bridal 2018

Fresh Picks

Flowers can set the tone of an event — take a
peek at what brides this season have loved.

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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f there were a time-setting record for put-
ting together wedding flowers, it may very
well be held by Fleur Detroit in Bloomfield
Hills.
Not far from the Oakland County court-
house, where marriage vows are regularly
exchanged without long-range planning,
creative director Darin Lenhardt has designed
and formed individualized bridal bouquets
and boutonnieres in close to 10 minutes using
what’s in ample supply.
Whew!
He’s glad to share in any happy events, but
his usual planning process — three to six
months — allows him time to order what
is decided when families consult with floral
specialists; then he can look to trends and
personalize them.
“One of the most popular color combina-
tions for dress currently is white, black and
gold, and fashion dictates coordinating
colors for the flowers,” Lenhardt says. “We
see lots of berries and foliage with that goal.
There are smaller bouquets of monofloral
designs showing anemones and ranunculus.
“Everyone wants a unique wedding, and
flowers give weddings signature. How they
are arranged is significant, and they give the
feeling of the wedding and the day.”
With chuppahs so important to Jewish
ceremonies, Lenhardt likes to enhance them
with vines — passion vines and ivy — to sym-
bolize the intertwining of families. For table
décor, he prefers flowers without fragrance
because aromas can affect the tastes of food.
Setup for a formal wedding can take as
long as six-to-eight hours.
Lindsay Kwaselow and Josh Fisher, mar-
ried in September, enjoy outdoor activities
so they wanted their floral impact to be
natural and woodsy. Bouquets for the bridal
party appeared as if they were freshly picked
and complemented centerpieces that stood
tall and seemed to be growing on the spot.
“I have a habit of going against the grain,”
says Lindsay Fisher of Royal Oak, who
pressed her bouquet of eucalyptus and pink
protea and keeps it on display in a favorite
vase. “My vision was to stray as far away
from typical as possible while layering in my
own personal style.
“Nature grounds me. I love being sur-
rounded by lush green life, and my wedding
was no exception. I wanted to create some-
thing that people have never seen before at
a wedding.

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January 25 • 2018

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