Your wedding presents the perfect occasion to celebrate the exotic beauty of orchids in an abundant bridal bouquet. Orchids have long been considered symbols of love and luxury, and their mysterious beauty has fascinated people for centuries. These remarkable natural wonders were once regarded as aphrodisiacs, with the Greeks pronouncing them a symbol of virility and the Chinese referring to them as "the plant of the king's fragrance". In the 19th century, British sea captains brought rare and beautiful orchids back with them from remote voyages. Intrigued by their amazing colors and heady scents, wealthy British socialites paid exorbitant fees to acquire orchids of their own through auctions. These blossoms are still tremendously popular, and your wedding presents the perfect occasion to celebrate their beauty in abundance.

Opening Image: A festive hand-tied bouquet in bursts of brilliant color is a cheerful arrangement of Mokara, Aranda, Azimah and mini Cattleya orchids in shades that mimic a Hawaii sunset. Like many orchid species, the petite starfish-shaped Mokara appears quite fragile, but is highly regarded as a long-lasting and hearty flower with thick stems and velvety petals.

From Left to Right: Fong Tagawa's exotic bouquet of chartreuse and yellow cymbidiums mixed with airy oncidiums is accented with stately Lady Amherst's pheasant feathers. Fong says she selected these particular feathers,"to create a dramatic crescent-shaped cascade." She added the showy orange-tipped feathers for sparks of vivid color.

This monochromatic bouquet is a glorious cascade of two varieties of fuchsia phalaenopsis orchids, native to tropical Asia. The delicate "pinstripes" and deeply hued centers add texture and depth to this abundant arrangement by designer Yvonne Chapman. The feminine mystique of these flowers makes them one of Yvonne's personal favorites.

This show-stopping bouquet of classic white Cattleya orchids is cleverly dotted with petite clusters of dill. Honolulu designer Debbie Hemingway is known for her use of unique foliage and natural materials, which add texture and dimension to her floral arrangements. For this bouquet, she created a cuff of variegated ti leaves, looped under the flowers to show off their yellow stripes—a beautiful accent to the vivid centers of the Cattleyas. Bear grass lengthens the handle of the bouquet, which is neatly wrapped with an ivory shell lei. The lovely Cattleya orchid was named in honor of William Cattley of Barnet, England, who was one of the most notable orchid culturists of his time. He was among the first Europeans to successfully grow an extensive collection of exotic orchids in the 19th century.

The spectacular chartreuse and white Lady Slipper orchid is a long-lasting flower named for its predominant petal that resembles the tip of a woman's shoe. Honolulu floral designer, Fong Tagawa, juxtaposed delicate tufts of ostrich plumes with this remarkable orchid, and added red and green ti leaves to highlight its subtle pink undertones. This unexpected combination bears Fong's signature style: modern elegance with a twist. She says, "I am always excited about working with unusual materials to create a unique aesthetic. I like to use feathers, garden leaves and jewels as enhancements to the flowers to move beyond the traditional wedding bouquet." With so many interesting natural elements available, she believes, "You don't have to rely solely on color anymore to make a statement." Fong notes, "The fine lines and contours of the Lady Slipper orchid create a strong contrast with the soft texture of the feathers." The genus Paphiopedilum, native to the Far East, was established by Ernst Hugo Heinrich Pfitzer in 1886. The name was apparently constructed from Paphia, one of the surnames of Aphrodite, and pedilon, referring to Aphrodite's sandal. Now, what girl can possibly resist a flower that naturally mimics a fabulous shoe?

Photography by Visionari

Style Editors: Robyn I‘aea + Shaunna Keough

Bouquets by Fong Tagawa, Yvonne Chapman, Debbie Hemingway