Old Wedding Traditions

wedding traditionsMany of the traditions we take for granted on a wedding day have strange beginnings shrouded in history. Although the superstitions and beliefs which inspired the rituals are long gone, the customs remain, even hundreds and thousands of years later, right here in Danvers.

For instance, before the 19th century, brides didn’t get married in white as a rule. They simply wore their very best dress, no matter the color. Much like today, it was considered in poor taste to wear the same color as the bride, as she was to stand out on her day. Royalty generally married wearing silver gowns. But in 1840, when Queen Victoria got married, she chose to marry in white – and brides began to follow her lead. Veils were traditionally worn to ward off evil spirits, as brides were thought to be particularly vulnerable to such attacks.

wedding traditions

The tradition of the best man began in ancient German civilization, and later spread through Europe. The best man was chosen for his strength and fighting ability, as it was often necessary to take a bride from a neighboring village; then to defend the couple if the family came to take her back. The custom of the bride standing to the groom’s left began as a necessity as well – the groom needed to have easy access to his sword in case a fight broke out during the wedding.

wedding traditions

 

Of course, it is hard to imagine a wedding without flowers. While in Victorian times flowers were chosen for their inherent meaning – such as love, fidelity or commitment – today we choose flowers based upon preference and color scheme. But whatever the reason for your floral choice, you can trust the creation of your bridal bouquets, centerpieces and ceremony flowers to the experts at Currans Flowers. Whether you go with traditional arrangements or unique displays, our flowers are sure to make your wedding day a memorable one.

 

Summer Wedding Flowers

summer weddingsSummer weddings are romantic, dreamy and very popular with couples.

They also present unique challenges for wedding planning – sunny skies and bright sunshine, although beautiful, needs some planning to keep everything – from guests to flowers – cool and refreshed.

summer weddings

Here are some tips if you are planning a summer wedding:

 

Timing: Plan for a wedding late in the day, when the heat is not so intense. Be aware of the setting sun’s position, so that guests will not be looking into the glare of the sun.

 

Shade: If the venue has covered porticos, patios or outdoor spaces, utilize the available shade for your ceremony, reception and interim moments. If the ceremony location has no shade, consider a gazebo or floral canopy to keep the bride and groom shaded.

 

Flowers: Roses, orchids and lilies- especially calla lilies – hold up well to heat. Keep flowers in water until the last possible minute to prevent wilting; utilizing hardy greenery such as succulents, eucalyptus and olive branches will result in a healthy looking arrangement.

summer weddingsMore About Flowers: Arrange all ceremony and venue flowers in vases that hold water, and make sure that the blooms stay hydrated throughout the day. Designate someone to make sure that the flowers, like your guests, have water refills throughout the day and never get thirsty.

 

If your day is spread out across many hours, speak to Currans Flowers about two deliveries to your wedding venue; with the flowers for the later part of the day arriving closer to the time they are needed. In this way, flowers will not wilt while waiting. As the Danvers area premier wedding florist, Currans Flowers has assisted hundreds of couples with their dream summer event – call us today to help you decorate your special day with beautiful and fresh flowers that will look fantastic all day long.

Using Tall Wedding Centerpieces in 2016

wedding centerpiecesWith couples well into planning for 2016 weddings, top trends are emerging – from venues to color palettes to florals. This year, there is a return to romanticism, an emphasis on soft ambient lighting, and a trend toward innovative bouquet and flower arrangements. One of the most popular floral designs is tall centerpieces – for many reasons, these statuesque and elegant displays are often the choice of Danvers couples.

wedding centerpieces

 

Why are high centerpieces trending?

  • The height of the arrangement does a wonderful job of filling open air and vacuous spaces;
    such as venues with vaulted ceilings
  • Tall arrangements draw the eye upwards to romantic illumination.
  • Guests can easily speak to one another across the table, without the line of sight being hindered.

 

There are many ways that you can attain new heights with your wedding florals.

 

  • Look for unique candlesticks, vases and glassware that will elevate the florals above the table. Tall, clear glass containers can also showcase petals or small blooms floating up the stem for an added floral touch.
  • Vintage elements such painted crates or shelving can lift your flowers and add country or rustic interest.
  • Utilizing tall, slender stalks and natural details will elongate the line of the arrangement. Calla lilies, gladioli, lupine flowers and orchid stems are popular choices; while grasses or twigs accessorize creatively.

 

Currans  Flowers is Danvers’ leading provider of wedding floral arrangements. Whether you need advice on color palettes, species of flower to match your dress, or designs that will accentuate your venue – the expert florists at Currans Flowers are ready to offer their expertise. Come in today, and take your wedding planning to the next level.

