Google+ camellia bouquet Archives - Southern Weddings

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Tag: camellia bouquet

With such a long growing season, I think our gorgeous blooms are one of the most distinctive features of the South. Not only the South as a whole, though — different flowers are forever associated with particular states in my mind! That was the theme for our bouquet feature in this issue, and happily, we had an incredibly talented crew to bring it to life. Many thanks to our flower whiz Janie Medley for her gorgeous bouquets (and to Florabundance for some of the blooms!); Courtney Spencer for styling magic; and Patricia Lyons for the crisp and clear photos!

Isn’t the calligraphy gorgeous? It’s by our talented friend Elizabeth Porcher Jones!

We think of Alabama as ground zero for all things pink and girly, so this clutch of peonies, azaleas (in honor of the Trail Maids!), and sweet peas is right on target. An extra-wide ribbon (almost 4 inches!) from Midori finishes it off.

Moody and elegant flowers with lots of greenery combine to capture the feel of Tennessee. This bouquet makes us think of dark skinny jeans and banjos!

Virginia brides know that “simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication,” so this bouquet’s classic elegance is sure to please. A photo charm is the perfect finishing touch — we used a photo from my parent’s wedding for this one!

Our Kentucky bouquet gives the run for the roses a run for its money, adding in white peonies, white ranunculus, and white tulips for extra pop. A boldly striped scarf and sweet pin finish the look.

Our Florida bouquet is as bright and vivacious as our Southernmost brides! A cheery silk ribbon hold these citrus-colored blooms together.

Last but certainly not least is West Virginia, and it’s as “wild and wonderful” as that great state. We think it feels like a field of flowers in miniature! We used all delicate blooms for this one and tied it together with a strip of Liberty fabric.

What do you think, belles? Which bouquet is your favorite? Did we capture your state accurately? After all these months, I’m still trying to decide whether I’m more partial to Alabama or West Virginia…

emily Written with love by Emily
9 Comments
  1. avatar Allyson W. reply

    Although I live in NC now I’ll always be a Florida girl, and I love how you represented the state! The Florida bouquet is beautiful!

  2. avatar Janie reply

    Thanks SO much for the beautiful feature! I had such a great time making all the pretty bouquets for your gorgeous publication!!

  3. avatar Plum Pretty Sugar reply

    Stunning blooms! We absolutely adore all of these floral beauties!

    xo

    http://www.PlumPrettySugar.blogspot.com

  4. avatar Stephanie reply

    This was one of my favorite features in SWV6 – y’all always do the perfect job of creating unique, jaw-dropping, and meaningful bouquets, and I love the State theme, too! I just love the blackberries & gingham in the Tennessee bouquet.

  5. avatar Pamela reply

    Love sweet peas and peonies, my favorite is the Alabama.

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I don’t know about y’all, but it has felt positively springlike here the last few days! In fact, our office even moved out to the front porch one day last week – it doesn’t get more Southern than that!!

Because we’re ready for chirping birds and brilliant green grass and everything else that comes with a Southern spring, we wanted to kick off a new series: Southern Stems! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be exploring several of the blooms particularly prized below the Mason-Dixon Line. Let’s begin with the camellia!

Camellia image by yocca; overlay by SW

Gorgeous, no? The camellia is such a soft, romantic flower, and it just seems quintessentially Southern to me. It’s also the state flower of Alabama. Lucky ‘Bama gals! Here are two botanical prints to give you a close-up look at those ruffly petals:

The botanical print on the left is available for purchase here, and the print on the right is available for free download here!

My research turned up various “floriography” meanings for the camellia, including graciousness, steadfastness, honesty, excellence, and “my destiny is in your hands.” All lovely, and perfect for a wedding!

Both images from Southern Living

Camellias are known for their big, luscious blooms. Because they’re heavy flowers, they like a little support, so floating them in shallow bowls or propping them up in short vases or pitchers is best. Loosely grouped vases of these blooms would be perfect as a long, low centerpiece down a reception table – nothing to block conversation!

Photo on left from Better Homes & Gardens; photo on right from Martha Stewart Living

Camellias bloom in all shades of pink, red, white, making them perfect for almost every color palette.

Adeline Country Cottage

Possibly my favorite characteristic of camellias is that they bloom in winter and early spring, when not too many other flowers dare to show their faces!

Browne Photography via Style Me Pretty

For those who would like to see camellias up close and personal, now is the perfect time! Descanso Gardens in Flintridge, CA, the Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham, NC, and Middleton Place just outside of Charleston, SC, all have great collections. Middleton, in particular, boasts hundreds of different camellia specimens, as the first camellia in America was reportedly presented to Henry Middleton in 1786!

Photo on left from Better Homes & Gardens, and on right, by Amy Neunsinger from House Beautiful

Finally, if you’re marrying in a season when camellias are not in bloom, but would still like to show your Alabama pride in flower form, we love these delicate paper versions from The Green Vase:

Images from The Green Vase

What’s your favorite Southern stem?

emily Written with love by Emily
11 Comments
  1. avatar Ashley reply

    I am SOOO happy y’all are doing this series now!! I am positively clueless about flowers and have needed a breakdown of the names and styles :) what a great idea! Thanks!

    • avatar Emily reply

      Hi Ashley! I’m so happy to hear it! Look for many more blooms in the coming weeks :)

  2. avatar Acanthus Nichole reply

    What a lovely post. The camellias remind me of my growing up at my Grandmother’s. She had several Camellia bushes along the house in the back yard and I loved to pick them when I was young.

    I love all of the beautiful ways you’ve shown this flower. They are unique and beautiful!

  3. avatar Lisa reply

    So excited for this new series!!

  4. avatar Katie S. reply

    I’m so excited you guys are starting this series!! I’m planning on using magnolias and gardenias at our wedding, and love their quintessential southern qualities!

    • avatar Emily reply

      Ooo, great picks, Katie S.! We will definitely be covering those two in the weeks to come!

  5. avatar Meredith Perdue reply

    Having moved away from the South a few years ago, I find myself longing for the region’s lovely blooms! My favorites: camellias, magnolias, gardenias, and dogwoods!

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  7. avatar Chelsea reply

    What a great series! I can’t wait to see the rest of the posts. Gardenias and magnolias are, of course, two of my favorite Southern flowers :)

  8. avatar Sarah Ellenburg reply

    I love the camellias; I am getting married June 6th in South Carolina, do you think they’ll be in bloom still then?

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

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