Alena Chudopal Alena Chudopal head and senior teacher of Chudopal.Schools
Vice-President of the National Guild of Florists
Judge of the Russian Championships in professional floristry
The color scheme can help the florist express in a bouquet the emotions that a person wants to tell the person to whom he gives it. But how to understand the subtleties? Red color is given to loved ones and at the same time used in memorial wreaths. The color yellow is uplifting, but is associated with separation.
We asked the vice-president of the National Guild of Florists, Alena Chudopal, to tell us how knowledge of the positive and negative meanings of color will help the florist produce work that will always suit the occasion and accurately convey the emotions that the client wanted to express.
Each country has its own attitudes towards color and its own stereotypes. In Russia, all shades of red are associated with beauty, love and passion. But in Europe it is not customary to give red flowers to the woman you love. Red, scarlet, yellow, orange are considered cheap colors. You won't find yellow flowers in the center of Paris, even in autumn.
In this article we will only talk about the attitude towards the flower of the peoples of Russia.
Red
Bouquets of red flowers are perfect for anniversaries, special and sad events, as a gift to a loved one and for business events.
Knowing the positive and negative meanings of red will help you figure out when to use which shade, because context plays a key role in color choice.
Characteristics of the value of pure red color
We give characteristics to pure red color, and from it we can create derivatives. By adding more white, black or gray to red, we can soften or enhance the effect that red produces.
By adding white to red, we make the red color softer. And by adding black to red, we make it more aggressive. The more gray in red, the quieter and more subdued it becomes.
If the florist understands who the bouquet is for and for what occasion, then it will be easier for him to help express the client’s emotions with flowers.
For example, a young man wants to give his beloved tender girl a bouquet of red roses to show how strong his feelings are, but at the same time he heard that bright red roses are not customary to give to young women. The florist begins to ask questions and talk about the meaning of the color red in floristry in order to more accurately determine the shade of flowers in the bouquet.
Florist helps choose a bouquet for a tender girl
— Red is a great choice. It speaks of taste and is associated with passion, love and confidence. But since you are talking about a gentle girl, then pay attention to the coral shade of red. He also talks about love, only softer and more tender. How do you like this option?
- Yes, beautiful flowers. Please make a bouquet of them.
The coral shade of red is ideal for declaring your love to a tender girl.
It happens that a client asks to make a red bouquet for a sad event in order to express his sadness in red flowers. Then the florist will be able to offer him darker shades of red.
Florist helps client choose a bouquet for a sad event
- Look, pure red is associated with passion. But if we add a drop of black to it, it will help us convey sadness in the bouquet. Pay attention to these flowers, which are closer to a burgundy shade. How do you like them?
- Yes, I like them, it seems they would be more appropriate than scarlet ones.
Shades of red that fade to black help convey sadness
Adding black to a color does not always make it sad and symbolize separation. Shades close to black will appeal to the impulsive woman. A bouquet in burgundy tones will perfectly highlight the temperament of such a woman.
Red color, turning into burgundy, will help emphasize the bright temperament of a woman
In addition to passion, red has a message of activity and solemnity. For example, for a wreath on May 9, the red color does not need to be softened or turned black. Pure red color will do the job perfectly and emphasize the solemnity of the event.
Pure red color in a memorial wreath helps to emphasize the solemnity of the event
How to arrange a bouquet?
There are several options that are used in design. Pay attention to the saturation of the shade. Accordingly, it is not so easy to create many different compositions with it.
Your task is to mute the image or, on the contrary, enhance it. What exactly is best to do, you will have to decide on your own, based on the desired wedding image.
Decorative designs can include:
- satin ribbons;
- beads;
- rhinestones;
- green twigs.
You should not add completely different rich tones. With this option, the bouquet will immediately look too vulgar, and neither the bride nor anyone present would want this.
You will have to decorate as concisely and simply as possible. For example, add green succulent branches to a bouquet of orange tulips. Don’t forget to tie the resulting composition with a thin satin ribbon at the very base.
This is interesting: How to properly assemble a bridal bouquet in the shape of a ruffle
Orange
A bouquet in orange shades is usually given to a close friend, mother, other significant people, teachers and old acquaintances. Spouses who have lived together for a long time can also be given an orange bouquet.
