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Something I have known from before our engagement is that the men will wear Nantucket Reds with a navy blazer. It was my fiancé's first and really only request. And, when he informed each of his groomsmen about the selection he was repeatedly met with a response, the gist of which went something like this: “I couldn't imagine it any other way.” I refuse to take that away from him. Plus, I like the idea.
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(This is a photo from Murray's Toggery shop. I'm using it for color. For our scenario, lose the cuffs, add Hushpuppies, a navy jacket and a bow tie.)
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The problem is that Nantucket Red pants are extremely hard to match. They don't even match each other, unless they come from the same dye lot. Some are redder than others, some more salmon, some richer in color and others appear more faded. And short of ordering them all now (which we've definitely thought about), there is little way to incorporate the color without taking a risk.
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So when we met with a florist, Connie Clark of Violets Florist, who was referred to my mom by a coworker, I told her about the groomsmen outfits and the then-almost-official plan for navy idesmaid dresses. I told her I was torn between two ideas. The first idea was to simply use navy and white for the wedding colors, including navy linens and white flowers, all but ignoring the pants color. The second idea was to incorporate the pant color with a palette of peaches, pinks, and salmons, crossing my fingers that in the end they would complement instead of clash.
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I knew we were in good hands when she took one look at a photo of Nantucket Reds and immediately starting pulling up pictures of flowers and suggesting combinations that I have no doubt will look perfect. She suggested using a lot of big, white blooms paired with very pale peaches and pinks for a slight splash of color. She also suggested incorporating an orchid that has a really pale peach bloom with darker salmon accent in the center. She is confident that the flowers will pick up the pant color, but be small enough to appear to match, regardless of the exact shade of the pants we end up with.
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Done.
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We talked more about the day and my vision and the suggestions she had, and when I learned how perfectly her prices fit into our flower budget, I experienced a huge sigh of relief.
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In choosing a florist (and one I'm really excited about, at that), I locked in other decisions, as well. Not only did I have an idea of our idal party flowers and centerpieces, I had a vision for the overall color scheme, and I was ready to make a decision on the idesmaid dress colors. Check, check and check!
