Throwing a winter wedding? Check out these amazing arrangements, and be eco chic in the process!
Did you know that nearly 80% of all cut flowers in the United States have been imported from energy-guzzling greenhouses in Ecuador or Columbia?
This means that if you live in Minnesota (like we do), then even on a direct flight, your wedding flowers will have flown 3300 miles to reach you. Yikes. Just one flight of that distance puts over 1200 pounds of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere! And that doesn’t even consider the refrigerated trucks your flowers have ridden in between the greenhouse and the airport, or from the airport to your local florist.
So while roses might be synonymous with romance, and orchids might bring a warm summer flair to your winter wedding, the carbon footprint of traditional blooms is getting harder and harder to justify.
But don’t worry! This doesn’t mean you have to forego flowers at your wedding!
Whether you’re thrilled by the lush richness of fur and velvet, or your heart flutters at simple, snow-glazed barren branches, there is a winter flower arrangement perfect for you.
Here are our favorite ways to go eco chic with your winter wedding flowers. Get ready to swoon: you’ll feel all the warmer inside knowing that you gave some love to Mother Earth on your big day.
Option 1:
Don’t fight the season… embrace it! Use local fare to show everyone just how beautiful winter can be (and have a carbon footprint of nearly zero in the process).
Option 2:
For those who love lush… sub out the roses for the saturated hues of ornamental kale, purple artichokes, and lotus blossoms.
Option 3:
More windswept and ethereal than country, these dried flowers come to life in modern arrangements, and we think any of them would look amazing in the hands of a bride. The best part? You'll get to keep your wedding flowers long after your big day.
Option 4:
Still after something exotic? Be perfectly bohemian with these feather-and-fruit floral arrangements. Feathers and fruit make even run-of-the-mill foliage look downright dreamy.
Option 5:
Let the quiet stillness of winter speak for itself in these minimalist displays. Using fewer cuttings is a statement-making, elegant way to go green. Replace the hydrangeas in these stick arrangements delicate, lacy baby's breath and you'll have a look that's just as beautiful and even better for the environment.
Extras:
Let cotton replace bigger buds like roses, peonies and carnations for a look that's just as plush at a fraction of the cost to you, and to the environment.
Instead of getting all your colors from the flowers, use a plaid ribbon to warm up your monochromatic arrangement.
Make your tables courtly with the rustic sway of antlers.
This oversize bouquet is large enough to double as a centerpiece, cutting down on the amount of flowers needed, and allowing you to enjoy your arrangement that much longer!
Who’s the fairest of them all? You are. With these amazing, winter wedding arrangements your big day will be beautiful, memorable, and earth loving, and that is reason to rejoice.
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