Jessica and Dean- Local Wedding Flowers in February

Remember the bride who wanted all local flowers for her February wedding? The bride whose story opened this New York Times article about local, seasonal wedding flowers? I had the pleasure of creating her wedding bouquet last month, and love how this bouquet expresses not only the beauty and uniqueness of Jessica, but is also testament to what local flowers can look like, even in the dead of winter when it seems like nothing is growing outside.

With a little creativity and some help from our friends at Peterkort Roses in Oregon (who grew the roses and orchids in this bouquet), a gorgeous, lush, winter bouquet was born! Jessica and Dean specifically requested some NW native plants, so the salal, ferns, and a touch of moss made it in too. Plus pussy willow, and fritillaries grown by Cascade Cuts, located just a few towns up from Jessica and Dean's home in the Skagit Valley.

We are so lucky in the Pacific Northwest to have relatively mild winters, and many flowers farmers who grow at least a portion of their crops in greenhouses- this allows them to force spring bulbs early in the year, and keep some crops, like roses, going year-round. Though the options are more limited in the winter than at other times of year, they are no less beautiful. And some flowers, like the checkered plum fritillaires and fresh pussy willow, are ONLY available in the "off-season" months of late winter/early spring. There is always something beautiful and unique blooming, some times of year it just takes a little more hunting than other times to uncover these gems.

These lovely images come care of Michele M. Waite, whose work is truly exceptional. You can check out her work here.

Congratulations Jessica and Dean! Thank you so much for requesting local flowers!