White Wedding Flowers

A stately white wreath lends a glamorous touch to this venue's wrought iron fence.

A stunning single-flower clutch of creamy astilbes has a textural warmth that are super soft, almost like cashmere.

It sounds like the word for a sphinx's riddle, but anaglypta is actually the name of an embossed wallpaper the Victorians used to mimic costlier pressed plaster or tin. These days, it makes an easy centerpiece when affixed to flower-filled cylinder vases in varying sizes. Cut the paper -- available in many motifs (ours are from FYHome) -- to cover the vase, overlapping slightly. Wrap the piece around the vase, securing both ends with strong double-sided tape. Flowers by Naomi deManana.

Perfect as a centerpiece for the party or as individual guest favors (perhaps at a shower), stunning orchids emerge from terra-cotta pots painted white and arranged on saucers; a butterfly-shaped tag on a thin wire holder hovers over each plant.

A simple clematis bloom, tied with satin ribbon, is the boutonniere for the best man at this California wedding.

A bouquet woven from phalaenopsis orchids is trimmed with stephanotis that flow to the ground.

Boutonnieres and corsages are stylishly clad in silver-gray ribbons: The bride's mother wore orchids (center) that matched the maid of honor's bouquet, and the groom, his sons, and ushers wore dendrobiums.

Vases of varying sizes, shapes, and materials can be unified with mere paper bags to serve as fresh, bright centerpieces at a casual wedding. Slip the plain white lunch bags over the containers and cinch the tops loosely with ribbons tied in bows.

An exquisite all-white cascade like this one, fashioned from roses, sweet peas, ranunculus, and tiny lily-of-the-valley, would be fitting for just about any bride in any setting. Dress by Robert Danes.

Bride Allison Muench Williams chose a simple bouquet for her wedding. Composed entirely of delicate Eucharis lilies, it rested easily in her hands. "The fact that it was light and airy made it comfortable to carry throughout the cocktail hour," she says. "When my sister got married, she had a huge bouquet, and she ran to put it down as soon as she could."

The graceful quality of fritillaria and miniature cymbidium orchids enhances this bouquet's flowing composition, while lily-of-the-valley is sprinkled throughout like droplets. Accents of green -- in the foliage and on the tips of snowdrop petals -- punctuate the vision of soft white. A single dangling fritillaria adds charm; the silver metallic bow, elegance.

Shapely mini calla lilies and ruffly double tulips are tightly bound with wide pewter ribbon into an inverted-teardrop cascade.

A boutonniere combines orchids and lamb's ear at an outdoor wedding in Connecticut.

Pure-white tulips burst from the top of a long rattan planter; their leaves add volume and color to the arrangement. The flowers sit in plastic trays filled with saturated floral foam so they'll stay fresh.

Large, open peonies settle into nests of twisted fern vines. Inside each basket is a shallow plastic bowl of water (for extra stability, use a wire grid to hold stems in place). A smaller nest atop the napkin at each place holds a more closed flower; its stem sits in a water tube concealed within the nest.

Pure white and as fragile as snowflakes, Stephanotis are traditional bridal favorites. Pearl-topped corsage pins are inserted into the bell of each flower -- either a teardrop or three small round-headed pins in each. A row of pins finishes the satin handle. A single blossom makes a captivatingly simple boutonniere.

White carnations are transformed into an amazingly stylish bouquet thanks to ingenious details like handmade white ribbon flowers and a pleated stem wrap adorned with black silk blooms.

With its frosted goblets and white-and-cream palette, this tabletop has a crisp, clean sensibility that's softened by a centerpiece of gardenias, calla lilies, ranunculus, Dutch tulips, and lisianthus. White peacock feathers interspersed throughout and gauzy fabric wrapped around the vase add an ethereal quality.

A splash of Panicum flowers injects youthful exuberance into an otherwise restrained bouquet of cymbidium and lady's slipper orchids with white nerines.

Pair green flowers with warm creams and clear whites, give them room to be wild and lush, and you'll never again equate modern with cold. While these centerpieces of viburnum, snowberry, bells of Ireland, asclepias pods, and carnations in salt-glass vessels could certainly hold their own in a downtown loft or art gallery, they're refreshingly free of attitude.

Strings of gauzy tulle pom-poms float above a whitewashed landscape, creating a dreamy, light-as-air effect. To ground the scene and add interest to a pure white palette, incorporate plenty of texture. Here, we chose a raw linen tablecloth, net fabric runner, lace-pattern porcelain vase, and a mix of sleek and gardeny blooms, including Eucharis lilies and dinner-plate dahlias.

Glossy, black-beaded flowers dance among puffs of white hydrangeas in a lush, rounded composition; the long, black-satin streamers are gathered at the ends in soft ruffles.

Mixing olives on silver-green branches and black ivy berries with ranunculus gives this domed nosegay a loose, romantic feeling. The striped ribbon is pinned to a wide band.

Bouquets inspired by the tuxedo's colors are elegant and surprising. An armful of white flowers, including 'Majolica' spray roses, lily-of-the-valley, ranunculus, freesia, lisianthus, and sweet peas, is bound with a black-and-white sash tied in a grand bow.

Frosty, waxy snowberries, available after the first frost, are mixed with icy dahlias and snowy tea roses, wrapped in pale-green satin, and make a crisp bouquet.

A cluster of dahlias, white delphiniums, Eucharis lilies, white orchids, and snowberry branches, tied with satin and lace, has an ethereal look.

In this asymmetrical bouquet, barely yellow double narcissus mingle among classic white narcissus with yellow cups and tubular freesias that have golden throats. Adding to the appeal, the freesias smell lightly sweet, while the narcissus have a heady fragrance. Wide and narrow-striped grosgrain ribbons with a pinned-on vintage button tie the tailored mix.

Michael George of Michael George Hybrid twined 18 clematis blooms and three leafy tendrils into a simple cascade that echoes the flower's trailing form. The dainty but abundant bouquet, bound with silk georgette, would suit a formal ceremony or a breezy one on a beach or hilltop.