Decorating Your Outdoor Wedding With Flowers

One of the hottest wedding trends of 2015 is choosing a non-traditional venue. For many, that means a museum or old mansion; but for many in the San Mateo area, site selection is all about nature’s beauty.

Outdoor weddings are are growing in popularity, from parks and riverbanks to dramatic mountain vistas. Outdoor venues are often indicative of the personalities of the couple and the places that are special to them. Recent Ah Sam weddings showcase the ways in which floral arrangements can transform any natural space with color and texture.

With the stark beauty of the hills and plains as a contrast, soft-hued and delicate floral arrangements frame the bride and groom,. These spectacular arrangements created a beautiful focal point for the ceremony, and accentuated the couple, while never taking away from the dramatic scenery behind them.

outdoor wedding

One of the most popular trends in outdoor wedding arrangements is to use simple, beautiful blooms that appear that they could have been handpicked that morning. With a few gorgeous flowers surrounded by natural greens, wildflower accents and with stems showcased in simple glass vases,  your guests are treated to a fresh-from-the-garden centerpiece that manages to be both exotic and familiar.

outdoor wedding

The charming gazebo, trellises and brick walls of this outdoor space became the fitting basis for a magical outdoor garden. With rich splashes of color and tropical blooming flowers, the space is reborn as a wedding chapel replete with luxurious floral arrangements that become a part of the landscape.

outdoor wedding

It is no secret that no matter the space, flowers make it special and unique. Outdoor weddings in particular are greatly enhanced by the right floral arrangements, which seamlessly incorporate themselves into their surroundings. Call the experts at Ah Sam Florists for your Bay Area wedding; and let us help you to create an outdoor wedding venue as spectacular as the two of you.

Not sure where to start? Check out our wedding floral photo gallery.

What’s Trendy for Upcoming Summer Weddings

Are you planning a summer wedding this year? Now is the time to start finalizing your plans. Here are some trends for the year that you will want to keep in mind as you make your plans!

Bold bouquets

Bold bouquets

Bold Colors

While pastels may be the trend of choice for bridal gowns and bridesmaid gowns, bold colors are popping up in floral arrangements and decor. Teal, orange and deep pink are popular choices for the coming wedding season.

 

Adding Gems to Bouquets

Nothing has replaced the traditional floral bouquet, but some brides this year are adding a little glam with sparkling gems added to their bouquet selection. Adding a brooch or a few faux white diamonds to the bouquet adds a sense of elegance and a touch of sparkle to the overall look.

A Rustic Touch

Rustic weddings can be quite beautiful, appealing to a number of brides. Having the ceremony and reception at a local farm, using wood tables and dining on local food an add the rustic feel to the elegant affair. Summer is the ideal time for this type of wedding, too, because the warmer temperatures allow for receptions outdoors or in the local barn.

Boho Style

Cascading bouquet

Cascading bouquet

Long, flowing gowns, natural hair with cascading curls and hand-tied bouquets are the signature designs of the boho glam style. This style seems effortless, yet is overwhelmingly elegant. Ah Sam Flowers can help with simple, yet cascading bouquets and flower wreaths for the hair of the bride, bridesmaids and flower girls.

Unique Reception Food

Reception food is changing from the tried and true catered meal to something a little different. Modern brides are choosing to bring in local faire from a favorite local eatery, and some are even hiring food trucks to add some fun to the festivities. Some brides are choosing a desert bar over a traditional wedding cake, or opting for pie instead of cake altogether. Along the same lines as the reception food, more and more brides are choosing edible favors for their guests, such as gourmet coffee beans and even locally baked pastries.

As you start making and finalizing your plans for your spring or summer wedding, Ah Sam Florist is ready to help. Contact us today to learn more about our wedding flower options, and let us help you make your wedding dreams a reality.

 

Stargazer Lilies at Your Wedding

Ceremonyhollbrookpalmerparkcopy-14091425310If you’re looking for a flower that will make a  statement, look no further than the stargazer lily. When it comes to wedding flowers, these beauties are often overlooked in favor of roses or other traditional wedding flowers. However, the striking look of the stargazer lily – and the symbolism behind this flower – is a surefire way to create beautiful, memorable floral designs for your wedding.

