Italian Wedding Flowers

Flowers in Florence

Italy being the second largest flower producing country in Europe, it does not come as a surprise that couples choosing to get married in Italy, do not only think about the fantastic locations, the sunny weather, the cuisine, the great wines this country has to offer on that special day, but also about the amazing flower selection available.

Below wedding planner, Sara Mazzei, provides Italy Magazine’s readers with great tips to choose the perfect flowers for your special wedding day in Italy.

This is, obviously, of great interest to future brides and grooms, but also to all of you who love flowers and would like to discover what is available in Italy or get some ideas for your next Italian themed party.

“Fiori d’arancio” (orange blossom flowers) is a typical Italian expression referring to that special day when you and your better half “tie the knot”.

Even in Italy, the choice of the right flowers for the ceremony and the party, in spite of the wonderful variety available, needs to be carefully studied depending on the region, the season and the style of the wedding.

However, the sun, the heat of the summer months and the extraordinary climate differences between various regions call for a careful and sensible choice of flowers. Let us try to see which flowers are the most suitable in the various seasons and different areas in Italy.

Many flowers, such as roses, peonies and orchids, are all well known. We are talking about extraordinary flowers that can render a bride’s bouquet as wonderful as a centre piece. Often, however, we forget that we can achieve an elegant effect even with flowers that are out of the ordinary: clematis, narcissus and freesias, for example, can create a natural effect that can be adapted extremely well to a spring wedding in the romantic Tuscan countryside.

If, however, you are looking for a floral arrangement that is more defined, linear and with a modern touch, you could organise some table centre pieces with some amaryllis. Imagine glass vases with bunches of white amaryllis (or red ones for those of you who are not afraid to dare a little). The result is just wonderful!

If you choose to get married on the Amalfi coast, we suggest being a bit daring by putting together lemons, an Amalfi tradition, with some flowers that are more natural and a little wild. It could be a perfect decoration for dinner on the terrace overlooking the sea…a hint of freshness that adapts perfectly to summer evenings.

Speaking of flowers, could we ever forget about sunflowers? The symbol of Italy, of its sun and its countryside. A bouquet with sunflowers can be enriched with small yellow flowers that help fill out the bouquet such as solidago (golden rods) or small daisies. For the ceremony and for the reception the ideal combination is to present sunflowers in terracotta vases or in wicker baskets, achieving a rustic-chic effect.

If you chose to get married in Italy you must know that it is not only flowers that one can choose as the protagonist of the arrangements and centre pieces, but consider for a moment using aromatic herbs such as rosemary, sage and thyme. Imagine terracotta vases with a vintage feel filled with rosemary, sage and thyme, to remind you of the splendid terraces of Italian villages where these herbs are indispensable ingredients in our cuisine. If you wish to add a hint of colour to this idea, you could decorate the napkins with a coloured ribbon of organza and a sprig of lavender that, along with its fantastic blue flowers, will add a warm fragrance to the table.

In Italy, weddings are usually organised with beautiful buffets for the aperitif/starters segment of the evening and these buffets also deserve to be decorated…What is better than an arrangement that is “authentically Italian” with tomatoes, basil and chilies? Imagine big bowls filled with red tomatoes and chilies and small vases of basil. It is a very simple arrangement but one which the guests will appreciate and notice because it is something new yet something that really highlights the “Italian style” of your reception.

Another idea is to use olive leaves in the bouquets. The pale green leaves offer a subtle touch to the décor. It is enough to picture these leaves next to a pale pink of “aqua girl” roses or white peonies if you wish to play around with the contrast between the elegance of these flowers and the rustic nature of olive leaves.

And the groom? In our opinion the most elegant boutonniere is gardenia! It is a real must have! For everything else, there is nothing left to do but enjoy Italy, its flowers and its gardens filled with
lemon plants and amazing natural fragrances.

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