Orange shades will not be able to emphasize the solemnity of the moment on the leader’s birthday or express passion when proposing marriage, because the main message of this color is warmth and comfort.
Characteristics of the value of pure orange color
Since orange is a shade of yellow, it is often associated with separation and may be wary of a bouquet that contains orange flowers.
In this case, the florist can help by knowing the positive and negative characteristics of the color orange. You can talk to the client about how orange is the color of energy, fertility, strength, and explain that the association with separation is imposed by a famous song, but has nothing to do with the sensations it evokes.
Pure orange color is rare in floristry, so color stretching will help the florist better understand which shade of orange is best to solve the client’s problem.
By adding white to orange, we soften the orange color. And by adding black to orange, we make it more daring. The more gray in orange, the quieter and more subdued it becomes.
For example, a client would like to choose a bouquet for his mother for her birthday. He would like to convey warmth, comfort, health, so that there is not a drop of negativity. A shade of orange that goes into warmth and lightness conveys this message perfectly.
An orange bouquet will be able to convey warmth and cheer up its owner. Source vadim_flora
Options for monochromatic compositions
According to stylists, the color orange symbolizes love and a real strong family. Attaching great importance to this explanation, many brides strive to receive a bouquet of orange flowers for their wedding.
Whether they will be the same or different depends on who is creating the composition. This person must certainly know the meaning of each flower and plant used so as not to disturb the harmony. The desire to create a bouquet of identical flowers is not always expressed by brides, but everyone wants to give up combining different shades.
Girls prefer to see different plants in a bouquet, the main thing is that their color is the same. It is not easy to create such a composition, but experienced florists are able to create amazing bouquets, real masterpieces, using flowers of the same type or several different ones. Monochrome bouquets often complement the image of the bride at a holiday, where orange is chosen as the main color.
A wedding in orange tones is a celebration where everything is permeated with light.
Roses are recognized as the most popular and sought-after flowers for a bride's bouquet at such a wedding. Their buds or opened heads look so bright against the background of green leaves that they immediately attract the attention of others.
The color of the bride's dress at an orange wedding does not have to be snow-white, although many girls prefer just such outfits, complementing them with:
- belt in the form of an orange satin ribbon;
- decorations in the form of rowan bunches;
- hand composition of rose hips.
The bouquets are very diverse, for the creation of which the master used different flowers: callas and lilies, roses and chrysanthemums, asters and peonies, freesia or poppies.
The main thing is that they are all orange.
Yellow
A bouquet of yellow flowers can be given to your mother, beloved friend, child, or any person to whom you want to express your attention and care.
People often attribute the meaning of separation to the color yellow and are reluctant to give flowers with this shade. When a florist knows both the negative and positive meanings of the color yellow, he can help the client move away from the stereotype that yellow is given only for separation. Yellow color is the sun, warmth, wealth, cheerfulness, so a composition in yellow tones will create a mood of celebration and fun.
Characteristics of the meaning of pure yellow By adding white to yellow, we make the yellow color softer. And by adding black to yellow, we make it dirtier. The more gray in yellow, the quieter and more muted it becomes.
For example, flowers of a yellow hue, which is closer to white, can be recommended to a bride who wants to emphasize that she is full of bright joy.
A wedding bouquet of soft yellow flowers speaks of a joyful event for the newlyweds
If a woman comes to the florist and wants to choose a bouquet for her long-time friend, she wants to support a loved one and give a good mood, then a bouquet of pure yellow flowers will do. When you look at such a bouquet, you get a feeling of festiveness, warmth and comfort.
A bouquet of yellow flowers is ideal as a gift to your beloved friend
Ideas for custom wedding bouquet design
Often, admirers of Greenpeace (an environmental organization) refuse to deal with fresh flowers. But you have to get married, and you still need a bridal bouquet. In this situation, florists who are ready for anything offer several interesting solutions.
An unusual alternative to the classic floral arrangement is a bridal bouquet made from sweets, toys or artificial flowers.
Toys are a great replacement for traditional colors . Unlike them, toys do not fade, do not deteriorate and do not require special care. Such a bouquet will remind you of your cherished wedding day for a long time. And if you want the buds to smell, you can sprinkle them with a little perfume.
