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I'm on a budget, and while I love beautiful, expensive flowers, (Who doesn't?) I need to be realistic. I'm DIYing the bouquets and centerpieces myself, so I need something readily available in bulk that is easy to work with. I thought carnations were a fine choice for this. They're semi-poofy, available anywhere, and I've seen some arrangements including carnations that looked wonderful. I want to pair green carnations with pink gerbera daisies and filler, and I'm thinking of adding some spray roses.
I've mentioned this to a few friends, and a couple of them acted like I had just told them I was doing a 200-person calling tree to save money on wedding invites. Are carnations really that tacky? Is it really that wrong to have them as wedding flowers?
i dont think there is anything wrong with carnations. in fact, there was an article about them in one of the bridal magazines in the fall. i cant remember which one because i read a whole bunch of them. the article said that carnations are making a comeback, not only because of their costs, but they also come in a huge variety of colors. it also said that a good idea was bunching the carnations together so they look more like peonies.
hope it goes well! send pictures!
I am with Sahcha23 - Carnations are back! I think the problem is that your girlfriends are picturing some lame 1980's bouet. Carnations have been reinturpted into more modern arrangements and are now fabulous. I LOVE the look of a carnations all bunched together.
Go for it! Prove your girlfiends wrong!
Also, babysbreath (seriously!) can be chic and cheap. Check out Miss. Powder Puff's post to see some inspiratinon.
I'm using hot pink carnations mixed in with other flowers in our centerpieces. I love their papery texture! Plus, I don't know about you, but my friends and I have cute stories and nice memories of middle school crushes buying us carnations at school dances. Awww, how romantic :)
I agree with the others--carnations can look gorgeous! It's all in the presentation! If you got a bunch all in the same color and made them one big, honkin' flower centerpiece on each table, I think that would be very glam!
I have this really gorgeous image in my head of your boquet ideas! The pink and green combo with those types of flowers will be really pretty.
I think they are a beautiful flower. Real Simple mag did an article on creating bouquest from supermarket flowers - both carnationas and baby's breath are pictured: http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/weddings/flowers/wedding-flowers-bouquets-supermarket-00000000000483/page3.html
I think they look best when used as the only flower. They're very pretty and ruffly. I do think they look a little cheap when paired with other flowers, but I've seen some great things done with them all over the place lately. If you go to a wholesale florist, they should be able to help you pick some inexpensive flowers that will go together well. They're usually very helpful!
No way jose! go to marthastewart.com/weddings and search carnations. They had BEAUTIFUL photos of lush full bouquets -- they are totally hot right now!
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I love carnations & in a big bunch they look beautiful! plus the color possibilities with them are endless.
I love carnations. We used them for our wedding, and while I did get some "Ugh, carnations?" from one of my bridesmaids, she had to admit how great they looked when bunched together.
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There are lots of carnation bouquets and centerpieces that look lovely! It's all about how you put them together.
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Carnations are a really good filler especially because you can get them in different colors. They add really nice texture. I think with the colors you have chosen it will look great not cheap!
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Miss Cheese just posted about proflowers or something like that (her PLAN B)...there's a picture of a bouquet with bright pink roses and carnations that looks completely amazing!
I think carnations can look really nice if done correctly!
carnations bunched together in a bouquet will be so pretty :) go for it!
When I first got into the swing of wedding planning, I admit that I was really turned off by the idea of carnations. After becoming more informed of how beautiful a full bouquet of carnations can truly be (plus they smell divine!) my opinion of them has completely changed!
I'm sure that once they see how lovely carnations can be on their own, they will fall in love with the flower as well!
I also agree that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Carnations as long as they're presented the right way. When they're bunched together they can be beautiful! I think people just think of Carnations as "cheap flowers" without really knowing their potential. I've had it up to HERE with friends who scrunch up their noses and tell me that carnations are cheap and that they would personally not have anything to do with them. But instead of getting upset I plan on spending a third of what they spend on flowers with carnation creations just as beautiful as their roses and calla lillies.
