Simple Stunning Wedding Flowers

by Karen Bussen, William Geddes (Photographer)

“Flowers are love’s truest language”: so wrote journalist Park Benjamin in the 19th century. The sentiment remains just as compelling today. As every bride-to-be knows, the right flowers are a fundamental expression of the perfect wedding.

But brides are often flummoxed when it comes to the specifics of realizing a beautiful and personal floral vision. Should the arrangements be lushly romantic or sleekly understated? Which flowers are best for the season when the wedding will take place—and for its setting? How much should you spend on flowers? (Where should you splurge and where can you cut back?) How do you go about choosing and working with a professional florist? Do you dare to try to make your own wedding bouquets?

These are just a sampling of the questions that Karen Bussen, one of the country’s top wedding experts, addresses in Simple Stunning Wedding Flowers , the gloriously illustrated follow-up to her essential wedding-planning book, Simple Stunning Weddings . As always, Bussen offers advice that’s as down-to-earth as it is aesthetically fresh and inspired. And her guiding principles—that “less is more,” and that breathtaking elegance is achievable on any budget—are sure to calm an overwhelmed bride’s frazzled nerves.

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Jillian (Peapod Historical Bookery) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really colorful, beautiful book! I think flowers is what I'm struggling with the most as I'm planning my wedding - my florist asked me if there were any flowers I don't like, and I was just kind of like "... *blink* ... um, the one with the petals that kind of go out-ish?" I'm really not well-versed in flowers. But this book helps out a lot, especially the "Flowers by Mood" section at the end. It shows lots of pictures of flowers separated by type ("gardenesque," "modern," etc.) so it would be easy to find flowers to go with the theme or feel of your wedding. But this section was really helpful for me because it also labels each flower by name, so when I found a gorgeous flower I knew exactly what to go back and tell my florist.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good place to start thinking about florals for your wedding (or someone else's). I like that the arrangements are not fussy, but rather clean and elegant. Also, some good ideas for saving $$ on this part of the planning.

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're planning a wedding or just want to learn tips from florists on how to make your own arrangements this is the book for you. Lots of good ideas, not just for the bride with unlimited flower budget, but for the rest of us too. It's been my most handy wedding guide to date.

[Sarah Toton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was another look book of flowers that didn't have much information on techniques, however they did have a lot more information about selecting flowers and arrangement types.