Photo of the bride's bouquet with bears
Why not? After all, you want people to talk about your wedding for a very long time. For candy bouquets, not only expensive Raffaello or Ferrero Rocher are used, but also compositions with lollipops or custom-made chocolates. However, before ordering such a “culinary and floral creation,” you need to worry about the weather so that you don’t have to urgently carry the melted bride’s bouquet into the refrigerator in the middle of the wedding.
Photo of a bride's wedding bouquet made of sweets
In fact, it’s up to you to decide which bouquet to give preference to, and you shouldn’t bother too much with numerous advice from all sides. A wedding is just your celebration of love and your first day as a married couple, so you should relax and enjoy life to the fullest.
Green
Florists mainly use green as greenery in bouquets. This gives the bouquet a feeling of freshness and relaxation.
Characteristics of the meaning of pure green The more white shade there is in green, the more delicate the green color looks. The more black, the more provocative the green color looks. The more gray in green, the quieter and more subdued it becomes.
A bouquet only in green tones does not carry any emotional load. He speaks of calm, stability, evenness. A bouquet of green flowers can be given to neutral partners: a secretary, a personal manager at a bank, a business consultant.
The color green is sometimes associated with dollars. You can give a bouquet in cool green shades to a man, emphasizing his status.
A bouquet in green shades can be given to a man to emphasize his status.
A bouquet with flowers in green shades is perfect for a bride who is planning a wedding in eco style.
How to combine flowers of different shades with orange
To make the bride's bouquet look harmonious and stylish, you should follow some rules for creating a composition and combining different shades of the color chosen as the main one.
So, asters and soft pink callas go well with orange roses. Chrysanthemums and lilies can complement the main flower, which is calla lilies.
Combinations may, at first glance, be completely impossible and even unthinkable. So, at an autumn wedding it is customary to make a bride’s bouquet using not only flowers or twigs.
Berries can be added to the composition, decorating the bouquet and making it unique.
Blue
A bouquet of blue flowers can be given to a teacher, young parents of a boy, or a man to emphasize his status. A wedding bouquet can also consist of blue flowers, conveying the strength and strength of marriage.
Characteristics of pure blue color By adding white to blue, we make the blue color softer. And by adding black to blue, we make it more strict. The more gray in blue, the quieter and more subdued it becomes.
The blue bouquet will harmoniously complement the image of the boy in a school uniform who came to the assembly on September 1st. Source: flowersjuli_
The client does not always want to express positive emotions in a bouquet. Sometimes a bouquet can be given as a sign of parting. Blue color with the addition of a drop of black will perfectly cope with this task and convey a feeling of sadness, stagnation and melancholy.
A shade of blue with the addition of black is suitable for a bouquet as a sign of parting. Source: lemongrasswedding
Adding black to blue does not always indicate sad events. Blue color with a black tint can emphasize stylishness and rigor and is perfect for a serious man.
A bouquet with blue flowers with a black tint is suitable for a strict and business man
A bouquet in blue shades in the hands of the bride will emphasize the importance and depth of the event
What flowers are combined in a bouquet
Plants create the shape and mood of the composition. Here it is important to choose flowers and decorative greenery so that they do not conflict, but look like a single whole.
The main rule is that you cannot combine bulbous and woody plants. For example, tulips and roses will never make good neighbors. Otherwise, there are so many possible combinations that you could write a textbook. We will briefly list only the basic rules.
Companion flowers and their combinations
There is flora that looks great in any flower company. We talked about peonies and alstroemerias in separate articles “ What do alstroemerias go with in a bouquet: photos and descriptions of compositions ” and “ What flowers do peonies go with: secrets of floristry ”
. Here we will name other sociable plants.
- Rose
It is no coincidence that they are called the queen of flowers: she looks great in any environment. But it is important to consider that this is a romantic flower that makes the bouquet tender and sensual. This is appropriate for a gift to loved ones, but roses should not dominate in compositions for formal events.
- Noble chrysanthemums
Give bouquets elegant simplicity and conciseness.
They are often combined with roses to neutralize romantic overtones, as well as gerberas
and sunflowers . - Gerberas
also universal. They resemble large daisies and have a huge palette. They can be added to almost any composition to emphasize shape or add color accents.
To make the bouquet more airy and delicate, florists often use gypsophila
. Its miniature inflorescences look spectacular next to a huge hydrangea and neat bush roses.
What colors go with autumn and summer flowers?
