What is a wedding without something borrowed, something blue and … something floral? Flowers have been a staple in wedding culture for generations. But when planning for such a traditional detail, it can be hard to step out of the been-there-done-that rut. That’s where Meredith Cooper comes in, honing the unique blooms and blossoms for her floral company Forage to create bouquets that hit all the trends without looking trite.

To start, this fall season still includes some COVID-19 restrictions, meaning that many brides have had to downsize their guest lists. The upside? Those same brides are able to expand their budgets in other areas of the wedding, with flowers being one of the most popular choices. Rather than your typical fresh roses, though, Cooper says brides have increasingly been asking to incorporate dried elements in their bouquets.

“There have always been great dried elements, but now we see an abundance of options, and not just stuff like the pampas grass we often see,” Cooper says. “The trend of using dried florals isn’t going away, but they can have a less classic feel. Some dried or preserved elements feel very architectural and artsy, while others lean into the earthy vibes.” Dried lavender, tansy and larkspur stand out as popular choices. 

Going overboard with trends is never ideal, though. Brides should always consider how wedding details will look years into the future, as that’s how long you’ll be looking back at the photos. Cooper says that keeping a simple color palette with white-heavy florals can allow things like dried florals to still look traditional and timeless.

“It is easy to get carried away when dabbling in colorful trends, and sadly they really start to date the weddings if you tend to get carried away,” she says. “It’s important to maintain traditional focal elements and incorporate trends within. For example, an easy recommendation for keeping your wedding florals feeling classically elegant, but also reflecting this moment in time, is to add in some dried pieces with your all-white palette,” Cooper says.

Traditional, trendy or in-between, the beauty of fall florals remains perennial.

See more of Cooper’s work on the Forage website.