The Bouquet: Cascade Charade
As I reflect upon recent weddings I’ve worked on and brides I’ve met with over the past few weeks I am starting to notice a trend that is getting a new breadth of life. Graceful arcs of delicate blooms styled in a classic cascade bouquet have been making their way back onto the wedding must have list for brides to be all over the place. I see more and more brides requesting cascade bouquets or cascade bouquet variations every week; they are ranging from a classic understated silhouette all the way to modern, artistic, asymmetrical designs that are sure to test the limits of bouquet holders the world over. Over the past few years there have been a few advancements in the floral industry that are making these bouquets easier to make than ever before; from new growing practices and new flower varieties to new glues and bouquet holder designs, it has never been easier to create a brides dream cascade bouquet. I have pulled together a list of fresh product, supplies, as well as a few tips and tricks that I have found to be invaluable for me to create a stunning example of today’s modern cascade.
- Dendrobium Orchids: When I think of the quintessential cascade bouquet, the first flower that comes to mind for me is dendrobium orchids. These orchids give you the dramatic length that these bouquets demand but they also can be cut down to fill in closer to the top, if that isn’t enough of a reason to love them the price tag is sure to help you fall in love, one bunch of ten stems is roughly the equivalent of 1 stem of their larger orchid family counterparts. Dendrobiums are also available in an array of beautiful color variations, classic white, purple, green, blush pink, lavender, and even dyed blue with so many colors out there the sky is the limit when it comes to your creative abilities.
10126 - Dendrobium White Super
- Sword Fern: Graceful sword fern adds a soft rustic tone to a classic cascade; they form the perfect architecture for a modern artistic bouquet as well as transitions into a green for a stunning traditional cascade. The long fronds allow you to control the visual pattern of the eye and move it though the design in a flattering way, when a pop of green peeks through the top of a bouquet grabs your attention and transitions the eye to the long trail beneath the bouquet, it provides you with a feeling of visual rhythm and movement. Be careful when using greens in a cascade, bouquet holders have a limited amount of foam available to design in, I only use greens as an accent and very sparingly to save more room and water for your flowers.
G1119 - Sword Fern
- Anemone: Soft delicate petals surround a bright eye that seems to peak through as if to say hello, this delicate cutie is none other than an anemone. Anemones are the perfect balance of soft delicate petals and robust rustic eyes that create a bloom that seems to smile back at you. With color variations of white, pink, red, fuchsia, blue, and purple these blooms can lend themselves to a variety of color combinations and design styles. Anemones are curious creatures because they open up and show off their natural beauty when outside of a cooler, but put them back into the cooler and they will close back up into a tight bud. One look at them and you can’t help but fall in love!
30872 - Anemone Fuschia Dutch
- Stephanotis: Stephanotis is making a comeback in the wedding world; for a while stephanotis took a back seat to more contemporary flowers but they are beginning to catch on again in these times of classic revitalization. Working with these ultra fragrant and delicate blooms can be tedious since every flower has to be stemmed and wired, but the result is well worth the effort, a cluster of stephanotis packs a huge impact. Since stephanotis is typically not sold with a long stem, keeping stephanotis hydrated can be a little difficult and I find this is where most designers run into problems. In my experience with stephanotis I have found the best way to keep them hydrated is to mist them a few times a day with cold water or you can even soak them in a shallow dish of cold water to help keep the moisture inside the bloom. I have also found that if you keep them in a sealed container the lack of air movement around them causes them to grow mold, try keeping the container open in the cooler to prevent the mold from forming on the flowers.
34969 - Call Your Sales Rep About This Item
