Creating a Floral Trellis for Your Wedding

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Centerpieces certainly grab the reception’s center of attention, but when your nuptial backdrop is an arch built of blooms, it’s gasp-worthy.

Benjamin Newbold, creative director of Floral & Events at Best of Boston-winning florist Winston Flowers, gives us a few ideas on ways to create a gorgeous floral trellis for your wedding.

To begin with, there are some rules. In floral design, he warns that you should always consider the season and weather conditions when dreaming up the overall scheme. “Heartier flowers and foliage are necessary for outdoor trellises,” Newbold explains. “If indoors, more delicate varieties can be used. I love the idea of an indoor trellis created with lush hydrangea and open peonies.”

Natural Romance

“Natural and organic is a beautiful design for a trellis, as if it were to be found in an old English garden,” he says. To create this look, he uses flowers such as roses and clematis. Just imagine a trellis covered in climbing roses. For a more romantic look, Winston’s experts drape jasmine vine, wisteria, or garlands of flowers like orchids in cascades, as well as climbing lacecap hydrangea or passion flower vine. This kind of “natural” look would best fit a more rustic or romantic wedding, perhaps something set in a garden or a barn or at a historic estate, according to Newbold.

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Modern

Rounder, more uniformly shaped blooms such as hybrid roses or orchid blossoms work best for a modern trellis. In the spotlight right now is the especially trendy option of ombre—when the flower tones move from dark to light across the structure. “This type of design would best fit a contemporary-style wedding in the grand ballroom of a hotel or a waterside venue,” says Newbold.

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Woodland-Inspired

“For a woodland-inspired design, a trellis made of foliage and flowering branches can be both woodsy and whimsical,” says Newbold. Rustic textures such as bark, moss, ivy, branch, and fern are ideal for creating this natural-looking structure. Small additions such as paper butterflies or birds can add a touch of the unexpected. “Or if it’s an evening event, hanging candles or votives add a romantic glow,” he continues. This type of floral trellis for your wedding fits best when the celebration is located on a rural farm, the beach, or a location surrounded by forest or woods.

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