If you use seasonal flora in a bouquet, it will take on a special mood. Autumn flowers go well together: zinnias, asters, chrysanthemums and sunflowers are often found in compositions for September 1
or
Teacher's Day
.
Special mention to dahlias
. They have so many varieties that they are quite self-sufficient. From different varieties you can assemble a real designer bouquet.
Fragrant summer flowers, such as chamomile
and lavender, beautifully combined with various ornamental grasses and other field flora: anemones, cornflowers, poppies, shepherd's purse and forget-me-nots. To make the ensemble more aristocratic and elegant, add several branches of eustoma.
How to beautifully combine “masculine” flowers in a bouquet: irises and gladioli
In floristry, there are plants that symbolize male strength and energy. In the East, irises
They are given to boys as a symbol of maturity and courage, but we are used to seeing them with spring tulips, openwork alstroemerias, Kenyan and spray roses.
Despite their elongated shape, sword-shaped gladioli
harmonize well with large and openwork flowers. They can be combined with lush dahlias, lilies and gerberas.
Turquoise
Turquoise is the only color that does not have a negative meaning. This color is mainly added to wedding bouquets.
Characteristics of pure turquoise color By adding white to the turquoise color, we make the turquoise color more delicate. And by adding black to turquoise, we make it more mysterious and deeper. The more gray in turquoise, the quieter and more subdued it becomes.
Shades of turquoise add freshness to wedding bouquets
Monobouquet or composition?
When choosing flowers for an orange wedding bouquet, you can choose only one type - chrysanthemums, callas, tulips, roses, alstroemerias, lilies, gerberas, dahlias. It is preferable to highlight the selected flowers with rich greenery, dried flowers or even autumn leaves.
Or you can create an orange bridal bouquet from different flowers, using and saturating it with different shades of color, playing with them, emphasizing their diversity and beauty.
You can entrust the execution of your bouquet to experienced florists who will choose the most successful matching options, or you can do hand-made and create your first bouquet in floristry, simply armed with the flowers you like, tying them with a satin ribbon and decorating the petals with beads, stones or other floral decor, improvised material.
Violet
A bouquet of delicate purple flowers can be presented to your beloved girlfriend or daughter. Flowers that are pure purple can be alarming because the color purple is often associated with the color widow.
A florist can help a client make a choice if he explains that purple is a mystical, mysterious, cosmic color. You can express your condolences to the widow through a purple tint, which is closer to black. The widow's color stereotype does not apply to soft purple colors.
Characteristics of the meaning of pure purple color By adding white to the purple color, we make the purple color more delicate. And by adding black to purple, we make it more strict. The more gray in purple, the quieter and more subdued it becomes.
A bouquet in shades of purple, close to black, will emphasize the style and status of an elegant woman. Stretching from soft lilac to violet will emphasize the magical mood of the bride
What to combine the bouquet with?
An important point is not only the harmonious combination of floral elements, but also what image to create for the bride. The resulting composition will go perfectly with a snow-white dress. It can be made in absolutely any style.
If you don’t want a simple and boring solution based on contrast, then think about a combination like juicy orange with a champagne-colored dress. You can achieve a truly elegant and sophisticated look.
To create it, you need to dilute a champagne-colored peach dress with a juicy orange bouquet. For your hairstyle, choose big and chunky curls. Pay attention to your makeup too. It should be light, natural and relaxed.
Pink
A bouquet in soft pink tones is given to young women and girls; it is also suitable as a gift to a couple on their pink wedding anniversary.
Characteristics of the meaning of pure pink color By adding white to the pink color, we make the pink color softer. And by adding black to pink, we make it more aggressive. The more gray in pink, the quieter and more subdued it becomes.
A cute bouquet in pink colors can reflect the emotions that a father feels for his five-year-old daughter
A bouquet of roses of different shades will emphasize the love and tenderness of a married couple if given for a pink wedding anniversary
Recommendations for choosing a composition
Some people believe that a wedding bouquet in bright orange tones can only be used in summer or early autumn, when warm weather and bright natural colors contribute to this. However, in reality, different shades of this color can be used at any time of the year, the main thing is to correctly choose the combination to suit the image of the bride and the style of the wedding as a whole. In spring, the sunny color can represent joy and the awakening of nature, in winter - bright emotions in connection with the approaching holidays, the symbol of which is the orange tangerine. In summer, this color represents hot weather and long sunny days, and in autumn it represents the coloring of leaves in bright shades.