I actually clicked on this because I HATE carnations, but I can definitely see those colors and flower combos working. I think it'd look nice!!!!!
Bees, thanks so much for your encouragement! I'll have to scour the internet for more pictures. Hopefully the carnations will come out as beautifully as they look in my head right now! :) Thanks for the support! You all are awesome!
I love carnations! They're so versatile and they take forever to die. I think your flower combo sounds really pretty. :)
I think I may do some carnations as well. After finding some beautiful pictures on how pretty they can be, my opinion of them has completely changed! I do like the bouquets with all one color, but these are cute too. I'm nto sure what color you're going for, but here are some pink ones:
I agree. The trick is to pack them tightly and stick to one color. I LOVE the way they look as a matter of fact. Here are some photos from Brides.com
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I think the idea of carnations is worse than the reality. People think of those dyed carnations that you can buy in bunches of six in a grocery store. I think they're beautiful when tightly packed, and really, your friends either a) won't notice the flowers or b) will think, wow, those are beautiful... not "ew, carnations"!
Meggs, I LOVE carnations. I think the trick is to bunch them together tightly. I plan on bunching about 6 very small globes (a little larger than the votives) and spreading around my reception tables.I'm totally stealing the idea from a good friend's FL wedding we went to last year. See photos below of her awesome centerpieces. The bride is a trained interior designer.
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Quite the contrary! Carnations are YUMMY! :)
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I'm also planning to use carnations in my centerpieces and I also get weird looks from people when I tell them that. However, when I show them pictures from magazines and websites they change their minds. I put together a mock centerpiece for my wedding and 99% of the people that saw it had no idea they were even carnations! They last forever and are such a bargain...you can't go wrong!
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Carnation can be a great inexpensive option. Plus they hold up really well. Just be careful whta color green you get. The St. Patricks day colored carnations are still pretty fugly. But they can look REALLY nice.
Another great option for you would be green mums.
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I think carnations can be beautiful! I'm integrating them into my floral design. My bouquets will look fuller and save us lots!
These are my BM bouquets:
It might help if I attach the picture. Sorry!
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I am also using carnations as my flower, here is a picture of my inspiration for my centerpeices.
Aggg! I can't figure it out, my picture won't post :( Anyways to descirbe them, it looks like a bouquet of carnations placed into a tall rectangualr glass vase, the actual flowers stick outside the top of the vase and you can see the stems through the vase. At the base there is a peice of thick ribbon that is tied around it. They look very modern!
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Carnations somehow have such a cheap stigma and i have no idea why?! they are beautiful and elegant.. its all in the floral design. go for it!
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If you're still looking for ideas, here are some pics of the carnations we had at our wedding:
I've got to say, these pictures really changed my mind. I can't stand carnations, but the pictures of the tightly bunched carnations were gorgeous. I'm trying to keep a low floral budget, and I may even do this myself now! The FI will be shocked, he's been under a strict "No carnations" edict for 4 years now.
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I have to say that tuplips and sunflowers are my favorite flowers (not necessarily together) but were not in the budget. I also have children to consider and needed something a bit sturdier. Carnations are a part of it, but let me tell you-(I hope I spell this right!) Astrolomeria. Its very pretty, comes in a rainbow of colors and for my October wedding, the colors in deep oranges, pinks & warm tones blend perfectly with the carnations. Best of all? They are REALLY inexpensive!
I have been extremely anti-carnation in the past. The hive may be turning me into a believer!
I think using carnations as the solo flower looks amazing, is affordable and carnations hold up so well. Unlike some other flowers your won't have to worry about them being wilted at the end of the night!
You've done the research, you've seen the pictures, you know the look you're going for... don't stress about what your friends are saying! They're not thinking of the kind of gorgeous arrangements in the bridal magazines... they're thinking of the pathetic scrawny carnation bouquets that cheap boyfriends buy on valentine's. Two totally different things. Your flowers will be beautiful!
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