Predicting Floral Trends Based on the Royal Wedding

I think all of us in the “biz” know how a Royal Wedding can influence trends for years to come. In 1981, Diana, Princess of Wales married Prince Charles, Prince of Wales. 75 million people watched as she floated down the aisle to her Prince. Following the Royal Wedding, every bride wanted to look like a fairytale princess and carry a cascading bouquet of Gardenias, Roses, Lilly of the Valley, Orchids, Freesia, Veronica, Ivy, Myrtle & Tradescantia. Romance was the theme of choice for a long time thereafter.

In 2011, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (familiarly known as Kate Middleton) married Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. Many in the floral community were convinced she would carry a cascading bouquet, much like Diana, Princess of Wales. Designers everywhere saw dollar signs; the cascade style would be back, and we could charge more for it! To everyone's surprise, she instead carried a petite, shield-shaped bouquet featuring Lily of the Valley, Hyacinths, and Sweet William. In fact, the only similarity between her and Diana, Princess of Wale's bridal bouquet was that they both included Myrtle, which is a long-standing tradition in royal weddings. Apart from that, Catherine (Kate) started a slew of trends in the floral world. Lily of the Valley became the name of the game. In fact, I had a bride who requested a full bouquet of the dainty, fragrant blooms in August - quite out of season!

Brides everywhere began to be concerned with the meaning of flowers as the theme of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge's wedding was revealed to be "The Language of Flowers" - taken from the Victorian times, when each flower had a hidden message. Because of this new trend, I was making Baby’s Breath (which represents long-lasting love) and Tulip (which represents perfect love) boutonnieres for elegant black-tie weddings.

The stunning tree-lined aisle of Westminster Abbey at the Royal Wedding started a movement towards nature and bringing outside in. Many brides began requesting tall branches to create an outdoor feel as well as my favorite trend, the white and green color palette. That trend seems to have stayed forever!

Now, we have another Royal Wedding upon us. American born Meghan Markle is marrying Prince William of Wales this week, so what floral trends can we predict? She has chosen, London-based florist Philippa Craddock, whose style seems to be a more modern, hip choice. Some of Craddock's clients include Alexander McQueen and Christian Dior. According to Philippa Craddock's website, she is “self-taught” and “comes from a diverse background of production, photography, metalwork, carpentry, and fashion." Also mentioned, “We are known for our discretion and warmth, working closely with each of our clients…” One clue to what the floral décor will look like is that she states, “Every member of the team shares the same passion for flowers and down to earth approach to floristry.”

In a press release from the Palace, it was stated that the wedding's floral arrangements would be inspired by plants and flowers that bloom naturally in May. The press release gives examples of white Garden Roses, Peonies and Foxglove paired with branches of Beech, Birch, and Hornbeam. “The designs will reflect the wild, natural landscape from which many of the plants will be drawn."

The organic, natural look is a current trend in the floral industry, and according to the press release, it sounds like Megan’s floral décor will take on loose, organic qualities, and a seasonally inspired color palette. My prediction is that her bouquet will include Peonies and Myrtle in an asymmetrical shape. What do you predict?

And finally, as Megan and Prince Harry of Wales are known for their good will, the majority of the flowers will be given to charities after the wedding.