Being a wedding florist and decorator for as long as I have, I have always found it interesting to observe the trends that come and go with weddings.

The end of a year always seems to be full of predictions of what the styles and trends of the following year will be.

While I have never been one for trying to gaze into a crystal ball, what I have seen from my own clients who are getting married next year is that one trend that will remain popular from 2008 is the choice of chocolate brown as a main colour.

While the wedding flowers that come naturally in brown are far and few between, here are a few ways that this beautiful folour can be brought to the forefront:

• beautiful ribbon in satin or chiffon
• natural stones and branching
• changing tablecloths and adding chair covers

What I find exciting about this chocolate brown the large range of colours that it complements. From robins egg blue and romantic baby pink to bold choices such as kimono red and gorgeous aubergines, it is a choice of colours that exudes a modern elegance.

Of course, perhaps one of the most elegant choices of colour combinations would be to pair chocolate brown with elegant and soft ivory undertones.

Elegant Chocolate Brown Themed Wedding Centerpieces And Linens

In my last post,  I wrote that one way to celebrate a wedding during the fall or winter season was with rich warm colours.

Another classic way to celebrate a winter wedding with flowers is to consider all the elements visible in nature now and take the whiteness of snow and the pine trees wrapped with twinkle lights as inspiration for a wedding flower palette.

From hydrangeas and roses, to orchids and lilies, there is a plethora of flowers that come in beautiful shades of cream and white and incorporating winter greens such as cedar or pine, creates a texture that is elegant and classic look for a seasonal arrangement.

This combination can be used everywhere from boutonnieres for the groom and his groomsmen with small sprigs of cedar to accent a single white bloom to coordinate with the bouquet of the bride and that of her bridesmaids to large arrangements for ceremony and head tables and the matching centerpieces.

Beautiful arrangement of white hydrangea and roses and winter greens

Well, I guess there’s no denying it — winter is imminent.

I knew this to be especially true when a friend of mine from California told me that I should watch a sunset. I wrote back saying that at this time of year in Toronto, sunsets and for that matter sunrises are nowhere to be found.

While the sun is a rare sight with the days becoming shorter and the nights getting longer, this time of year is becoming an increasing popular time for weddings.

While colour is always an important factor, I believe that it’s especially important in light of our current season and when the temperatures are cool, wedding flowers can affect the “temperature” of an event by accentuating the coolness of the season or by warming things up with rich vibrant tones.

The latter idea was chosen for the elegant late fall wedding of my lovely clients Jill and Jason that took place at Deer Creek a few weeks ago.

Beautiful rich tones of classic fall tones in deep red and burnt orange gerberas and roses with bright green berry and pom accents finished with luxurious chartreuse satin ribbons were the colours and the materials of choice for the wedding flowers.

From the bridal bouquet to the ceremony arrangements and right through to the classic all round centerpieces, this rich and elegant choice of colours brought warmth and intimacy to a wedding on a cool November day.

An Elegant Fall Wedding Bouquet