Photos courtesy Hector Sanchez / Southern Living®
Wedding season is upon us, and with it comes an ideal opportunity to use the beauty and long-lasting blooming season of Encore Azaleas to celebrate love and commitment.
Azaleas have become a mainstay of decorators nationwide, including for use as floral arrangements for all sorts of festive celebrations. In fact, they were among the flowers used in the royal wedding of Kate Middleton and Britain’s Prince William. And, it’s no wonder they are popular among brides. After all, the azalea flower symbolizes femininity, softness and fragility as well as passion.
Enhancing a wedding ceremony (or shower, engagement party or any wedding-related celebration) with Encore Azaleas is easy. Because they bloom from spring through fall they offer flowers at almost any time during the traditional wedding season (June through October) and even for spring and late fall weddings.
Their hardy blooms look gorgeous as cut flowers in bridal bouquets, tucked and woven into hairstyles and headpieces, as corsages and boutonnieres or arranged around the bride’s or groom’s cake. Stems and larger branches of Encore blooms are perfect for use as chair swags and on arbors or in vases and other decorative containers. Or sprinkle a carpet of Encore Azalea petals down the aisle in front of the bride or toss them at the happy couple instead of rice or birdseed.
Potted Encores also are perfect for decorating an altar, placing at the end of chair rows or pews or filling any spot in the wedding venue that needs a splash of color and style. Potted Encores can also be used as table decorations for luncheons, dinners and receptions and can be given to guests as favors or go home with wedding party members and the bride and groom for planting in containers or the landscape as a constant reminder of that special day.
To make Encore Azaleas part of your wedding event, think about color—the many hues offered by Encore’s lineup offer options to fit any wedding color scheme.
If you’re planning a traditional white wedding or need that touch of chaste beauty in the color mix, try one of Encore’s four white varieties. Autumn Angel®, for example, is a compact selection with pure white blooms while Autumn Ivory®, another dwarf plant, provides huge numbers of bright white flowers.
Looking for something pretty and pink? Among Encore’s extensive collection of pink varieties is Autumn Princess® which has delicate ruffled blooms for a feminine, subtle blush of color. Autumn Coral® will add rich pink tones to a wedding palette while the florescent blooms of Autumn Carnival® are perfect for making a bright, festive statement of botanical color.
Purple, the color of good judgment, has become an increasingly popular choice for weddings and Encore’s lineup has three that fit the bill. Autumn Lilac® (Rhododendron ‘Robles’ PP#22762), for example, is a lovely small plant with brilliant lavender blooms freckled in darker purple that can be stunning in a wedding palette.
If you need some red to signify undying love, try the vivid simple blooms of Autumn Bravo® or the beautifully ruffled red of Autumn Embers®. The vivid blooms of the new Autumn Fire® and Autumn Bonfire® are two of the truest red azalea blooms on the market today.
When one color is not enough, use one of Encore’s bi-colored collection, such as the pale pinkish white and pink freckled throats of Autumn Chiffon™’s blooms or the pink lined and speckled blooms of Autumn Starlite®. Or mix and match any of Encore’s many colors to create your own signature palette.
Regardless of the colors you choose, Encore Azaleas will be beautiful no matter how and where you use them to celebrate that special day.
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To browse the full Encore Azalea collection, click here.
Encore Azalea is the best azalea you’ll ever plant. Encore Azaleas are the world’s best-selling re-blooming azalea with rich, colorful blooms in spring, summer and fall. Encore Azaleas have 33 varieties of bloom colors and sizes to choose from and thrive equally well in high filtered shade or sunny locations – unlike any other azalea in the world. Find a retailer near you at www.encoreazalea.com.