When choosing the shape and shades of a flower arrangement, you need to focus on the style and color of the dress, since the bouquet should be in harmony with the outfit. There are several basic rules that it is advisable to adhere to:
- The bride basically holds the wedding bouquet at hip level throughout the celebration, so to prevent them from appearing wide, the size of the composition should be 2-3 cm less than the width of this part of the body.
- The size of the bouquet is selected based on the style of the dress and the bride’s build: the more magnificent the outfit, the smaller the composition should be, and vice versa.
- If your groom is short, do not choose elongated bouquet shapes, as they will visually make you taller, making the man seem very short.
Before choosing the components of a flower arrangement, you need to decide on its shape. There are several types of wedding bouquets, which have their own advantages and disadvantages, each of them is suitable for girls with a certain figure and a specific dress style.
The classic round shape is composed of several varieties of flowers in a spiral. This option will suit almost any bride for any style of dress, subject to the basic rules of composition. Typically, such bouquets are made small in size, so they look neat and compact.
Recently, bouquets in the form of a hemisphere have become popular, which look round from above and voluminous from the side. Such compositions are suitable for petite girls wearing a classic-style dress with a full skirt. Tall and stately brides should choose a different shape.
A bouquet in the shape of a regular ball, which is assembled on a special frame and secured to the bride’s wrist with a decorative ribbon, looks unusual and extravagant. This bouquet is most suitable for tall brides with an expressive appearance who wear a straight-cut dress.
Recently, a cascading or teardrop-shaped bouquet has become fashionable, which looks like a waterfall - individual buds fall from the classic base. This bouquet of roses, calla lilies or orchids looks especially impressive. This option is suitable for tall girls in a dress of any style without small decorations. In addition, the cascade form is considered the most suitable for pregnant brides.
Today, there are many different forms that do not fit into the listed categories. Any bride can show her imagination and create an exclusive bouquet on her own or with the help of an experienced florist. As a rule, experts can offer various options, among which the girl will definitely find the right one.
Brown
Characteristics of the meaning of pure brown color By adding white to brown, we make the brown color softer. And by adding black to brown, we make it harder. The more gray in brown, the quieter and more subdued it becomes.
Flowers in brown shades will look interesting in wedding bouquets, conveying the warmth of home and family.
Decor and accessories
The easiest way is to decorate a room, a car, or tables with orange flowers of the appropriate shade. And this is the right decision, there should be flowers. but there are other ideas to support the overall concept.
Invitations
The calmest “orange” couples can order cards simply with beads and ribbons of this shade. And the most extravagant ones will order invitations in the shape of maple leaves or orange slices. It’s very good if you can make sure that the seating cards match the style and design of the invitations. And you can insert them into oranges or tangerines placed on the tables next to the plates and glasses.
Read more White gold wedding rings - noble modesty
White
Most often, a bouquet for the bride consists of white flowers. You can give white flowers to your loved one, which will hint at tender and delicate feelings. A pure white bouquet is rarely given to each other, since there is little emotion in this color. Besides purity, innocence and lightness, it is difficult to convey anything else with a bouquet of white flowers.
Characteristics of the value of pure white color
Pure white classic wedding bouquet symbolizes purity and innocence
Hang a hint for florists in your salon
In a flower salon you can hang a table with color characteristics. This will help to include the client in the process of making a bouquet. A person will be able to better formulate for himself the idea that he wants to convey with a bouquet, and will enjoy finding the right color.
Important:
This method is suitable for clients who doubt their choice. If the client clearly knows that he wants a bouquet of bright red roses for his daughter’s 18th birthday, then it is better not to convince him, but to wait for a situation when the person is ready for dialogue.
Master classes: bridal bouquets by season
Seasonality is one of the key concepts of modern floristry. Thanks to greenhouse technologies, today it is easy to buy snowdrops in January and tulips in late autumn, but it is better to use flowers that correspond to the time of year. This solution has many advantages, including reducing the cost of wedding decorations. British newlyweds have gone even further - many grow flowers for their own wedding or use potted plants for decoration.
