Storyboard Wedding Why It Works Wednesday

Yesterday the hubs and I celebrated 2 official years of married life and thanks to some ultra gorgeous flowers that showed up at my door {a day early I might add, so we could enjoy them that much longer!} I became inspired to write about one of the blooms in particular in the arrangement, the Dahlia!  Whether you’re familiar with Dahlias or not, today you most certainly are going to be and we’ll explore why they are such a wonderful wedding flower.

Newport Wedding  Photography www.rebecca-arthurs.com

*Fab Mood

No one is exactly sure when the Dahlia first came into existence but some of  the earliest reports date Dahlias all the way back to 1525 growing in Mexico!  Believe it or not, once upon a time Dahlias were a source of food & medicine to the indigenous Aztec peoples, gathered in the wild as well as cultivated and even used to treat epilepsy!  Due to the plants hollow stem, it earned some native nicknames such as “water cane”, “water pipe”, “water pipe flower”, “hollow stem flower” and “cane flower”.  There are roughly 36 species of Dahlias with variations due to cultivation reaching all the way into the high one hundreds!  In 1846 the Caledonia Horticultural Society of Edinburgh actually offered a prize of 2,000 pounds to the person that could develop a true blue dahlia as they possess anthocyanin, a necessary element to achieve a blue hue, something precious little plants have.  Still to today, no true blue dahlia exists,  many have tried pulling variations of hues in mauve, purples and lilac hues.

Purple Dahlia Cranberry Hued Dahlia Pitcher Centerpiece

 {Unknown, Lavender and Twine via Wedding Chicks}

There are many things that make Dahlias a terrific bloom for any fete, but for me personally there are 2 specific elements that really stand out.  One of the magical things about the Dahlia is their coloring and thanks to all these tremendous variations, there is a wealth to pull from!  With the exception of blue, dahlias sample every color under the rainbow, even mixing!  Yes thats right, dahlias love to get their petals in the paint going everywhere from a true nature derived ombre to more striking blossoms with multiple colors in the same flower!  Everything from white tips, purple lined petals, bright yellow that fades into red, dark centers with almost white outer petals, you name it!   Thanks to their incredible range of the color spectrum, you can find dahlias to fit each and every wedding color palette, even those funky hues you weren’t sure how to incorporate!  The gals at Dahlia Diva {growers of these gorgeous blooms} have a terrific page devoted to all the amazing variations that they cultivate and it reads almost like storybook as the colors are so unreal!

Purple Dahlia Boutonniere Oragne Hued Rustic Dahlias

 {Figlewicz Photography via Storyboard Wedding, Unknown}

Orange Creamsicle Dahlia Wedding Bouquet

{Ashley Davis Photography via Storyboard Wedding

The other element to Dahlias that I love so incredibly much are their petals!  Here again the variations available are astounding!  Believe it or not, early Dahlias were single row petals, through natural progression and of course cultivation, they have grown into these wondrous heads housing hundreds of tiny petals in petite rows!  Dahlia heads can range anywhere from 2″  in diameter all the way up to 1 ft!  Some are flat bottomed while others bloom in a full tilt globe like fashion.  Whats even more incredibly unique to me are the wonderfully diverse petals which can range from oddly tubular to long wavy and fingerlike.  There is such a glorious range to dahlias that they are able to seamless meet most every wedding theme, look and vibe that your looking to achieve.  Offbeat, whimsical, wonderfully posh and sophisticated, you got it!  Whether your looking for a more unique variation or something more regal, their is a type of dahlia perfect for the job.

Pale Dahlia and Peony Wedding Bouquet Hot Pink Dahlia And Succulent Bouquet

{Adam Barnes via Southern WeddingsPicotte Weddings via Style Me Pretty}

Mason Jar Dahlias cafe au lait dahlias by poppies and posies

 {Gabba Gabba Gorg, Brides}  

Dahlias strength is in their versatility and being a master of many hats.  Thanks to their wonderful colors & gorgeous petals these vibrant beauties can meld into any and every wedding world that they are brought into.  As you can see from just a few examples here, they can transform flawlessly from rustic, to sophisticated at the drop of a hat.  Their uniqueness also offers a magical attraction, something that not every flower can claim!  What are your favorite Dahlia colors, loving the mash ups or do you prefer to keep it simple and solid?  Do you think dahlias are the most versatile wedding flower around, or maybe your a fan of a bigger chameleon, either way I’d love to hear!  No matter how you cut it, Dahlias are gorgeous and you can never appreciate enough how wonderfully they work!

Mexican Folk Art Dahlia Arrangement

{Sara & Rocky Photography via Green Wedding Shoes}

Dahlia Wedding Flowers

Wedding Buzzwords: Whimsical, Classic, Refined, Offbeat, Rustic, Vintage, and Sophisticated.
Growing Season: Late Summer to Early Fall, August Weddings are a sweet spot
Colors: Short of blue & gray, just about every color you can imagine, even color combos!
Strengths: Wide Variety of colors & variations of style

Storyboard Wedding Post Signature