Wedding flowers play a significant role in wedding decorations and no bride wants an allergic reaction coming between her and her special day.
Flowers to Avoid:
Oriental lilies, mini asters (solidaster, montecasino, and goldenrod), sunflowers, chrysanthemums, stephanotis, gardenias, baby’s breath, stock, and misty.
If you do choose baby’s breath, use only the formal doubled flowered types. There are also non-pollen producing lily varieties available. Check with your florist. The florist can also remove the brown anthers that produce pollen on the lilies.
If you decide to use chrysanthemums, dahlias, or asters, use the pollen-free ones. They are called formal doubles and have no pollen but do have a very high number of petals per flower. These flowers have been hybridized so often that the pollen parts have turned into parts that look more like petals.
Allergy Free Flowers:
Unscented roses (not garden variety), unscented orchids, hydrangeas, hypericum, larkspur, anthurium, bird of paradise, tulips, iris, asiatic lilies, and zinnia.
Florist type hybrid tea roses that are still in a closed bud stage and are not fragrant are great choices and will not shed pollen.
If you happen to choose garden roses, only choose roses with healthy green leaves and pick roses that are still in the bud to half-open stages.
The pink “Cecile Brunner” roses are allergy-free and produce no pollen at all. The Banksia roses in yellow or white are small and also pollen free.
Lawns:
If the wedding or the reception is to be held on a lawn, make sure the grass is cut two or three days ahead of time because fresh cut grass causes agony for many allergy sufferers.
Find an experienced florist that can help you choose allergy-free flowers to make your wedding a day to remember.
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