Weddings: Flights of Floral

By Robert Kramer

Weddings are the universal celebration of love passed down through eons. The classic symbol of sharing body and soul.

With all the traditions that have come to be part of weddings, flowers are the most common denominator. From a hand-held bouquet of daffodils, to magnificent floral designs, flowers are the constant and eloquent voice of weddings.

Including yours.

That’s right. The flowers may be eloquent, but what do you want them to say?

Your first (and hopefully last) marriage counselor might well be your professional floral designer. All the experience and vision professionals offer can prove to be helpful beyond measure.

For instance, I have been designing weddings for over 30 years and I know the path of success runs just a bit ahead of today’s trends. My goal is to help you create your own trend.

There’s a lot more to wedding floral designs than pretty flowers. That part of the equation is a given. There is always a spoken, or at times unspoken, theme to every wedding. The flowers and how they are arranged should reflect that theme.

There is the element of surprise as well. Delight your guests.

The space is critical. Dimensions dictate the flow and presence of the flowers. They become more than a centerpiece. They capture the moment with a variety of heights, colors, and scale.

Many of our customers can’t express exactly what they want. This is another time when experience matters. Over the years I have learned to trust my intuitions. I actually can begin to visualize the “look and feel” of the event, based on the initial conversation. It is my charge to transcend their comments. It is very rewarding to have newlyweds exclaim, “That’s exactly what we were thinking!”

Less is sometimes more. Wall-to-wall is not necessarily a design technique. Attention to detail allows you to create “rest stops,” places where the eye can take a break. It’s very important.

One of the floral phenomena in recent years is the wherewithal of any bloom, any time. Nowadays we can access the world for specific flowers any time of the year. South America, Australia, India, and beyond are all flower sources for the U.S. market. That has been a convenience for me since I started doing more weddings from our Orlando location and with the growing popularity of “destination” weddings.

The meaning of flowers has led to some interesting discussions with our customers. More and more both parties take part. We have enjoyed creating arrangements that convey thoughts like “think of me,” “imagination,” “surmount all obstacles,” “your qualities surpasses your charms,” “I will never forget you,” and “unconscious beauty.”

Oh yes, flowers are eloquent.

My assistant of over 30 years, floral designer Mary Eechee, and the rest of the staff love the celebratory nature of weddings as much as I do. It is still a great sense of satisfaction and privilege to see the joy and wonder in the eyes of each couple, thanks in large part to flowers. Each wedding is a great new adventure.

Robert Kramer, founder of RJ Kramer Design, specialized in professional floral designs for events as well as urban gardens and outdoor living spaces.

St. Paul – Orlando
651-227-7091
www.rjkramerdesigns.com