The Contrast of Things...

I'm often fielding questions from my brides about the necessity of contrast and how their flowers will fit into the overall look of their wedding. This is a topic I do feel rather passionate about, especially in terms of how their flowers and arrangements will look in their wedding photographs. This is not self-serving on my part (well, okay, maybe just a little bit; great pictures in my portfolios definitely help me to remain employed!). Rather, the last thing I would want for a client is to have her love everything on Wedding Day, but be disappointed in the resulting photography -- ack!

Obviously, hiring the right photographer helps immensely in this regard. But just as important is to make sure you're thinking in terms of not just on the big day, but also as to how everything will look in your pictures afterwards. This is one of my most oft-uttered lines to clients: "Think about how this will look in pictures..." I'm sure they get sick of me saying it sometimes, but it is so important, and really helps to ensure that the look that you want captured for all time actually has a chance of being so. A fantastic photographer can do so much with looks that inspire, and indeed, many can do wonders with looks that are... less than inspirational, shall we say? But here's the harsh reality: If you put a solid white bouquet against a solid white dress, don't be surprised if you can't tell what the bouquet actually looked like in your pictures...as they will have most likely faded into a blob of white marshmellowy nothingness. Not a good thing!

I had two weddings last season where my brides carried all-white bouquets, but did not want incorporate any greens or another color to help with the contrast issue. They selected bouquets composed with beautiful, high-end flowers, and as such, paid a pretty penny for them. In both cases, I personally loved what we did -- and they did too! However, when their photographs came in, both girls said the same thing to me: In hindsight, we should have listened to your mantra. Nothing upsets me more than the thought of one of my brides being disappointed (about anything!) after the fact -- that would give this old girl a full-on floral heart attack -- literally... (Out of respect for my two brides, I am not posting the pictures here.)

With one of the photographers, they didn't even take a single detail or close-up shot of the bridal bouquet, so that certainly didn't help. That particular bride ended up with not even one clear image of her bouquet! Happily, this is one aspect that is usually a priority for any of the great photographers I've worked with. Further, if you look at any Real Wedding featured in a magazine or website, a direct shot of the bridal bouquet is always a part of the collected images. So I do think there's an unspoken expectation regarding this type of shot. With both weddings, I probably won't be able to use their shots much in portfolios (except just as my own personal memento of a beloved client), and certainly not in any marketing ventures. And sadly, I don't think either wedding would ever be considered for a Real Wedding feature by a bridal magazine. After all of the hard work, money, and countless hours both girls put into their weddings, this realization was an added disappointment for both of them. Both weddings were definitely feature-worthy.

So how to avoid this? A little food for thought, my gentle reader:

1. Hire the best photographer you can afford -- or perhaps, even can't afford! (I can't tell you how many beautiful weddings have been ruined due to bad photography shot by a "family-friend-who-is-good-with-a-camera".) If they're not a professional photographer, they're just not. There are no do-overs with your wedding photos -- do you really want to take this chance?

2. If you're carrying a white bouquet, seriously consider incorporating some sort of contrasting element -- preferably, concentrated around the outside perimeter of the bouquet. Even just a little helps (image left). Beyond the obvious use of greenery, this can also be accomplished by way of a colored flower or a texture -- for example, Hypericum Berry, pods, or even delicate woody branches. A chic cuff can be created using looped ribbons or fabric, or feathers even, in a contrasting shade. Likewise, incorporating colored crystals or jewelry/brooches wired amongst the flowers themselves can also help. Regardless of the way you choose to do it, think very carefully before putting an all-white bouquet against a white dress. (And no, it's probably not safe to assume that your off-white or ivory dress will be enough of a contrast in the photographs -- sorry!)

3. Same thing with your bridesmaid dresses: If you have them carry burgundy flowers against a burgundy dress, consider it a lost cause! And do think beyond the colors: The texture of the flowers themselves can also greatly impact the resulting contrast in photographs. For instance, a flurry of delicate Sweet Peas will probably not have the same impact as larger, more graphic flowers that demand more attention visually. In the image at right, although we used red blooms against a similarly-colored dress, we achieved strong contrast through the use of the Popcorn Dahlias as a high-impact flower, and then further with the greenery collar. A bouquet of a mass of tiny flowers just wouldn't achieve the same impression in print.

4. Not everyone loves greenery, of course; we designer-types would all prefer to do solid floral pieces, generally speaking. However, sometimes budget determines what will be suitable in terms of contrast. And if you prefer a softer or less-stark contrast than usually achieved in a collar-type contrast, then perhaps a subtle accent in a brighter or bolder shade of your primary color might be better suited for your personal style. In the image, left, we gently popped up a little contrast by infusing soft, feminine bouquets with the fuchsia Sweet Pea accents (as well as some light touches of green off of the other flowers).

5. White tones and dark tones can be equally challenging for even the best of photographers -- for opposite reasons. Whites reflect lots of light, and can be visually "blown out" as a result. On the other end of the spectrum, super dark tones can suck up all the light in an image. And when you mix them up -- like we did in this bouquet (right) -- it's going to take some seriously mad photography skills to properly balance the two. During this particular shoot, this bouquet probably took my dear friend and photographer extraordinaire, Janine Mapurunga, longer to capture perfectly than most of the other bouquets put together! The dark purple Calla Lilies -- though gorgeous! -- absorbed every bit of light we could find, and to make it even more challenging, I put them right next to the pure white of the center Callas. Could I have made it any harder??! Of course, talent that she is, Janine was able to pull it off beautifully, but not without a supreme effort on her part. (www.mapurunga.com)

The final word here? Hire a good photographer, and hire a good florist -- and then talk to them both about any concerns you may have in this regard -- and then listen to their advice. Being prepared going into the big day will help ensure that you end up with wedding pictures that you'll actually want to look at for many years to come!

The Details:

White and Red Bouquet images by Kuperberg Photography (www.kuperberg.com)
Pink Bouquets image by Diana Miller (www.dianamiller.com)
Purple Calla Bouquet image by Janine Mapurunga (www.mapurunga.com)