LOVE/HATE: The ‘Ground Under Her Feet’ Edition
Plastic aisle runner from the party supply shop? Hand painted aisle runner with a custom monogram? How about neither? Mother Nature has thoughtfully provided an aisle runner in the form of rose petals and possibly bits of other flowers, too.
This absolutely stunning wedding, designed by Show Stoppers and photographed by Pamela Duffy Photo, featured an aisle runner made of petals from 700 lemon yellow roses with a contrasting rusty orange border and sunflowers at the corners.
I love them… but 700 roses? Correct me if I’m wrong – and I may very well be – but it seems like that many roses would pad one’s flower budget quite a bit. There are alternatives, however. I’ve been seeing more rose petal aisle runners that don’t cover the whole aisle, but rather form a pretty pattern along it. Then there are the rose petal borders that flank the ceremony space seating. Finally, there are always dried flower petals, which can be quite reasonably priced, though they might be a bit crunchy underfoot.
Love the use of naturally beautiful flower petals? Hate what feels like a waste of good flowers? Do tell!
I’m wondering how they got down the aisle without her dress spreading the flowers everywhere. Even if they avoided that by coming in the sides, won’t the petals just get clogged up under her dress on the way out?
Heck, as stunning as it is, just the few disturbed spots on the right are bothering me and ruining the effect. I think that money could be put to much better use, even on some other type of runner. Or what about all those flowers tied in bunches onto the chairs flanking the aisle?
In addition to Toni’s concerns, I would point out that flower petal aisle runners are particularly problematic if you’re holding your ceremony indoors. Outdoors one might expect Mother Nature to (eventually) disperse the petals, but indoors you’re going to have to pay someone to get them off the floor again. Some outdoor spaces might also expect you to do the cleanup on them, again, costing you more extra money.
There are also two other things that make me leery of it on a practical level even though I think the effect can be beautiful. 1) Flower petals are often slippery. Combine slippery petals with new shoes, and you’re looking at every person walking down that aisle as a potential slip and fall accident waiting to happen. 2) Flower petals can stain. This means that if you’re in a carpeted area, you could wind up with a whopping cleaning/replacement bill and there’s a good chance the hem of your gown will wind up with splotches of color from the petals. Even if you plan to trash your gown, do you really want it showing up (as well it might) in the formal portraits?
In short, love the concept all to pieces and back again, but hate it with a fiery vengeance on a practical level. It’s just entirely too fraught.
I agree with both comments! It looks beautiful but is so easily disturbed, the petals moved with wind or someone walking over them. I love flowers, but I think there are other uses that aren’t so easily shifted.
I agree with all of the above. It LOOKS pretty, but I can’t stand what a waste of lovely flowers it is!
I was thinking the same thing, that the dress would disturb the petals. But not only that, what about the wind!? You never know what the weather’s going to do. I thought about petals outlining the isle runner but I’m too worried about the wind messing it up.
It is possible to walk down a bed of rose petals on your wedding day.
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