Altar and Arbor Decorations

At Ah Sam, we love to use stargazer lilies to draw attention to the altar. In fact, if you’re going to be married under an arbor or in a gazebo, the stargazer is the perfect flower to create bold, beautiful swags, cascades and altar arrangements. When mixed with bright pink roses and framed by leafy branches, these lilies make amazing decorations for classical arbors and altars.

Stargazers also look wonderful when paired with pink peonies, carnations, snapdragons and gladioli. Use a mixture of these flowers in decorative urns to frame the bride and groom at the altar.

Bridal BouquetsPeoniescrystalsprings015peonies-14090543624

Another great way to use stargazer lilies is to feature them in the bridal or bridesmaid bouquets. A single stargazer looks stunning against a backdrop of smaller flowers. You can also pair them with roses and peonies or create bouquets made purely from stargazer lilies.

The Symbolism of Stargazers

Throughout history, lilies have come to mean a variety of things. They have been associated with the Virgin Mary, and because of that, they represent innocence and purity. Pink lilies, in particular, represent abundance, wealth and honor.

Stargazer lilies are newcomers to the lily family, but that doesn’t make them any less significant. In an effort to create the perfect lily, a botanist by the name of Leslie Woodruff created these flowers in 1978. Because of Woodruff’s achievement, stargazer lilies have become the symbol of success, perfection, commitment and the fulfillment of a dream.

The name of these flowers holds meaning, too. Most lily blooms point towards the ground when they bloom, but the stargazer is different. This blossom unfolds towards the sky, which is why Woodruff gave it the name “stargazer.” Because of this little known fact, stargazer lilies are a celebratory flower and they represent hope.

Choose stargazer lilies for the meaning they hold or for their bright colors and rich fragrance. Either way, these flowers will let you add sparkle to your wedding decor. Let us help you create the wedding of your dreams with stargazer lilies. For more ideas, check out the galleries on the Ah Sam website!

 

Wintertime Weddings in California

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You don’t have to miss out on the fresh beauty of flowers just because your wedding is in the winter. In fact, there are several ways to celebrate winter with your wedding flower choices. Choose snowy whites, creamy pastels or spice things up with the vibrant hues of bright colors and jewel tones. Ah Sam Flowers is happy help you choose wonderful flowers for your wintery wedding.

Winter Whites

If you want a white wedding and you’re looking for inspiration, look no further than our “Winter White & Bright Gallery.” For this wedding, we used classic favorites like white roses, lilies and hydrangeas along with dainty lily of the valley and anemones. We also added a pop of color to the reception flowers with purples lisianthus, shades of pink and red roses.

These aren’t the only white flowers you can choose, however. One seasonal favorite is stephanotis, which is a dainty white flower that looks lovely in a bridal bouquet, especially when mixed with pearls and rhinestones. Gardenias are another lovely choice. These fragrant flowers work well for boutonnieres, table decorations and much more.

ah-sam-flowerSoft Pastels

If you’d like your wedding to have a warmer look and feel, choose pastel colors. The “Ivory – Cream – Champagne” gallery is filled with ideas that use ivory and soft pink roses, pastel pink peonies and creamy-colored calla lilies. The “Blush Wedding” gallery shows you how to use pastel pink garden roses, peonies, and hydrangea in bridal bouquets, centerpieces and boutonnieres. Other wonderful pastels include apricot or lavender roses, pale blue delphiniums or cheerful gerbera daisies.

Bright and Bold Flowers

Just because everything is cold and possibly blanketed in white outside doesn’t mean you shouldn’t jazz up your ceremony with bright colors! If you’re looking for dazzling pinks, gerbera daisies, peonies, roses or cymbidium orchids are the way to go.

For jewel tones, your options are endless. Check out our jewel-toneah-sam-florald gallery to see how ruby red roses or gerberas will complement your wedding dress. For amethyst hues, try calla lilies, lavender roses or carnations. Delphinium is the perfect flower to add spots of bold sapphire color to a white bouquet.

When it comes to flowers for your wintertime wedding, your choices are limitless. Whites, pastels or bright colors – the choice is up to you. Stop in at Ah Sam   Florist today to see even more wonderful wedding flowers. When you’re ready to choose your flowers, we are happy to create beautiful custom bouquets, boutonnieres, decorations and more for your wedding day.