Carnation Inspiration: Give Carnations a Chance!

This afternoon, event designer extraordinaire Preston Bailey (http://www.prestonbailey.com/) tweeted the following:

Do You Love or Hate #Carnations? Read Preston's #tips on incorporating carnations into an #event. Click for more: http://t.co/Gr8WDH5cZX
— Preston Bailey (@prestonrbailey) October 15, 2013

A MOB (Mother-of-the-Bride) had written in because she was upset that her daughter didn't want to incorporate carnations (MOB's wedding flowers) into her own wedding.  Carnations are either loved or hated (usually hated), and the MOB was looking for solutions.  Mr. Bailey's response included a gorgeous centerpiece his floral expert had designed, and reminded the mother that the flowers should be the bride's preference.

One picture isn't quite enough for me, and I wanted to share some options for people who haven't seen carnations reach their full potential.  

Meet the Carnation:

  

Personally, I love em.  They're inexpensive, they come in a huge range of colors, and they have such a great texture!  Plus, they last for weeks!  The average carnation costs 99 cents.  The average rose? $3.00.  Your choice!

I know that's not enough to convince carnation haters, so what about these adorable carnation balls for your Kissing Balls for the ends of your aisles?

Or for your tables...

 

Or the ceiling?

Not only do these look great on their own, carnations can also add much needed fluff and texture to arrangements for not a lot of money.  This gorgeous centerpiece looks like it's all orchids, but to cover the entire base would cost hundreds of dollars and wouldn't be as airy or dramatic at finish.  The designer instead placed white carnations at the base of the arrangement to cut down on cost and to provide that airy, free look of the orchids as they branch out.

I could go on for days about my love affair with carnations.  In short, they're not just the "cheap" flower you bought for your date's jacket at prom in the 70's.  Today's designers have created hundreds of beautiful designs utilizing carnations, either on their own or as part of a highly textured bouquet.

Will you use carnations in the future?  In case you want to experiment on your own, I've included a tutorial for the Kissing Ball that I found on YouTube.  If you need any help with it, you know where to find me!

Til next time,

Gracie K.

Carnation Sphere Tutorial via Debi Lilly at A Perfect Event in Chicago, IL

(all photos gleaned from a Pinterest search)