Flowers are one of the most beautiful parts of any wedding. There is nothing quite like their color, fragrance, and pretty petals to add grace to a ceremony and reception. Flowers do not have to be old-fashioned, however. These are some great ideas for contemporary accents for wedding flowers.

Give your bouquets and centerpieces a modern twist by layering in some up-to-date details. They can range from dramatic to natural to whimsical, meaning that there is something for every type of wedding. Unique accents will make your wedding flowers more interesting, while also moving them away from the ultra-traditional style that does not appeal to some contemporary brides.

The bride with a natural flair will love what can be done with elements like branches, grasses, and vines. For a simple but striking update on the classic bouquet handle wrap, cover the flower stems with zebra grass. The variegated greens will add a striped effect around the bouquet handle, for a detail which is both striking and subtle. A really neat thing that can be done with natural elements is to create a “birdcage” effect over the top of the bouquet by arching pieces of vine into a criss-cross design around the outer edges of the blossoms.

For centerpieces and other floral arrangements, branches are an excellent modern addition. Go for an Asian inspired effect by decorating a spring wedding reception with flowering cherry blossom branches rather than traditional centerpieces. Or create a very spare and minimalist design with vertical branches planted in galvanized pails. Add uplighting to the base of the branches for drama and a subtle glow throughout the reception.

Brides having a formal wedding love sparkle! From their crystal bridal jewelry to crystal chandeliers, the more brilliance, the better. Take this concept as the base for adding a modern touch to your wedding flowers. A very simple concept idea is to stud the center of bouquet blossoms with individual crystals. Choose clear crystals for a beautiful sparkle, or add color by placing colored crystals in the middle of white flowers for more drama. Blue crystals would be fabulous as the bride’s something blue, or pick your favorite wedding color to match the rest of your color scheme. Just for fun, have a few of the same color crystal added to your bridal jewelry.

Looking to add some sparkle and a modern detail to your reception? Perch floral displays on top of tall clear cylinders and hang a large crystal down inside the center of each vase. It is a very distinctive look, and a really cool effect. Or how about creating a wall behind the bride and groom’s sweetheart table by stringing crystals into long strands and suspending them vertically to make a sheet of sparkle? A few white orchid blossoms can be interspersed within the strings of crystals to make it even more interesting.

Unusual accents which are not typically seen combined with flowers can be a fun way for the whimsical bride to add a contemporary touch to her bouquets or centerpieces. It can be anything from mixing in dramatic sprays of feathers to objects like whole artichokes to found objects, like sailboat picks for a nautical theme wedding. When it comes to adding quirky and modern accents to your wedding flowers, the only limit is your imagination!

Author Bio: Bridget Mora writes for Silverland Jewelry about wedding planning, style, and trends. At http://silverlandjewelry.com/, we offer an exquisite selection of handcrafted crystal bridal jewelry. All jewelry orders over $99 receive free shipping.

Category: Marriage
Keywords: crystal bridal jewelry, wedding flowers, modern wedding flowers, bouquets, centerpieces