[stepmomofbride]

Hello! My stepdaughter is getting married in June and she is using a black & white theme w/ calla lilies as her flowers. Her bouquet consists of callas & lily grass and the bridesmaids are carrying a single hand tied calla (ordered from the florist). I am doing the large arrangements for the sanctuary and am wondering what types of greenery to put in with the callas. The containers are large black square ones and I will be using several fresh callas in each one. The bride wants no other flowers in the arrangement, just greenery & I'm at a loss to know what type to put in there that will fill the space and be elegant at the same time. Also, the centerpieces for the reception are tall cylindrical vases w/ two callas in them along with the black gems. Do you have any suggestions for something other than the gems (it's going to take so many & we are on a budget) that will still be elegant? Thanks so much for your help.

[flowersue]

[;)]It wont be as hard as you think. First and foremost do not overwork it. Callas are indeed best on their own. The next trick is to warm and shape the stems with your hands...Gentle manipulation works well with callas so you want to work them to the shape you are looking for and even wrap the pairs together to fit a bit.
To fill the altar flowers get long eel or lily grass or aspidistra leaves but keep it minimal. Another good tip to keep stems in place is to make a grid of thin tape on the rim of the container. It won't show and will keep tumbly stems in line.
For the centerpieces again work the pairs of callas into shape then take a couple pieces of long lily grass and bind them lightly. Your biggest asset will be the right size vase so do some mock ups and be willing to switch if needed.
put the gems in last also...very important. Good luck