I will be getting married at the end of January in Pennsylvania. The bridesmaids’ dresses will be a deep purple. What kind of flowers would be readily available and inexpensive? I’d like something that is a medium shade of purple.
A list of purple flowers is a good place to start when designing floral arrangements using flowers with purple blooms for your wedding day. Purple is the color of spirituality, wealth, and nobility. Colors in the purple family range from the regal, jewel tones to the earthy, eggplant shades.
Choose types of purple flowers that will add a depth and richness to your wedding. Here are some ideas to help you begin your search for the types of purple flowers that are right for your wedding.
Cone Flower
Sweet Pea
Impatiens
Verbena
Iris
Alyssum
Bachelor Button
Aster
Crocus
Lilac
Hybiscus
Pansy
Gladiolas
Snap Dragons
Wisteria
Tamarisk
Lupine
Clematis
Tonal arrangements are beautiful when working with flowers with purple blooms because there are so many shades and textures available to blend. Think about a bridal bouquet with dark Iris in the center, rich Lupine as a border, and romantic Wisteria trailing over the edges. Lilacs, massed in vases or bunched as bouquets, would bring fragrance and color to a spring wedding. Using black as an accent for this type of arrangement will magnify the royal, majestic, feeling that purple wedding flowers bring to the ceremony.
Complementary colors for purple are in the maroon and green groupings. Adding these colors will soften your flowers and give them a more subtle look. Maroon will deepen the overall look of your arrangements. Think about using deep purple Gladiolas and maroon Roses for an exquisite formal bridal bouquet. Flowers with purple blooms take on a richer tones when paired with greenery like Ivy or Hosta leaves. Some purple flowers have a more velvety texture which would add to the elegance of alter arrangements and centerpieces.
Contrasting colors for purple flowers are in the yellow family. This combination will put the spot light on your flowers and highlight all that rich color. For example, for a summer wedding, blending the cool tone of Lupine and the warm color of Sunflowers will amplify each individual color while highlighting the best of the summer season. Using the more earthy tones of purple with brown yellows would be perfect for a fall wedding or a rustic outdoor celebration.
A holiday such as Christmas would be the perfect choice for using flowers with purple blooms. Consider gold accents and you will be able to mirror the colors of the holiday season. Silver would be a nice accent choice for the lighter colors of purple flowers, like Lilacs, that you might want for a spring or Easter wedding. Clematis has an exotic look that would bring some tropical color to a summer wedding.
Check with florists, nurseries, wedding planners, and garden books to view lists of purple flowers. Also, keep your eyes open when you step into formal business offices. Because of the emotional ties purple flowers have to dignity, fortune, and superiority, many professional locations use them. Garden catalogs and floral design books are also great places to look.
Think about using various types of purple flowers to deepen and support the spiritual side of your ceremony. Purple is the color used by kings and queens for centuries to denote their majestic standing. While you may not be descended from royal bloodlines, adding flowers with purple blooms to your ceremony will certainly bring some of that royal treatment to your wedding.