pink, blue, burgundy, and purple, it’s no wonder that the hydrangea represented ‘vanity’ in the Victorian language of flowers. A stem or two of this moderately priced, scentless shrub flower helps fill out arrangements and bouquets, and a few sprigs make a charming boutonniere. There are 75 different species of hydrangea plants in the world, grow across Asia and Americas. The flowering occurs in early spring. The colour of hydrangea flowers depend on the acidity of the soil.
Tips from the vendor:
This is a very popular and versatile flower. White, green and blue are available all year around. Pink and purple are seasonal. They do fill a good amount of space so they are good value for money and used widely in the UAE. They do wilt if not in water so they need to be treated carefully.
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Peony
The peony is a bright strongly scented flowering plant that found in North America, Asia and Europe. Peonies are the floral symbol of China and the state flower of Indiana. The peony symbolises good fortune and happy marriage. The flowers grow in a variety of colours including red, white and yellow. Cultivated in Asia for more than a thousand years and developed further by the French, the peony is available in two main types, the herbaceous and the tree peony (the latter’s flowers do not last as long when cut). A bouquet made solely of peonies can be gorgeous; the flower can also be used to create beautiful centrepieces and arrangements. This expensive bloom is seasonally available from late spring to early summer but can be imported in the fall.
Tips from the vendor:
These beautiful flowers are great for wedding but are a definite luxury. Season starts late October to early November and goes till mid-January and then again from May to mid-July. Price wise, they are very expensive.
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Ranunculus
The beautiful ranunculus flower is an excellent choice for wedding bouquets because it is available in a variety of colors including white, yellow, orange, pale and apricot. The flowers are also small in size, multi-petaled and inexpensive. According to Victorians, to carry ranunculus is to tell your partner, “I am dazzled by your charms.”
Tips from the vendor:
These are a beautiful wedding flower but tend to be expensive and are a small flower so you need a lot of them to make an impact. White pink orange are the most popular. They do have a short shelf life, which makes them a luxury item.
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Stephanotis
The Victorian meaning for this flower is “marital happiness,” making the dainty white Stephanotis an obvious choice for weddings. The star-shape, waxy florets (at the bottom of the pictured bouquet) actually grow on a flowering vine; each must be individually wired or placed onto a special holder before it can be arranged. Mildly scented, moderately priced (but you’ll pay for labour if your florist is assembling a bouquet), and available year-round. The stephanotis flowers are available all year round and are priced moderately.
Tips from the vendor:
Its common name is Jasmine or Madagascar Jasmine. These are expensive and delicate.
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Sweet peas
The sweet pea, which signifies lasting pleasure, was first brought to England from Sicily in 1699, and the English have had a love affair with this delicate flower ever since. Its candy-like scent and ruffled blossoms make this an old-fashioned favourite in bouquets for the bride and her bridesmaids. The sweet pea’s many colours range from white to intense pinks and purples, and its scent can be strong and sweet.
Tips from the vendor:
A big luxury item, but beautiful.
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Gardenia
Surrounded by dark green, waxy leaves, the exquisite gardenia exudes a sultry, heavy scent. It was this intoxicating fragrance that captivated an English sea captain travelling through South Africa in 1754, prompting him to bring home one of the native plants as a souvenir. The popular wedding flower symbolises ‘happiness and purity ‘. Gardenia flowers are mainly found across Africa, Southern Asia and Australia.
Tips from the vendor:
Gardenias are lovely tucked into a bouquet or floating in a low bowl as a centerpiece, and a single gardenia makes a wonderful scented corsage or hair accessory.
For more bridal inspiration head to the The Scenic Wedding Fair by Emaar Leisure Clubs, which takes place on February 20, 2016 at the Lawns, Clubhouse, The Address Montgomerie Dubai from 3pm – 8pm.
Words: Firenze Flora, Bridal Florist At The Scenic Wedding Fair 2016
Images: Getty
