Winter Wedding Ideas
Cool metallic elements are warming up wedding decor this fall and winter.
Photo by Our Labor of Love
Whether it’s a seasonal trend or a subliminal sign of good luck, most couples saying their vows this fall will be surrounded with the color associated with 50th wedding anniversaries.
“Ninety percent of my clients with fall weddings are doing gold,” says floral designer Amy Osaba. “Warmer tones like golds and metallic are really in right now. It gives the atmosphere a cozy undertone so flowers can make a strong statement.”
This fall, weddings are all about light and airy florals and refined rustic elements. Here’s what’s topping the trend list:
Material Girls Move over Mason jars: country chic is stepping aside for a time with a more sophisticated look. “I’m seeing lots of French provincial elements coming back,” Osaba says. “Linens have a soft, antique look with oatmeal, cream and natural colors. Some even have gold undertones—nothing gaudy or tacky, just shimmers or flecks. I’m loving a linen called Sea Island Sand. It’s a nice, natural fiber with gold thread woven through it. It makes you think of burlap, but it’s not.”
Nuts for Gold Gold foliage and florals are one way to work the color in, but a good can of spray paint can help any natural element achieve the hot hue. “We’re painting lots of earthy elements gold,” Osaba says. “Nuts like acorns and chestnuts look gorgeous spray painted gold or silver and laid out in pretty gold bowls. Almond pods come on a really lovely stick; I’ll spray those gold or metallic and include them in a tabletop vignette with a big bloom or bowl of fruit and apricots.”
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Garlands on the Rise In the air or on the table, garlands have worked their way into fall wedding décor. “I’m really into garlands and greenery that hang loosely on the ceiling,” Osaba says. “If you make them light and airy, they soften the room and look beautiful mixed in with bistro lights.” Osaba uses fern, eucalyptus, lemon leaves and crepe myrtle with pink blooms mixed in. “You could also use loropetalum for a foraged look,” she says. “Gather a bunch of branches with leaves, lay them in a long line and wrap them with light gauge wire. I’ve also used them down the center of a table as an alternative to centerpieces.”
Cool Shades Shades of pink and plum make nice complementary colors to the gold and green colors of fall. Osaba says she’s using lots of green, salmon, white and plum foliage like David Austin 'Juliet' and 'Yves Piaget' roses, dark plum ranunculus, chocolate black dahlias and 'Baccara' roses plus white and silver flowers like white peonies and silver brunia. “I also love white anemones with the black center,” she says.
Bouquets on the Move Cascading bouquets are big this fall, full of style and movement. “They’re loose with lots of peonies, ranunculus and jasmine creeping out of them,” Osaba says. “Mint makes a great addition and smells good and poppies add a papery texture.”
Crowning Achievement Osaba says she’s seeing lots of Frida Kahlo-inspired flower halos and crowns this fall, full of roses, peonies, ranunculus and jasmine with berries throughout. “It’s a more asymmetrical look, but prominent floral headwear is definitely coming back.”