You can try, if not gardening, then at least put together a bridal bouquet with your own hands. Moreover, florists have abandoned oases and other complex devices, recommending collecting flower arrangements on their own stems and making them as natural as possible.
Key points in choosing the color of a bouquet
Color is a tool with which a florist can express any wishes and emotions of a client with a bouquet. The main thing is that the client agrees with the solution that the florist offers him.
Adding a black tint to a color is not necessarily a negative thing. As a rule, the presence of a black tint in a color adds severity to it.
Each color has a large number of shades: from light tones to black, from pure to dusty. Therefore, it is always better to show possible shade options for the color the client needs in order to better understand each other. For example: “Look how many colors there are with a hint of red. For whom and for what occasion are you choosing a bouquet?”
Don't convince your client if he names the color incorrectly
It happens that a client comes and asks to make him a bouquet the color of a tea rose or another unusual color. In this case, it is better to clarify which color is meant. Show possible options and let the client choose the appropriate one. Because different people can understand the color of tea rose as completely different shades. We recommend not to convince anyone, but simply to fulfill the client’s wishes.
When we give positive and negative characteristics to a color, we are talking about the generally accepted meaning of color and its stereotypes. It is important that the florist recognizes the client’s personal associations with a particular color. For some, a bouquet of red flowers will remind them of their least favorite ruler at school and will not evoke any other emotion. It is important to hear the client’s personal associations with color and not try to change them.
But you can work with generally accepted stereotypes associated with color. You can tell the client that black is not always considered a mournful color. Nowadays it is used less in ritual floristry; black bouquets are more often ordered for prestigious parties. The client may like this solution and go to a fashionable party with a beautiful bouquet of black flowers.
Sunny wedding bouquet with orange chrysanthemums and dahlias
very bright and rich in the bouquet . There are more than two thousand varieties of these representatives of the plant world. For weddings, florists choose Indian varieties or, as they are otherwise called, large-flowered varieties.
The buds of chrysanthemums of the Elda orange variety have a rich, bright brown hue. For a medium-sized bouquet, nine to eleven chrysanthemums will be enough for you. Additionally, you can add a dozen small roses in orange, white or soft pink to the bottom layer of the structure, near the handle of the bouquet.
Photo of a bride's bouquet with orange flowers
A special niche among florists is occupied by chrysanthemums of the Yantar and Dayon varieties, with small buds measuring from five to seven centimeters that smell incredibly pleasant. Usually this type of flower is not the leading link in a bouquet, so they are often diluted with roses or several Indian chrysanthemums. However, if you want to add a few more yellow maple leaves, a sprig of viburnum and a couple of red apples to your autumn landscape, then amber chrysanthemums will be irreplaceable.
Photo of a bride's wedding bouquet with maple leaves
If you want flowers to be combined with a snow-white dress, then a bride’s bouquet in white and orange tones will look elegant. This could be a combination of orange and white roses, calla lilies, chrysanthemums, gerberas or even orchids. It all depends on which colors you prefer .
Photo of a white and orange wedding bouquet of the bride
Placement in living space
These flowers will look best in the hallway, but they will also perfectly complement other rooms of the home.
Vases made of glass are not suitable for dried or artificial flower arrangements, unless the stems are masked with moss.
It is preferable to use containers made from natural materials. You can place sand or pebbles at the bottom of the vase. In addition, you can use similar extraordinary combinations in panels, as well as collages.
Bouquets allow you to create in a room a feeling of ideal proximity to the surrounding nature, bringing you closer to it in your apartment.
Artificial bouquets
A composition of fresh flowers is an original decor for every room. However, it is not without its drawbacks.
For example, if there is someone in the family who suffers from an allergic reaction to pollen, then such splendor will most likely cause harm rather than bring a lot of joy.
In this case, artificial compositions will help, which can bring not only comfort to the interior, but also a highlight of absolutely harmless unity with the environment.
They are very easy to care for, but they are no worse in attractiveness than compositions made from living buds, since innovative technologies make it possible to create incredible miracles.
Decorating the room with compositions of dried flowers would also be an excellent choice. A similar tradition quickly moved from the East to the territory of European states.
For such purposes, it is better to dry non-fragile flowers, for example, roses, as well as marigolds. It is better to collect only open flowers. In addition, a variety of twigs and ears of corn are suitable for decorating your home.
