Weddings are back, and so are statement-making blooms.
by Samantha Iacia
Updated Feb 25, 2022
Every year, one of our favorite things to do is get a first-look at the newest and most exciting wedding trends, from fashion to decor, food, entertainment and more. The same goes for the 2022 wedding flower trends, which come with an added bonus—they're just so pretty to look at. With this year bringing a wedding boom and the general return to normalcy, there are a lot of noteworthy wedding flower ideas on the horizon. After months (or years) of waiting, engaged couples are eager to throw celebrations that are bigger and better than ever, so it's no surprise that floral arrangements are following suit. To get the scoop on the most popular wedding flower trends for 2022, we reached out to pro wedding florists and other industry experts, and they all had one answer in common: color, color and more color. Above anything else, we can expect to see centerpieces, wedding bouquets, boutonnieres and other arrangements filled with vibrant, eye-catching hues that make a statement. The reason? Couples are eager to decorate their weddings in the most uplifting way possible, and cheerful color palettes are the perfect solution (if you need even more proof, just check out the top wedding color trends of the year). Over-the-top floral installations are another big trend (pun intended) for 2022, and they're expected to be paired with boldly colored blooms to maximize impact. But with the average cost of wedding flowers coming in at $2,300, combined with ongoing supply chain issues, some couples are also being more selective with their wedding flower arrangements. This could mean opting for alternative, locally grown foliage and greenery to add texture, or paring down a wide variety of flowers to just one or two budget-friendly options that are easily sourced during your wedding season. "Couples are loving blasts of color and oversized floral installations, but we have to be practical in managing what's possible between flower shortages and rising costs," says Tara Fay, owner of Tara Fay Events in Dublin, Ireland. "Behind the scenes, there's literally a perfect storm for the floral industry. Increasing fuel costs mean higher energy costs to heat greenhouses, as well as higher shipping costs to transport flowers. The good news is natural foliage can grow with more flexibility—in climate, geography—and often with less regular maintenance than flowers require." If you're in the midst of wedding planning and looking for wedding flower ideas, this year's trends have something to offer for everyone. And no matter what you choose, remember that your floral arrangements are a tried-and-true way to bring life and personality to your wedding decor, which is ultimately the goal. Keep reading for our favorite expert predictions and how to use these 2022 wedding flower trends for your own special day. 1. Colors Galore
"It feels like everyone wants to be surrounded by joyful color this year," says Lilli Wright, owner and creative director of Mimosa Floral in Brooklyn, New York. "A lot of our 2022 couples are really leaning into vibrant colors and daring to go beyond the classic whites, greens and neutrals, and we're loving it! It might feel crazy to step outside the traditional white wedding palette, but if color brings you joy, lean into it." If this year's trending wedding colors are any indication, yellow, fuchsia pink and Very Peri, the Pantone Color of the Year (a light periwinkle lilac tone), are just some of the floral hues on our radar. Think these colors are only for spring and summer weddings? Not so fast. By pairing brightly colored blooms with darker floral accents, like burgundy, rust orange or chocolate brown, your florist can easily transition them for fall and winter ceremonies. A final perk when opting for a bold color palette: more variety. "Choosing to incorporate different colors gives your florist more flowers to work with, and it shows you trust them to create floral art that is unique to you and your event," says Angela Moore, owner and designer of Serendipity Floral Design in Cottleville, Missouri.
2. Maximalist Installations
Going beyond the basic bouquets and centerpieces, one of the biggest wedding flower trends of 2022 will have blooms showing up in unexpected places and ways throughout the venue. "Whether it's a dramatic ceremony install or flowers suspended overhead, that WOW impact is definitely in demand this year," Wright adds. "Consider going for a more minimalistic design on your tables so that you can splurge."
Exactly how dramatic you can go with your floral installations will depend on your wedding venue, including the existing structures and what is or isn't permitted in terms of decorating. But don't be afraid to think outside the box for your wedding day, whether that means going beyond standard tabletop arrangements for hanging centerpieces, creating an Instagram-worthy photo backdrop for your reception or bringing in rental structures to really customize the space (and provide more opportunities for flowers). "A major flower trend we are seeing (and loving!) for our 2022 weddings are dramatic floral endcap moments for guest tables, especially for a sweetheart table or head table," says Twyla Reimer, owner and lead stylist at Remi + Gold in Austin, Texas. "As you are planning your wedding, think about moments that will be the first impression your guests have as they enter."