Currans Favorite Wedding Flowers of 2015

wedding flowersIn recent years, Curran Brothers Florists has been privileged to provide beautiful bridal bouquets, centerpieces and ceremony flowers for hundreds of weddings in the Danvers area. For the benefit of all of the newly engaged couples looking to be married in 2016, we’d like to take a moment to share some of the top trends, as well as our favorite recent floral creations. We hope these photos inspire and excite you as you begin your own planning. We look forward to highlighting your wedding next year!

 

Vibrant colors brightened up weddings throughout the year, often replacing traditional white bouquets with fresh picked wildflower arrangements. Mums, roses, hydrangea and daisies in pinks, reds and blues were the choice of many brides; while many went for one of the hottest color palettes of 2015 – purples and greens.

wedding flowers wedding flowers

Couples continued to depart from classic arrangements, and instead opted for non-traditional succulents and greenery to add natural accents to their décor. Eucalyptus, lotus pods and cactus were combined with vivid dahlias, roses and hydrangea for truly unique and strikingly elegant centerpieces.

wedding flowers wedding flowers wedding flowers

As we move into 2016, the main thing to remember is that the hottest trend is being true to yourself. After all, it is your wedding, and your special day! So if traditional white roses aren’t your style, feel free to create a bouquet of green orchids or hot pink stargazer lilies. If a formal, sophisticated setting makes you nervous, find an old barn and decorate with mason jars and wildflowers! The best wedding of all is the one that expresses your unique personality as a couple.

 

Browse our photos, stop by our flower shop, and ask us for ideas! Curran Brothers Flowers is the Danvers area premier wedding florist for good reason – between your style and our expertise, we promise a beautiful and memorable wedding designed just for you.

A New Year’s Engagement & Your Future Nuptials

new year's engagementA wedding engagement is a transformative experience, particularly when the big event happens on New Year’s Eve as we march into a new year of hope and possibilities. Did you know that New Year’s Eve is the most popular time for wedding proposals?

As the glow of the engagement softens, thoughts of wedding planning will take its place. What flowers will you choose? Where will you celebrate your nuptials? What date will you walk down the aisle? What colors will represent your wedding? Maybe you’re still working out the details of the proposal!

Classic New Year’s Eve Proposals

One of the best parts about proposing on New Year’s Eve is that it doesn’t take a tremendous amount of creativity to pull off an incredibly memorable experience. “Popping the question” at the stroke of midnight requires nothing more than a clock, a countdown, and a ring, and perhaps a bouquet in her favorite colors.

new year's engagement

Another awesome way to ring in the new year with a proposal is to ask at a party or gathering with friends. What better way to share such a momentous event than when your dear friends and family are in attendance? Marriage proposals on New Year’s Eve are elegant, exciting, and stylish.

The Pantone Fashion Color Report

You may have an idea of the colors you want to see in your wedding, but you’ll want to take a look at color trends before making your final decision on wedding colors. Will arrangements of pink and purple flowers inspire you or will you try another vivid combination?

new year's engagement

In 2016, the Pantone Fashion Color Report reveals a variety of subtle and vivid shades that harmonize perfectly in a spring bouquet. Traditional colors like rose quartz and peach echo will prove popular, as will deep colors like “snorkel blue” and “green flash.”

Imagine a gorgeous and avant-garde centerpiece with rose and deep purple flowers accompanied by fascinating succulents and pointed leaves in green and ivory. You might consider taking one of the season’s most beautiful colors and building on that shade for the rest of your wedding colors.

new year's engagement

The symbolism of embarking on a new journey with your significant other is never more meaningful than when it happens as the “ball drops” and we flip a page on our calendars for 2016. Start planning a wedding of beautiful colors that represent the joy you seek with your significant other by partnering with Curran Bros. Florists for your wedding flowers and planning.

 

Sensational Winter Weddings

winter weddingWhen it comes to weddings many people think of the June bride – something related to the spring and summer seasons; however, with the proper preparations and decorations you can have a sensational winter wedding too. In fact, with major holidays arriving during this part of the year, there is a variety of options to choose from in determining your wedding theme.

Whatever your requirements are, we can provide just about everything you need to make your special day memorable. Listed below are a couple of samples of what you can expect while consulting with us.

