Last Updated on July 22, 2022
Garden roses bring a beautiful and romantic fragrance to wedding bouquets. Discover some of our favorites here,
Everyone Loves The Fragrance And Romance That Garden Roses Bring To Wedding Flowers. Here’s why.
The exploding use of garden roses for weddings reminds me that today’s brides-to-be place a much higher value on the types of flowers they choose for their wedding.
They want wedding flowers that are romantic and sensual because that’s what they envision themselves carrying down the aisle on their wedding day.
Most brides-to-be are willing to spend a little more on flowers that deliver on that vision. I find that especially true with the ones I meet with.
That’s why they are choosing more fragrant flowers in their wedding designs, and the use of beautiful garden roses, in particular, is growing by leaps and bounds. These beauties are the perfect balance of romance, sensuality, and cost.
Judging by the number of stems we’ve sold just in the last few years, I can attest to that.
But you might be wondering…
Have Rose Growers Paid Attention?
You bet they have. Growers have responded by significantly stepping up production and introducing new garden roses varieties to meet today’s brides’ demands.
More are being grown and sold than I can remember in a long time.
One reason is that the garden roses of today are not the same as the delicate varieties of the past.
The modern garden rose varieties are hardier, feature elegant blooms that open beautifully and are incredibly fragrant. They have large petal counts and longer vase life. Hard to argue with qualities like that.
Once considered pricey blooms, they can now be purchased at affordable prices. So these beauties no longer need to be reserved for special occasions. They are perfect for simple, everyday floral designs, too!
Working With Garden Roses
If you plan on using garden roses in your wedding bouquets, no special care is required.
Simply get the roses in early and process them as directed. That will ensure you get the best quality, performance, and vase life.
Whenever we use garden roses, we place them in water for four to five days before using them. This allows them enough time to open sufficiently for maximum impact.
Garden roses are not meant to be used when they are tight. Since they do not have a traditional rose shape, their maximum visual impact occurs when nearly fully opened.
But, more importantly, their fragrant, intoxicating, and unforgettable scent is released as they open.
Garden Rose Varieties
More than 60 garden rose varieties grown today are available for cut flower use. They come in a wide range of colors, shapes, and fragrances. The David Austin® wedding roses are the most prominent name, considered the gold standard of garden roses explicitly bred for the cut flower industry.
In 2000, they began breeding them with the shapes and fragrances of traditional English garden roses but with the vase life of commercial cut rose varieties. This was a game-changer, and it created the first actual “brand” in the floral industry.
One of my favorite David Austin® wedding roses for bridal bouquets is “Leonora (aka “Ella”)” pictured above.
This remarkable rose features a beautiful, fragrant, versatile white bloom, perfect for a romantic garden wedding. And it’s every bit at home in today’s more intimate spaces, too.
This popular variety has definitely been a hit with our brides-to-be since it was introduced in 2019!
If you are a lover of romantic wedding flowers, you’ll love this rose, too.
So far in this article, I’ve highlighted roses from the David Austin® Wedding Collection. But these terrific flowers, with their wonderful rose scent, come in other stunning varieties. Several of them are pictured below.
Peonies Or Garden Roses?
Garden roses are often suggested as an alternative to peonies due to their similar appearance and fragrance.
More importantly, peonies are a seasonal crop, grown outdoors and subject to adverse weather conditions.
On the other hand, modern garden roses are grown in greenhouses, keeping the blooms consistent, eliminating the weather factor, and making them available year-round.
As a floral designer, I enjoy working with peonies and garden roses. But I also like to keep my options open when designing for weddings and events.
That said, I feel garden roses, with their ruffled petals and fruity fragrance, are more versatile to work with than peonies.
That’s especially true when designing flower crowns, corsages, and boutonnieres, where the size of the bloom needs to be more nuanced.
For more substantial flower arrangements, I love combining them both for maximum visual impact. I usually recommend using both flowers when consulting with brides-to-be.
If you want to use garden roses instead of peonies, you’ll have various colors to choose from. There are several shades of pink, including blush pink and pale pink. Peach and lavender hues are available as well.
Other colors include sand, orange, yellow, and red varieties. You’ll be sure to find something for every color palette.
Need More Inspiration?
If you want to see the unparalleled beauty and romance David Austin’s roses bring to a wedding on full display, check out this short video.
Now that you’ve seen a glimpse of these remarkable roses, you’re probably wondering…
Where You Can Buy Garden Roses
Planning to make your own wedding florals with garden roses? If so, you can buy “Leonora/Ella” and other varieties of garden roses direct from BloomsByTheBox and Flower Explosion, or you can order them from your local florist.
Not all traditional wedding florists stock garden roses, but if not, they will be able to get them for you.
The highest demand occurs during the peak wedding season (May-October), so ordering early is important for the best selection.
I’d recommend ordering from your florist at least 2 to 3 weeks in advance. Most will require a minimum order of 12 stems (1 bunch).
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