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Finding Your Floral Design Style

Writer's picture: Maya McCarthyMaya McCarthy

Putting yourself in a box is rarely voluntary. I like to encourage all of my clients to be themselves and learn about their personal style to create something totally unique for them. Even with that being said, it is still helpful to know what you gravitate towards visually. What makes you feel something? The answer to that question is different for everyone. Finding your distinct floral design style may be hard, I'm quite sure it has everything to do with the fact that flowers are just beautiful, no matter how you view them. Discovering your design style is different than finding your floral color scheme or being able to list all of the flowers that you love.


Style focuses on the overall impression and feeling that a specific design or creation embodies. When thinking about stylistic terms like modern, boho, or cottage-core, quite a few images may come to your mind. Each of the classifications of design are made with unique elements and are composed with different design principles.


There are a handful of "main" classifications that I like to focus on when trying to help clients discover their favorite floral design styles. Of course, every class has its subsets and variations, and so on and so forth. Take some time to scroll through some of the floral design styles below; maybe one of them will resonate with you more than the others!



1.) Whimsical


Whimsical floral designs emphasize movement, line, and shape. Interest is created through height differences, interesting flower types, and a balance between smaller and fuller textures. Floral designs in this style often give the impression of weightlessness and break away from modern expectations of form and repetition. Color is not a qualifying element of whimsical designs, but it surely contributes to the overall aesthetic in a marvelous way.




2.) Modern


Simpler in shape, color, and concept; modern floral designs are the perfect choice if you want to convey a crisp, clean, straightforward aesthetic for your wedding day. Modern designs can still be full of interest and beauty, even if other design elements are pared back. Concepts like floral clustering, color-blocking, and dramatic clean lines can make modern floral arrangements eye-catching and inspiring. Greenery is either used strategically for design aesthetic or totally omitted altogether in most cases.



3.) Garden-Style

There are different variations of garden-style floral design. Depending on the country, state, or overall seasonality of the area you are from - or influenced by - your approach to garden-style floral designs may differ. This way of designing takes direct inspiration from the garden. Your only decision is, which garden? It has a focus on blooms that are in-season, often grow together, and are constructed in a natural way or "in order" of how things grow. Foliage is typically used much more ornately in garden-style floral design to balance out and provide contrast between the blooms, just like a garden would naturally have. Little manipulation to the flowers is necessary, blooms are embraced and encouraged to be exactly how and what they are. Can you tell this is one of our favorite design styles?




4.) Organic


Textural, natural, and free-spirited. Organic, in my opinion, can take on multiple floral personalities. Wildflower is one word that comes to mind. Also, just wild in general. Imagine taking a walk and gathering bits and pieces of the journey or being inspired by a specific biome, like the prairie for example, and creating a natural collage of all the things that capture it's very essence. You may end up with grasses, wildflowers, grains, etc. Now that the elements are gathered, you would study the prairie visually. Taking all of it's movements, natural variations, and form into consideration; you would use all of the items and construct a design that mimics the principles and proportions of the landscape. Of course, this approach is very specific and just one example of how organic floral designs are created and what inspires them. In a nutshell, organic floral designs have an obvious theme: organic. Focus less on decor and ornament, and more on celebrating nature. We like to use things like branches, moss, foliage, vines, fruits, and dried seeds to create organic designs. Incorporating decor elements like clay, terracotta, cement, wood and other natural textures/ finishes can create a very cohesive organic aesthetic.





5.) Traditional / Traditional Luxury


Traditional floral design and it's lavish sister, "traditional luxury" floral design are rooted in concepts that provide the foundation for almost all of the floral design styles. It is classic, timeless, and usually proportionally perfect. Lots of our brides and grooms still gravitate towards traditional designs. I believe that is because there is a very slim chance it will ever be "out of trend". A majority of designers began with traditional design lessons and then use all of the elements and principles of design to adopt their own unique styles. Bloom types vary but classic combinations like roses, hydrangeas, peonies, tulips, calla lilies, carnations, babies breath, and lisianthus are usually preferred among traditional floral lovers. A more balanced greenery - floral ratio is usually applied as well.





There are quite a few more classifications of floral design like Ikebana (traditional and modern), Botanical, Biedermeier, etc... Designers are constantly coming up with new variations of classic and modern styles every day. It is an excitingly creative and inspirational industry we are in. You may not be able to pick your own favorite design style and that is okay. At Biofloria, we will listen to you and take all of your loves and likes into consideration to help you come up with a blooming floral story that is uniquely you. I am curious, though, were there any styles that stood out to you the most?



Pick Your Favorite Floral Design Style:

  • Whimsical

  • Garden-Style

  • Modern

  • Organic


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