Articles of Local Interest

Discovering a winter wonderland of flowers

As the rich, warm days of fall lead slowly into the brisk months of winter, a whole new selection of winter flowers are coming into bloom. Leaving behind the pale, ephemeral pastels of spring and the bright statements of summer, winter blooms are the destination of the fertile colors of fall. With pristine whites, vibrant reds and deep greens, choices abound for a bride who carries her bouquet down the aisle during the winter.

"There are only a few flowers you can't get in the winter," said Jeanann Wilkinson, owner of J. Wilkinson Co., a wedding floral and photographic studio in San Antonio. "When it's winter here, it's spring in Holland, Ecuador or California."

Though there are specific blooms that can't be obtained during the colder months, including fragile flowers like sweet peas, florists can order nearly anything from growers around the world.

"You can get most of the typical flowers: roses, carnations, daises and irises," said Leticia Jones, owner of Bzzy Bee's Florist. "The only flowers that are difficult to get are the daffodils, the hyacinths. Even tulips are found in the winter. We can get pretty much anything, but it's special order."

What is available? All the time-tested favorites, including calla lilies, lilac, violets and roses. But many brides choose to celebrate the season to its fullest, leaving behind summer brights and utilizing the unique winter colors in their floral selection.

"They tend to go into the burgundy, hunter green, red, and white," said Jones. "They choose the darker shades, rather than yellow and pink and lavender."

Wilkinson thinks that the time of the wedding often determines whether brides choose the winter "lights" or the richer hues. "It just depends on if they're having an evening wedding versus a day wedding, if they've chosen light dresses or jewel tones," she said. "If they have a champagne or ivory dress, there's a beautiful Sahara rose, which is a champagne-colored rose. For deep color dresses, like rich royal, deep reds or eggplant colors, they usually go more toward jewel tones. That will keep it very rich and harvest-like."

In addition to the choices of color themes, winter offers its own particular set of greenery. Fortunately, these plants are associated with celebrations and festivities.

"I think probably the most popular is amaryllis combined with fir and Christmas greenery," said Mary Berman, owner of Fleur Delight Florals. "Whites are good, because people will want to reflect the winter whites, so they'll be using gardenias, roses and tube roses to create that kind of look. There's always the fire-and-ice rose, which is a white rose frosted in a fuschia-wine combination color."

Poinsettias, which burst from nurseries in November, December and January, are also a great selection for receptions, or even bridal bouquets, when treated properly.

Wilkinson has found that holly and berries can be used to spice up bouquets and boutonnieres. "Berries are real popular. They always look beautiful with fall and winter arrangements or bouquets," she said.

Jones also uses berries and holly in some of her winter arrangements. "We're having one bride in December who has cranberries in her bridal bouquet. The boutonnieres are just cranberries and a little bit of pine greenery."

However, some discretion has to be used in deciding to utilize holly or berries, both of which are poisonous. "Holly can be very scratchy so you have to be careful where you use it," said Berman. "It's best for boutonnieres or on table arrangements. We don't use it for ring bearers and things children might handle."

Cautions aside, winter greenery have the advantage of offering the marvelous scents of the season. From boughs of evergreen to pinecones and cinnamon sticks, they have an instantly identifiable and pleasant fragrance.

Frequently used in small amounts in bouquets or in larger swaths to decorate the reception, these provide an instantly festive atmosphere. "The winter greens include holly and pine, which we use for a filler instead of eucalyptus, if they want a more wintery fragrance," said Jones.

The long - and early - nights also make candlelight ceremonies popular. Wilkinson used the combination of candles and curly willow in one outdoor wedding during the winter.

"We covered the poles of a wedding arch in greenery and curly willow and connected them in the center," she said. "We took sheer ribbon and bulb vases filled with candles and hung them from the curly willow branch. You can put tube roses near the candles in the vases so it's very fragrant when you light them."

The season has also inspired Berman. "We once did a magnificent bouquet of amaryllis tied with a bow that was the most elegant we've ever done. We've done things in sleighs, and we've taken the shell of a pineapple and used it as a vase."

One bride of Wilkinson's who married near Christmas incorporated the famous tannenbaum. "They had Christmas trees at the ceremony and when they left, they stuck one of those Christmas trees in the backseat of the car, sticking out."

Most of these ideas come with the same price tags as summer arrangements. Though prices rise around Christmas and Valentine's Day, the average floral bill will be about the same in November as it would in June, unless the bride specifically requests something out of season.

"If you have a favorite flower, you want to try to find it in season, but if you really want it and cost is not a factor, you can spend more and they can try to get it for you," Wilkinson said. "They're not going to be at full bloom, but you can get the flower."

One advantage of the cooler months is that flowers don't wilt as quickly, Jones noted. "They last longer in the winter, since the heat doesn't get to them as much."

The cold weather can also be used as part of the send off, according to Wilkinson, who has seen people light sparklers in lieu of throwing rice. Her favorite though, involves something rarely seen in San Antonio: snow.

"You can buy this stuff that looks like snow that dissolves. It's neat to throw this snow when you leave. In pictures, it looks like you're going through a winter wonderland."