If you’ve ever ordered flowers from a florist who does custom designs you probably were asked a lot of questions about the way you wanted your arrangement to look. That’s because there are so many different options these days and we want your arrangment to be just how you pictured it. The next few posts will explain some terms that floral designers use when asking questions about an arrangement.

Would you like that arrangement to be pavé or more open and airy?

A pavé arrangement is one where the designer trims off  leaves, cuts the stems fairly short and places the flower heads very closely  together.


Most bridal bouquets are pavé arrangements. This style is perfect for smaller rooms that don’t have a lot of space. It also has a very elegant feel so it lends itself to formal occasions. Rosebuds, peonies, hydrangeas, ranunculus, agapanthus, and carnations all work well in pave styles.

Open and airy flower arrangments are ones where the designer leaves the stems of the flowers much longer. There is a base of greenery to hold the flowers in place and small filler flowers to fill in the spaces between the flowers that make up the mass of the arrangment.

This type of arrangement can be varying heights depending on which vase is used. Flowers that work well for this style are snapdragons, gladiolus, delphinium, and lilies.

Next Post: Vase or Oasis Foam?