Weddingbee Blog

I have never been particularly fond of carnations. I always thought they were a cheap flower used to fill out an inexpensive arrangement. I considered carnations to be the “ugly” flower. Probably because of that scene from The Wedding Planner where JLo’s boss, Kathy Najimy, tells her assistant she cannot have carnations near her and to take the “ugly flower” out of her sight. Anyone recall that? Or anyone else base their world view on movies besides me? No? Whatever, I know you do too.

Image credit: Columbia Pictures via Yahoo Movies

Not the exact scene, but you know what I’m talking about.

I also associate carnations with those junior-high flower exchanges where the color of the carnation signified how the sender felt about you. My lack of a relationship was always very apparent after those damn flower days. Teenage angst over flowers is hard to forget.

But back to the point. Carnations. They’re flowers. Flowers I’ve never particularly cared for, but now that I’m considering which flowers to incorporate into our wedding, the more I appreciate carnations’ virtues. Carnations are available in a wide variety of colors year round, they are inexpensive, and they have pretty amazing lasting power.

A couple of weeks ago I was schooled on just how hearty carnations are. I got this carnation two weeks ago from a vendor at a (waste-of-time) wedding show:

My flower. Heehee. *personal picture*

When we got home from the show I cut the stem off, filled my bud vase with some tepid water, stuck my carnation in said vase, and forgot about the damn thing. I tend to do that with a lot of things. Which I’m thinking does not bode well for my future offspring.

Anyway, despite my complete lack of effort to care for it, this carnation has generally managed to stay pert after two weeks. It started to lose its shape and wilt more in the past few days, but I am still very impressed with its longevity. This is especially promising given that our wedding will be outside in the September heat.

This little flower opened my eyes and has me reconsidering my stance on carnations. And, after a bit of research, I am seeing how beautiful these flowers can be when bunched together.

Photo by Lucas Allen for Real Simple / Via Intimate Weddings / DIY tutorial at Real Simple

Image credit: Carolyn Roehm

Image credit: Martha Stewart Weddings

Flowers by pd Bloom / Via Intimate Weddings

Carnations paired with roses can give a lush, monochromatic look:

Image Credit: Carolyn Roehm

My only concern when looking at these inspiration pictures is that these arrangements are very sculptured and modern looking, which is not the vibe we are going for. I’m not sure what our vibe is exactly, but modern it is not.

So, carnations: a lovely and cheap flower choice, or were my preconceived notions correct?