3. Unique Textures
"Couples are moving away from the traditional rose-heavy arrangements and are open to lots of texture and greenery-heavy installations," says Moore. "Pairing a flower with something unexpected, like dried palm leaves or preserved oak, gives an arrangement visual interest and allows your florist to play with texture and color." In terms of texture, you're not just limited to fresh greenery like eucalyptus, which has become par for the course in wedding floral design. As Moore mentioned, dried flowers, grasses and other preserved accents can be an interesting way to add dimension to your flower arrangements if you're looking for something trendy and unexpected. Boho pampas grass falls under this category, but your florist can also use a handful of other accents, like flowering branches, dried lunaria, seasonal foliage or locally foraged elements to give your arrangements a truly unique finish. If you need even more ideas, you can turn to inspirational sources outside the wedding industry, like home decor blogs, to get a lead on the next trending flower or textural accent. "Wedding and rental trends always tend to follow the trends in interior design," says Lauren Bercier, CEO and co-founder of Something Borrowed Blooms. "This year, it is no surprise that we expect textured elements of pampas grass and dried floral elements to be more relevant than ever in the wedding space."
4. Cloudlike Designs
After the past few years, it's safe to say that we could all benefit from escaping to someplace dreamy, and some couples are taking that notion literally. Ethereal, cloudlike arrangements that hang from the venue ceiling or float across floors and tables are another 2022 floral trend on the rise. Baby's breath, or gypsophila, is the go-to for these types of arrangements—and while it's traditionally seen as a 'filler flower,' florists are coming up with new (and gorgeous) ways to use baby's breath to make it the center of attention. "I have a few brides who have inquired about the use of an abundance of baby's breath at their weddings to create a very romantic feel," says Shanda Zelaya, owner and founder of Flor de Casa Designs in Falls Church, Virginia. "Incorporating an abundance of baby's breath in designs really gives an event a beautiful, romantic touch, and in my opinion, brings to the forefront a flower that has been cast away for decades for being 'outdated.' Move over garden roses, baby's breath is here for 2022."
While baby's breath naturally blooms in a handful of colors, including white and pink, the tiny buds can easily be spray painted or dyed to match almost any color palette. Fay's team took this idea and ran with it for a recent wedding after a creative spark from their clients. "To get inspired, we ask our couples to think of themselves as a child, with no boundaries on imagination and reaching to favorite memories," she says. "Our clients described laying in the garden watching clouds go by. We then created 'floating clouds' from pink gypsophila above the tables and dance floor to bring their abstract idea to life." 5. Monofloral Arrangements
Color-blocking has become especially popular in home design, fashion and wedding decor over the last few years, so we're excited to see it on the map as an up-and-coming wedding flower trend in 2022. The most common way that couples are embracing this trend is by choosing either one type of flower or a few flowers in very similar color varieties to fill their arrangements. "Let me tell you, I am LOVING this trend," says Zelaya. "We have a couple of brides this year who are choosing to only incorporate roses in their wedding design; however, these roses are in all red tones or magenta tones, which bring a new level of sophistication to a traditional flower." Zelaya adds that this trend is a bold choice for couples who aren't afraid to push the boundaries and are looking to really make a statement by using only one type of flower. It also forces your wedding florist to flex their creative muscles, which can ultimately result in something totally new and unique for your big day. "One of the reasons I love this trend so much is because it really pushes the designer to showcase what they can do," she says. "When a floral designer only has one flower to work with, design skills really come to play in order to create an artistically curated floral arrangement filled with texture and dimension, all while only using one type of flower." If the idea of choosing one flower for the entirety of your wedding sounds daunting, skipping greenery and other botanical accents altogether is another way to make your arrangements stand out. "We're loving the power punch of skipping the green fillers and just going for flowers on flowers on flowers," says Wright. "Definitely a luxe look, but be careful— this is pricey and a lot smaller. But [it's] oh-so chic."
6. Floral Aisles and Scattered Petals
During the pandemic, the rise of intimate weddings, microweddings and outdoor ceremonies fast-tracked the trend of relaxed, garden-inspired floral designs—not just in terms of bouquets and centerpieces, but also whimsical planted aisles (where it looks like you're walking through a field of wildflowers), potted arrangements as aisle runners and oversized flower arches on city stoops. And while these larger-than-life designs were mostly born out of necessity—to make the most of an outdoor space during a time when it wasn't safe to celebrate indoors—they're still continuing to grow in popularity.
Using flowers on the ground to decorate your aisle is just one stunning idea. "This is one of our favorites at Remi + Gold because it is so versatile," says Reimer. "I believe moments like this element help set the tone for the whole wedding. The best part about lush aisle florals is they can be used again for band stage façade, or added in front of your cake table or sweetheart table while your guests are at happy hour." But you don't need to limit yourself to using flowers that are still intact—or wait for your flower girl to scatter rose petals from a basket. The tradition of lining your wedding ceremony aisle with flower petals is also getting a revival as a wedding flower trend for 2022, but with a few new tweaks, says Wright. "Create a confetti effect by using all sorts of flowers with different shapes and sizes of petals," she adds. "This is one of our personal new obsessions. We also love using these on the tables as well as the floor!" As long as your venue allows it, adding clusters of fresh flower petals at venue entryways, around the edge of your dance floor, at the base of a staircase or trailing along a pathway is a beautiful way to personalize the space.
