The Weekly Florists' Review* 



779 



Wedding Bouquets. 



The most important part of a bridal 

 outfit from the florist's point of view is 

 the bouquet, but from a long and close 

 observation we regret to state that to 

 the great majority of florists the bouquet 

 usually means a heavy, cabbage shaped 

 bunch of white flowers for which the 

 poor, enthusiastic "man in the case" pays 

 dearly. 



Of course every one is acquainted with 

 the rule that the bride's parents pro- 

 vide the church and house decorations, 

 and the bridegroom the flowers to be car- 

 ried or worn. Many brides dictate the 

 selection and make up of their bouquets, 

 but in the majority of cases the man 

 goes to what he considers the best places 

 in town, gets suggestions from the flor- 

 ist, pays a good price and goes away con- 

 vinced that he has dorre his best to sur- 

 prise his girl and combat critical friends. 

 But, alas, the general conception of the 

 bride's bouquet is size and weight, and 

 this is the only reason why bouquets are 

 becoming unpopular among the refined 

 people. 



We use plain language; many don't 

 like umarnished words. There will al- 

 ways be a Cheap John, slap dash sort of 

 trade; lack of ability's only hope, only 

 resource, is cheapness, but it is wrong 

 to imagine that there is only a diminu- 

 tive sort of appreciation for the artistic; 

 there are a great many people who at all 

 times prefer the choice and the dainty to 

 the coarse and big — a vast army who at 

 times are willing to pay for the very best 

 artistically. 



Floral art has its renaissance ; the 

 present period is one of the most critical ; 

 there is a "best" irr everything which 

 survives, and this matter of the bride's 

 bouquet deserves deep consideration. To 

 preserve all that is most picturesque and 

 beautiful is the special duty of the flor- 

 ist. Flowers have a refining influence, 

 his arranging of them should add to that 

 influence by being the quintessence of 

 good taste. A bride will ransack every 

 store, devote all her energy, spend her 

 last dollar if necessary, to look her best 

 on her wedding day. To obliterate a 

 dainty, costly lace dress with your cheap 

 ribbon or asparagus "shower bouquet" is 

 a crime; it is one of the few exceptional 

 cases where flowers are vulgar because 

 the florist is ignorant. 



If by what we write here we can induce 

 a few to make their bouquets lighter, we 

 will have done some good. We have of- 

 ten been told by brides that they would 

 refuse to carry the bouquets sent them 

 by even high-toned florists, were it not 

 for the fact that they were the gift of 

 the man they loved. We have watched 

 brides walk to the altar carrying the 

 bouquet upside down, and others where 

 they had to use both hands to grasp the 

 handle of the huge bunch ; is it any won- 

 der then that in the very eases where 

 flowers should be carried, we see and 

 read of them carrying prayerbooks? And 

 this is on the increase. 



Tliere is scarcely anything requiring 

 so much ability as the making of an ideal 

 bouquet; it is an art well worth study- 

 ing. The present age may be truly con- 

 sidered the commercial one, but it is also 

 critical and appreciative. At this time 

 of the year there is an abundance of 

 splendid material distinctly appropriate 

 to the subject under discussion. We 

 should do our best to get out of the nar- 

 row rut of icebox stock. There is a 

 dreadful sameness, a trying monotony in 

 our present every day supply. It is our 

 own lack of appreciation of the truly 

 beautiful which prevents the public from 

 buying and enjoying many of the finest 

 floral gems. 



In New York we have every class, 

 every nationality, to deal with ; many of 

 them insist otr getting what they were 

 accustomed to at home, and many gro- 

 tesque affairs are seen. Some of the 

 Latin and even Saxon races still ask for 

 the foulard or carton holders, but there 

 are distinctly American styles of bou- 

 quets that have neither been copied from, 

 nor hold second place to any in Europe. 



A very beautiful custom has been re- 

 vived — the wearing of a wreath of roses. 

 No large roses can be used in this de- 



.same flowers for men. Loose bunch of 

 gardenias with not much foliage, tie with 

 two white silk cords. Gardenia for head 

 spray, loose bunches of double pink aza- 

 leas with pink ribbon for bridesmaids. 



Long spray of magnolias with thiii 

 siring of asparagus tenuissimus, stems 

 wound in white ribbon, to be carried on 

 left arm. Red bud ,peach or high col- 

 ored sprays of blossoms similarly ar- 

 ranged for bridesmaids. Bouquet of 

 Daphne Indica alba, one Liberty rose, 

 lie broad white ribbon; pink bouvardia 

 for attendants. 



Long spray bunch of Cherokee roses, 

 handle twisted with and tied with a few 

 streamers of narrow ribbon. Crimson 

 Kambler sprays for bridesmaids. 



Bouquet of Lamarque ro^es, ribbon 

 handle, no bow streamers. Moss roses 

 and Testouts or La France for attend- 

 ants. 



Loose bunch of white sweet peas, and 

 match bunches of pink sweet peas, broad 

 ribbons or silk cords. 



A fevp white orchids can almost al- 

 ways be found on any orchidist's place, 

 and they are of course the queens of all 

 flowers. The most beautiful and popu- 

 lar way of arranging tnem is the light, 

 long spray with one or two fronds of 

 Farle.yenese, very little, if any. ribbon. 

 Odontoglossom crispum, phalaenopsis, 

 Vanda caerulea, ccelogyne, white cattleyas 

 or any kind in fact can be made use of, 

 but rough greens, poor quality ribbon 

 and compactness must be avoided. Where 

 orchids are carried by the bride, cat- 

 tleyas should be carried by the brides- 

 maids. 



A long spray bunch of stephanotis 



View in the Store of the Shanahan Florist Co., San Francisco, at Easter. 



sign, they must be very small, such as 

 Manda's Wichuraiana hj-brids, or poly- 

 antha roses; very little foliage, no fix- 

 ing up, just a natural spray wreath. 

 Many prefer this to the cluster of orange 

 blossoms, the half wreath of valley, or 

 clumsy substitute. Let us run over the 

 list of available material with sugges- 

 tions. 



White lilac with one red or pink rose, 

 white velvet ribbon, short streamer, long 

 loop, for bride. Bunches of apple blos- 

 soms, pink silk cord, for bridesmaids; 



mixed with Ehyncospermum jasminoi- 

 des makes something specially choice; 

 the foliage is too stiff', of course, but you 

 cannot use Asparagus plumosus or smi- 

 lax consistently as a substitute. A finer 

 green, like a spray or two of Ficus repens 

 with silk covered wire and Adiantum 

 gracillimum. makes a better job. 



Fine work can be done with carna- 

 tions; the entire outfit should be of this 

 flower. There are two wa}'s. The most 

 classical is to carry loose bunches across 

 the left arm, and in the case of brides- 



