Summer is just around the corner, and with it comes dreams of sunshine. With bright, cheery sunflowers, nature has distilled all of the warmth of a sunbeam into a bold, dramatic bloom that’s perfect for a summer wedding.
Sunflowers are nature’s celebrities. Vincent van Gogh chose only the most dramatic subjects to immortalize in his famous still life “Sunflowers.” You can put the glamour of these striking flowers to work in your very own wedding theme.
Brilliant Bouquets
Forget shy violets. With sunflowers, there’s no mistake: you’re holding a handful of sunshine and you don’t care who knows it! Show off the vivid sunburst of sunflowers in a range of shades from pale yellow to sunset red.
Sunflowers are large and spectacular enough to not need extra bouquet padding, so skip the baby’s breath and let them shine on their own. If you want to offset the golden color, intersperse the flowers with a few delicate green ferns. Keep it simple and your sunny superstars will take center stage.
Wedding Color Pairings
Sunflowers give you a range of wedding color possibilities. Take the golden-yellow shade from a sunflower’s petals and pair it with white for a clean, simple look that’s fresh from the country. Use white table settings with just a hint of blue in the china, and choose a venue with wide-open windows and rustic, exposed wood. Wrap your sunflower bouquet with a yellow ribbon that matches your bridesmaids’ cheery yellow sundresses for an uncomplicated, lovely summer ceremony.
Sunflowers can be sophisticated, too. Pair their golden hue with black and white for a chic, complex look. Use napkins and linens with accents of black and white checkerboard, polka dot, or paisley. Forgo sunflower clusters for long-stemmed arrangements and tie each flower with black satin ribbon. Give the bridesmaids long, formal dresses without a lot of extra ornamentation for a sleek, elegant look as they each hold a flower.
Fashionable Accents
Sunflowers add light and warmth wherever they go. For a truly extravagant accessory, wear a sunflower in your hair. Living flowers make gorgeous hair accessories for the bride, her bridesmaids, and flower girls. Once the sunflower has been detached from its stem, it becomes easy to incorporate into a variety of looks.
For long hair, twist it into a formal updo and pin a single sunflower to the side. You can add a few small pearls or tulle, or you can let the flower speak for itself. Long hair also looks beautiful when worn down, naturally, with a small sunflower tucked behind the ear.
Short hair looks great when paired with a sunflower garland. Ask your florist about creating wreaths of small sunflowers to be worn around the head. If that looks too busy, half- or quarter-wreaths can be pinned to the hair instead. Finish the edges with loose ribbon for a carefree, bohemian look.
Tasty Treats
Sunflowers are helpful in more ways than one. Not only do their petals add brilliance to any space, but their seeds are delicious, too! Use toasted sunflower seeds to top soups, breads, crackers, salads, and cookies. Bowls of toasted sunflower seeds alone make great party snacks during cocktail hour.
You can even blend sunflower seeds into a smooth nut butter that’s a perfect topping for sliced fruit or gourmet crackers. Add a cup of sunflower oil for every eight cups of raw sunflower seeds and blend it in a food processor. Flavor it to taste with salt, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, or chili peppers, just to name a few variations.
Enjoy tasty sunflowers in a more figurative way by evoking their bright petals with icing. Sunflowers are easy and fun DIY decorations for wedding cupcakes. Simply lay strips of yellow icing in a starburst pattern radiating from the center of each cupcake.
Add another layer of a slightly different shade of yellow for more depth (and tastiness!). When you’re done, top the very center with a chocolate drop or other round candy as the flower’s center. Serve in green cupcake wrappers as the “leaves.” Intersperse the cupcakes with real sunflowers on the dessert platter for added charm.
A Sunny Wedding Theme
Sunflowers add a cheery atmosphere to any wedding, whether it’s out in a vineyard or inside a banquet hall. Incorporate these sunny blooms into your outfit, menu, and room décor. Even if your reception starts at sunset and goes all night long, there will be no lack of sunny smiles with a sunflower theme.
Meet Kay, a wise and warm-hearted woman who writes for our relationship blog. With decades of life experience under her belt, Jane brings a unique perspective to the world of relationships. She’s a natural empath and a great listener, always willing to offer advice and support to those who need it.
Kay has seen it all when it comes to love and relationships. From the highs of falling in love to the challenges of building a lasting partnership, she’s learned that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to relationships. Instead, she knows that every person and every relationship is unique, and that the key to success is in understanding and embracing those differences.
Through her writing, Kay aims to share her insights and experiences with others, providing a space for readers to learn and grow in their own relationships.
Whether you’re single and looking for love, navigating the ups and downs of a long-term partnership, or simply seeking guidance on how to communicate more effectively with your loved ones, Kay is here to help.
