Here at Holly Heider Chapple Flowers, we love all things Southern.  That’s why, when we had the opportunity to work with the fabulous team at Southern Weddings to design custom bouquets for a feature on some of the South’s most celebrated fictional Southern heroines, we jumped at the chance.  Utilizing quotes and details from cherished Southern novels and films, the ladies at Southern Weddings let us run with colorful, textured inspiration to create some truly imaginative designs- perfect for these storied Southern belles.

We’re taking just a moment to delve into the inspiration and floral nitty-gritty behind each of our beautifully blooming bouquets below, but you won’t want to miss the real deal!  Be sure to scoop up the most recent  Southern Weddings, V7, to get the full-gloss glory of these romantic petals in print.  With photos by Katie Stoops Photography and some gorgeous styling by Southern Weddings’ Creative Director, Emily Thomas, this is a must-see feature.  After our little tease below, we just know you’ll be inspired to search out the full scoop for a second heaping helping of this sweet story.

What Southern belle hasn’t dreamed of a love as passionate and enduring as that of Allie and Noah in Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook?  When designing her bouquet, we went for full-out romance.  Luscious peonies, white and blue scabiosa, ethereal Queen Anne’s lace and snow-on-the-mountain greens graced this design.  Blue tweedia is the perfect “something blue” tucked significantly into Allie’s arrangement.  Nostalgic, sweet and with an air of nearly-lost love and longing, Allie’s bouquet is tied off with a soft expanse of pale blue ribbon.

The epitome of a Southern belle, from her teased tresses to her over-the-top, pepto bismol-drenched ceremony, Shelby Eatenton’s bouquet was a no-brainer.  With a palette of blush & bashful (how could we have used any other hue?!), soft, buxom blossoms and a layered tulle cuff, this bouquet belongs to a woman who gushes with femininity.  We mixed voluptuous Constance cabbage roses with bridal pink piano cabbage roses and ladylike peonies.  Southern Weddings tied on a lacy handkerchief, elegantly monogramed, to show the significance of family to this Southern gal.

With a flair for the dramatic, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Daisy Buchanan from Louisville, Kentucky, was mesmerized by the glimmering glam of the roaring twenties.  Built around a pure, simple white calla lily, this bouquet crafted for The Great Gatsby’s leading lady is teeming with white and lavender lilac, blushing ranunculus, iris, sweet peas, opulent white calla lilies and trailing white clematis.  Wrapped with nostalgic lavender ribbon, the bouquet is decadently accented with deco-inspired gems.  Daisy would have swooned over this lush concoction of elegant and charming blossoms.

Jenny was a true flower child- soft, whimisical and as free as the passing breeze.  We created a bouquet that was as untamed as she- airy, wispy and full of light.  The delicate, vintage ribbon used to tie the bouquet was selected as a reminder of the simple yellow dress Jenny wore as a little girl, while the flourishes of daisy-like chamomile are reminiscent of the 70s floral crowns she would have donned.  Lacy peonies, vibrant poppies, peach ranunculus and orange asclepias provided an artful array of hues for the little girl turned woman who was ever searching for the bright side of Love.

This rich, textured bouquet belongs to none other than Gone With the Wind’s coy Scarlett O’Hara.  Margaret Mitchell’s debatable heroine would have been pleased with the seductive moodiness of this arrangement which incorporates deep purple double hellebores, elegant purple dianthus and purple sweet peas.  Enigmatic and mysterious, Scarlett’s dark charm is beautifully referenced with deep purple tulips, purbple scabiosa and allspice flowers.  A nod to her southern femininity is immaculately incoporated with rich, sleek magnolia leaves.  Tied off with voluptuous green velvet and silk- a subtle reference to Scarlett’s resourcefully repurposed drapes.

A bouquet isn’t likely to be the first thing on Skeeter Phelan’s mind, but she certainly wouldn’t mind this one.  Neutral, not too complex and neat with just a hint of airiness, this bouquet is as unassuming as the young reporter herself.  A bundle of contradictions, Skeeter has a cotton trust fund and a determination to right racial wrongs.  We love how this bouquet mirrors Skeeter’s inner turmoil.  Perfectly arranged Combo roses match the quiet and reserved mindset of 1960s Mississippi society, while the gunnii eucalyptus breaks all the rules, artfully trailing outside the perfect boundaries of the bouquet,  just as Skeeter herself often traipsed beyond the borders of polite conversation.  Full of texture, the barely-there blush of the astilbe and pale pink berries ties the dahlias and white patience garden roses into the mix.  Should The Help’s heroine consent to marriage, we’re sure she’d snatch up this pretty posey before heading down the aisle.

Southern tomboy Scout Finch preferred playtime to prettiness in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, but we’ve imagined her all grown up with a bouquet of her own.  Nostalgic and rustic, this bouquet incorporates a dusty mix of color that would suit Scout’s low-key nature.  Peach Juliet cabbage roses, carmel antique roses and mock orange are accented with sweet southern garden flowers like Virginia blue bells, Queen Anne’s lace, blue thistle and honeysuckle.  The white azalea pays tribute to the prized garden flower of Scout’s beloved neighbor, Miss Maudie, while blue, textured chambray ribbon is a sentimental touch- reminiscent of Scout’s childhood dungarees.

We loved crafting beautifully sentimental bouquets for these southern gals- be sure to pick up your own version in glossy!

Photography by Katie Stoops, Katie Stoops Photography
Photo Styling by Emily Thomas, Creative Director, Southern Weddings