Maine Wedding Flowers | A Guest Post From Watershed Floral
Russell Caron Wedding Photography want to be more of a wedding resource for brides, grooms, or anyone else! To that end, we’re talking with wedding industry professionals in the hopes that you’ll learn something new and valuable regarding Maine weddings. Liz met with Sarah Lapine at Watershed Floral, on a recent sunny Thursday morning to talk about Maine wedding flowers. Sarah is one of those people that makes you feel instantly at home, she’s so friendly and easy to talk to. I loved listening to her talk about her early gardening days, and her philosophy about flowers.
What impresses me about Sarah as a floral designer is her use of seasonal flowers. But Sarah doesn’t stop at flowers for her arrangements, bouquets, or boutonnieres. She loves to incorporate ornamental vegetables, herbs, and evergreens! Read on and hear what Sarah has to say about her favorite Maine wedding flowers, AND three bits of advice for choosing your wedding floral designer! 
While these may be my favorite flowers at the moment, this list is not absolute, and will change!
Spring – Spring is a delicate season
- Flowering branches – such as crab apple, lilac, cherry blossoms, and quince. Branches give structure and movement in a simple but powerful manner. And some, like lilac, smell so good!
- Peony – I use peonies for their classic beauty. They’re striking statement flowers and wonderfully fragrant.
- Stock – while the name is boring, the smell is unparalleled! Stock comes in a range of colors, from vibrant to soft and muted. Magenta to buttery yellow and peach. I like the shape and the amazing scent.
Summer – Summer signifies celebration to me and summer flowers reflect that feeling.
- Zinnia – I love adding zinnias to an arrangement or bouquet. Zinnias look happy with their bright pop of color, or their more subtle pinks or green. They come in varying sizes; larger blooms can be used as a statement flower.
- Lisianthus – a rose-like flower in a variety of colors from muted pastels to darker hues. Lisianthus have beautiful wispy buds which add interest to an arrangement. They also hold up will as part of a boutonniere.
- Herbs – herbs lend an unexpected element, as well as leafy green color, and fragrance. Lavender, mint, sage, thyme, oregano, and rosemary are some of my favorites.
Fall – I have so many fall favorites!
- Dahlias – I love to include Dahlias for their stunning shape, variety of color and size. They can be bright or subdued. Dahlias are good for many different styles of weddings.
- Ornamental Cabbages and Kale – I love using these unusual, yet beautiful vegetables in bouquets and arrangements. They lend some beautiful color from white with silvery outer leaves, to rose or purple with dark green leaves. They’re striking on their own.
- Gomphrena – (pronounced gom free na) this fuzzy, round flower looks a lot like clover. Gomphrena holds up well out of water (good for boutonnieres) and provides a fun pop of color (white, lavender, magenta, dark purple, and orange) in arrangements and bouquets.
Winter – an opportunity to do something different!
- Evergreens – greens can be so versatile and add great texture. Greens work beautifully in swags, wreaths, garlands, and table runners.
- Narcissus – forcing paperweights to use during winter is so worth it! They’re delicate and fragrant and a happy sight in a world covered in snow.
- Amaryllis – amaryllis aren’t just for Christmas. They come in many beautiful colors, peach, pink, green. They’re bold and striking, adding amazing color to winter arrangements.
My three pieces of advice in choosing a floral designer for your wedding:
- Choose someone that you click with. You have to like their work, of course, but the process will be more enjoyable if you go with someone that you like as a person. Have a phone conversation or meeting to get to know your florist and their communication style. In the months leading up to your wedding, there will be lots of communication, so it’s important to feel good about the relationship from the beginning.
- Spend time looking at their portfolio before reaching out. Make sure your styles mesh, and that you’re on the same page regarding your floral styles.
- Trust your florist to do what they do best. If you’ve chosen a florist who gets your style and vision and with whom you communicate well, this last step should be a breeze. I know it can be hard to let go of control over something like this, but if you give your florist the space to do her work, to use her skills and experience and artistry full and with few restrictions, your vision will be realized in a high quality, thorough manner. And you will be less stressed. And your floral designer will be thrilled. And everyone will live happily ever after!
