Create Harmony in Your Wedding Flower Arrangements

Harmony is created when you wisely choose different parts you can combine to create a whole (your wedding bouquet or arrangement). Singing in harmony is where all the voices in a song blend together beautifully.

If just one person is singing off-key, the whole song sounds terrible. The same thing applies to harmony in a floral design. If just one component does not mesh with the rest of the design, it ruins the look of the whole thing.

You can create harmony by

1. having a theme or mood for your arrangement (formal, informal, natural, contemporary, special occasion etc.) which is often set by the container you choose.
2. using the same color flower (you can vary the shades of the color, or the size, shape, and texture of the flowers)
3. placing your finished design in a spot that is well-suited to it.

Let's take a closer look at some of these.

Container

Your container is part of your design and therefore needs to be part of the harmony. The container you choose will depend on the size of your design, the size of the flowers you use, the shape of your design, the mood you want to create, and where your design will be displayed.

The shape of your container needs to compliment the shape of your arrangement. Also, larger, heavier flowers need a container large enough not only to complement them but also to keep the arrangement from falling over. Smaller, more delicate flowers look better in a smaller container.

Flowers

The mood or theme of your arrangement plays a big role when creating harmony in your arrangement. If you want a garden themed arrangement, you should choose flowers that look like they have just been picked from the garden (e.g. sunflowers, asters zinnias). If you want a very distinct and sophisticated look to your arrangement, you can select tropical flowers and foliage.

The flowers you choose have to be in sync with the mood of your arrangement and with each other. For example, your garden themed design shouldn't have a large bird of paradise in the center. This flower does not blend with you country/garden theme.

Location

It is important to know where your arrangement will be displayed. If the room is very large, your container, your flowers, and the size of your arrangement should be large.

The color of the room and its theme will also play a role in the decisions you make when choosing the elements of your design. You want your arrangement to harmoniously blend in with its surroundings.

If your arrangement is going to be displayed in the center of the room, you need to design it with that in mind. If your arrangement is going to be displayed in the corner against a wall, it can be designed with focal point mainly on one side.

After choosing all the materials for your wedding flower bouquet or arrangement, place them together on your design table and look to see if they blend well with each other. Are they in harmony? Do they mesh well like harmonious voices in a choir?

Nadine Visscher has arranged flowers for more than 15 years and has written The Beginner's Guide to Wedding Flowers found athttp://www.WeddingFlowerDirections.com