“Something old, something new. Something borrowed, something blue…” – we hear it all the time in planning weddings. The adage is believed to have come from a 19th century English rhyme (ending with “a sixpence in your shoe.”). While we can’t guarantee this mix of elements will truly bring you luck on your special day, we can offer suggestions for your “something blue” wedding! Look no further than Alicia and Michael’s true blue spring wedding at the Hotel Monaco in Washington, DC.

We love to joke that Mother Nature must hate the color blue, since so very few flowers are blue, but as a florist, people often look to us first when seeking ideas to incorporate blue into wedding decor. Some popular blue wedding flowers include delphinium and hydrangea, which come in both a dark and light blue. In the eucalyptus family, there is a variety called “baby blue”, and while not exactly blue, eucalyptus has those blue undertones in it that make this foliage as blue-green as they come. Muscari is one of our favorite blue spring flowers. Those delicate little clusters are great in bouquets, boutonnieres and even centerpieces. Rounding out the population of blue flowers are cornflower and thistle. Look closely and you can light blue hybrid delphinium and baby blue eucalyptus in Alicia’s bouquet, while a touch of blue muscari accent’s Mike’s boutonniere.

Aside from flowers, one of the most popular ways of incorporating blue in a wedding is through wedding attire, from bridesmaids’ dresses to groom and groomsmen’s suits. Light blue, baby blue, azure, cobalt, slate blue, navy – what ever shade you prefer, there’s a shade of blue that will suit you. In the case of Alicia and Mike’s wedding at the Hotel Monaco, Mike wore a dark blue suit with pale blue tie, while the bridesmaids wore dusty blue dresses. For the ceremony, the tallit held aloft over the couple even had a blue striped pattern.

Table decor is another opportunity for adding blue. Candles, escort cards, menu cards, table linens or even napkins easily bring a touch of blue to your table. And of course, blue flowers can accent a table centerpiece as well. Alicia and Mike chose to keep their table simple – with a wintry touch of silver. A touch of blue was added to the centerpiece flowers, as well as the design of the menu cards. The favors were wrapped in a blue fabric pouch. And finally, for a little something blue wedding, flowers crowned the cake.

Venue: Hotel Monaco

Photography: Mason Photography

Florist: Petal’s Edge Floral Design