6/28/2007

Carnations? Did she just say carnations??

Yes I did! Before you judge me, hear me out. Yes carnations are cheap and yes they can be hideous. BUT, try thinking about carnations in a new way. This is another one for you budget girls!
I recently had a client inquire about a low floral budget and how she can make it work. I suggested carnations. If you look at carnations as a sculptural element and less of a flower, you can do incredible, high impact things with them. One of my favorite ideas is to take huge floral foam balls and cover them with bright one color carnations and hang them from your venue (similar to the ones lining the ceremony space below). Suddenly they don't look like carnations, but they look like giant polka dots floating in the air. The key with this is to stick with one color and it can transform things. This is a time to think outside the box and talk to your florist about ideas like you see below. All from our friends over at theknot.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is SUCH a great idea! I always had a so/so opinion of carnations, but after seeing some of the great stuff you can do with them (and being able to use them on a tight budget) I say go for it and use those carnations!

Thanks for the great ideas.

Anonymous said...

I am sorry the answer is still NO to carnations. I am sure those little cheap fluff balls appreciate being given the shot though.

SocialDesign said...

I wouldn't plan a whole carnation wedding by any means. But I think that if you have a low budget and are looking for high impact you can use this at your discression. Even Martha agrees...see the red and blue post below and check out the centerpiece

Anonymous said...

i am using the below martha spread for color inspiration, although i'm cleaning it up and modernizing it a bit (i'm a minimalist, Modernist, and hate birds).

here's me and my florist's version of a tight, carnation-full pop of color:
http://www.weddingbee.com/2007/03/20/please-dont-hate/

my centerpieces are coming in around $25 each, including the ceramic ikea bowls i am purchasing as the "vase." it's definitely been a HUGE cost saver, as i'll need about 20 of these.

oh, and yes, the centerpieces and a few pomanders (clean, and sleek ones, of course) are all that will be made of carnations. my other florals include dahlias, ranunculus, orchids, and roses (yech, but they're another cheap filler than can be beautiful/non-traditional if used properly).

Anonymous said...

I think this is fabulous and I've never thought that carnations were so terrible - they just get a bad rap, sort of like black velvet Elvis paintings!