Arranging flowers for the traditional Latin Mass altar need not be costly. These two arrangements were made for under fifteen dollars and lasted several weeks.
Fleurs de Marie-Jacqueline recommends the book Flower Arrangement in the Church, which I have found to be an excellent resource.
"The decoration must carry to the back of the pews (…) For this reason the flowers used in church decoration should be large and somewhat bold in contour."
Flowers such as these white carnations and alstroemeria "carry to the back pew" and have the added virtues of being inexpensive and long-lasting.
It is also wise to scout out some property where you can cut a variety of greens. Fortunately I have access to an acre of overgrown gardens and the owners are only too happy to let me take cuttings. Greenery is the natural backdrop of the flower, and the shape, size, color and texture of the leaves and stems add greatly to the design.
These carnations and alstroemerias are surrounded by greens of hydrangea, camellia and English laurel.
Source:
McClinton, Katharine M., Flower Arrangement in the Church, Morehouse-Gorham Co., New York, 1949.
Gorgeous arrangement! I think this is my favorite so far -- I'm a big fan of white flowers.
ReplyDeleteThank you Marie-Jacqueline! I like white too. Sometimes I find it difficult to make the white pull sufficient focus, especially in our church. The greenery helps.
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