If you're in the United States like we are, you've seen a poppy before.
They're a symbol of remembrance for all those who passed in World War I. According to The Maritime Executive, the Red Flanders Poppy was introduced as a symbol of remembrance through the Canadian soldier, John McCrae's, poem about the red flowers that sprouted from the ground following World War I. A short five years later, the American Legion adopted the poppy as its official flower and later Congress designated the Friday before Memorial Day as Poppy Day.
You've likely seen poppies represented by the red and black paper flowers that are distributed by the American Legion every year. For those who might be missing this tradition in the wake of COVID-19, know that Memorial Day and Poppy Day are not holidays that will be forgotten.
Poppy Day is May 22, 2020, and Memorial Day is May 25, 2020, this year.
What does this have to do with my wedding flowers?
Poppies can be an amazing way to pay homage to those lost if the military is near and dear to your heart. Even if you don't have a close personal relationship with these topics, you can still create a gorgeous bouquet from poppies, though! I've listed some design options for you below.
You can make your bouquet out of a variety of colors, as you'll see in all of these photos! Poppies are ideal for pastel-colored and bright-colored bouquets, but if you really like the look of them, who says you couldn't have them in a different color in the form of a paper bouquet? As you can see, a paper bouquet can be just as elegant and realistic as a fresh bouquet when you have the right artists!
Poppies are big, beautiful, and bright! The size of their blooms can make a statement and fill a lot of space in your bouquet. Depending on the season and your location, the big blooms on poppies could even lower the cost of your bouquet as you'll need less flowers to fill your arms with gorgeous flowers!
Photo Credit: @carryyourheartphotography
Poppies can be as summertime as they are springtime! They're a great infusion of bright, dense colors if that's what you're looking for! Just look at those beauties!
Sandy's thoughts: Poppy vs. Anemone
When I talked to Sandy about her thoughts on poppies in a bouquet, she said that there's one thing that stumps her when a bride says they want poppies: Many brides confuse poppies and anemones when they build their bouquets, but they aren't the same flower at all!
The anemone and the poppy are distant relatives, both coming from the Ranunculales family, but they're two different species (Anemone and Papaver, respectively)! The traditional bouquet anemone can be referred to as a "poppy anemone" because of their similar looks, but remember when you go to your florist with a request for either flower to bring a reference photo or two of what you want so your florist knows exactly what to get for you!