Unique Ideas for a Wedding with No Flowers

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When most people think of weddings, they envision lovely, lavish flower arrangements. But, believe it or not, some brides simply don’t like or want flowers. They may be allergic to certain kinds of flowers. They may want a nontraditional wedding without the huge traditional flower centerpieces and arrangements. Or they want to maintain a minimalistic, fresh and modern look for their wedding ceremony.

For these brides, here are some ideas for non-flower/ flowerless centerpieces and bouquets:

Goldfish & Gerbera Centerpiece

Table Centerpieces: A Fish Focus

For a fin-tastic centerpiece, use Goldfish or Siamese fighting fish (also known as bettas) or any fish that suits your color scheme. Fish are available in a wide selection of bright and exotic colors. But do understand that this choice is not as simple as putting fish in a bowl. For example, with some fish, such as the Siamese fighting fish, you can’t mix more than one in the same container. (Male bettas are beautiful but aggressive. They can mix with other fish but not with each other.)

You can purchase fish from your local pet store or breeder, and then give them to guests as gifts after the wedding. Or you may even be able to “rent” the fish from the retailer and then return them after the wedding.

Floral décor, is completely optional, you can mix your fishbowls with coordinating glassware of floating gerberas or other flowers.

Preparing and Caring for your Fish:

You will need:

1. A bucket, dechlorinating drops, fish food, oxygen tablets and a small fish net.
2. Mix dechlorinating drops with fresh water (follow instructions on the packaging) to remove chlorine from the water, which can kill the fish.
3. Fill each container half full of water from the bag containing each fish and half with the dechlorinated water.
4. Add oxygen tablets to each bowl.
5. Use the net to catch the fish and place them into the fishbowls. (Don’t use your hand to catch the fish or you can damage their fins.)
6. Feed the fish a small amount of food just before the wedding and then again after the wedding.

Betta | Blue Malawi | Red Siamese Fighting Fish

Crystals and Candles

Candelabra with Candles and Beads

If your guest tables will be lavishly furnished with embossed table cloths, runners and gifts, focus on crystals, candles and candelabras rather than elaborate flower arrangements for your table decor. Consider simple dessert dishes as an elegant finishing touch as we did at a recent wedding. You can use any flower of your choice: gerberas, orchids or lilies, for example. Add some ivy, which is a symbol of fidelity, friendship and affection. Or add in some baby’s breath, a sign of sincerity and innocence. By combining flowers with some texture, you create table centerpieces that are not simply beautiful but also meaningful.

TIP: When using lilies such as Casablancas, St. Josephs or Stargazers, remove the stamens from each bloom. Doing so will prolong the life of each flower, can prevent allergies and will eliminate staining of the flower or tablecloth.

Fruity Florals

Fruit Centerpieces | Gerberas & Lemons

The bright colors of fruit beautifully complement wedding color themes today. And they can work well with flowers, if you want an extra dash of color. For example, we placed shiny, juicy-green apples in a cylinder vase with three or four bright-colored gerberas tied with ribbon.

See this article for more Gerbera Centrepiece Ideas

Or use lemons or limes for a citrus-centered theme. (With a pinch of salt and tequila, your guests can use them to get the party started, too!)

Main Table Arrangements: Mirrored & Modern

Mirrored Modern Bridal Table Arrangement

Instead of turning to the long, flat, traditional “coffin-spray” types of floral arrangements for the bridal party’s table, jazz up the décor with a modern feel using mirrored boxes and silver boat dishes. For smaller main tables we combined white roses and baby’s breath with funky orange gerberas in the shiny, sophisticated boxes. For a larger bridal party, with a longer table, we had lacey runners beneath each arrangement rounded off with votives, candles and individual lily blooms.

Modern Bridal Table Arrangement

A Buttoned-Up Bridal Bouquet

Bridal Bouquet with Buttons

Bridal Bouquet with Buttons

A bridal bouquet with no flowers? At one wedding, our bride refused to have flowers in her bouquet. We tried to convince her to add just a few, but she didn’t bite. We did, however, persuade her to include some roses in the bridesmaid’s bouquet. The result turned out to be something quite special and unique that used a mix of fantastical buttons and crystals. This could be a project you can start long before your wedding day, collecting buttons, beads and other trinkets far in advance. Then, like our bride, you will easily be incorporating the “something old” tradition into your wedding; for this bride, that came in the form of using some buttons which came from her granny. No matter what unusual items you include, you’ll definitely create a bouquet you can keep forever.

Buttons & Roses Bridal Bouquet

In considering the suggestions here, always keep in mind that your wedding day is your day. No matter whether you want flowers or not or whether your ideas might be a little off the wall, all you need is a wedding florist with vision that will help make your dreams or ideas a reality.

Please share your thoughts and ideas with us in the comments below. And stay tuned for our next article…

Written by

Lizé Williams

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