Lush Autumn Texture

Although the word autumn is in the name, this striking centerpiece would look terrific on any of the primary reception or guest tables. Its eclectic style features light grey, white, and red pretty roses combined with a variety of other blooms and accented with a mixture of colorful floral and delicate ferns. Because of its wide range of hues and textures, it certainly corresponds to any month.

winter wedding

Bridesmaid’s Bouquet

Whether you have many or just one, any bridesmaid will be proud to carry this splendid bouquet featuring pearly-white velvety roses coupled with ornamental sprigs and graced by generous green foliage. You can guarantee she will be smiling from ear to ear.

We have a gallery, books of designs and magazines which is extensive in highlighting what we have available.

winter wedding

About CurransWeddingFlorist.com

It would thrill us here at Currans to contribute to your special day; we have designers that welcome your inquiries in reference to what we have to offer. We can provide floral arrangements to your specifications, suggestions for unique themes and more.

Being familiar with the different venues such as worship centers, function halls, outdoor backdrops and restaurants, we are able to help you customized the ceremony and reception to the situation as it presents itself.

To insure our talented professionals are at your service, just give us a call or send an email to set up an appointment.

 

 

The Perfect Chrysanthemums for Your Wedding Centerpieces

chrysanthemumChrysanthemums are recognized as the quintessential flower of fall due to the deep red, orange, yellow, and purple colors for which their potted plant varieties are known. For this reason, they make the perfect flowers for autumn weddings, but due to their greatly diverse varieties they fit perfectly into weddings during any season of the year. While they can be used in almost any floral arrangement you request for your wedding day, chrysanthemums make the perfect addition to your reception table centerpieces where they will stun guests as an element of your wedding decor.

No matter the colors you selected for your wedding theme, there is sure to be a chrysanthemum variety or several to complement your decor. Available in seemingly countless varieties, chrysanthemums bloom in almost every color and shade from spring green, light peach, purple, lavender, and violet-blue to wedding white and gold, crimson, and almost every pink imaginable. They also come in several multi-colored varieties featuring yellow centers with red-tipped petals or white centers with pink-tipped petals.

chrysanthemum

In addition to the chrysanthemum’s spectrum of colors, they also bloom in a variety of sizes and shapes to complement any style of centerpiece from small and condensed to tall and elegant. Their blooms range in shape and size from small daisy and button-like blooms to large, voluminous pompons akin to the flowers of dahlias. Whether used alone or in tandem with other flowers like roses, daisies, lilies, hydrangea, or carnations, chrysanthemums can be gathered to create elegant, whimsical, formal, or casual bouquets for any wedding reception.

At Curran Brothers Florists & Greenhouses, our professionals specialize in wedding floral and can help you decorate your wedding with chrysanthemums. Incorporating them in your reception with centerpieces and even in your ceremony by adding them to your bridal bouquet, corsages, boutonnieres, aisle treatments, and more. We look forward to helping you make your big day even more special by adding an array of beautiful floral memories to your wedding.

 

Danvers Vintage Weddings

vintage weddingsFrom invitation design to venue selection, the theme of your wedding day will determine the choices you make. While vintage weddings are very much the rage right now, there is no definitive way to host a vintage event. “Vintage” is defined as more than a generation old, but not yet antique – leaving decades of tradition and history to inspire you and your décor.

 

From the roaring 20’s to the rebellious 60’s, each era had its own personality. Therefore the ambiance of your vintage wedding depends largely on your style. The early 20th century saw garden parties with crystal accents and lush peony and rose bouquets; a decade later, long strings of pearls, feathered headpieces and champagne defined the party. From art deco to flower children, our colorful history evokes nostalgic memories, each one special in its own way.

 

Choosing a gown from a bygone era – whether from your mom’s closet or bridal store – is a great place to start. A dress embossed with crystal, or a long veil trimmed in antique lace will look classically beautiful; add a wrap fastened with an heirloom brooch or cameo for a meaningful touch. Your groom’s handkerchief or cummerbund can display a retro pattern that will tie in with the feeling for the day; from 50’s polka dots to 70’s paisley.

vintage wedding flowers - newly married couple with flower bouquet in hand

Whether adorning the head table or adding excitement to the wedding cake, strings of pearls or delicate details are traditional vintage. These elements can be added to nearly every part of your day. Bridal bouquets, showcasing romantic blooms set off with jewels, feathers or antique lace will make everyone reminiscent; while crystal goblets and candelabras grace the venue with traditional style.

 

Curran Brother Florists are your local wedding specialists. Come into our Danvers flower shop to begin to make your dream wedding a reality – aisle flowers to centerpieces, your vintage wedding celebration will be one for the history books, and guaranteed to create new memories you will relive for a lifetime.