By: Fran Sackler, source www.ebrides.ca
When is the right time to start looking around for your flowers? The answer is simple, as soon as you have the gown and know the colours of your wedding party, start looking for florists. Most brides have some idea of what they like and don’t like, long before the question has been asked, but others need to have someone show them what looks good for them.

The flowers have to be something that reflects the style of the Bride herself. No use have flowers she hates just because they go with her colour scheme, or they are the florists favourite flower. When choosing a florist, make sure that you connect straight-away and that he/she understands what you are going for. A sample of the centrepieces should be made as soon as you have decided who you want to go with and are ready to give down a deposit. This proves to the designer that you are ready to commit and they will be able to see if their ideas go with yours.

The Bouquets: If your gown has lots of beading on it at the bodice to the waist, then you should have a smaller bouquet that does not cover up any beadwork too much. If your gown is pure white, go for a softer creamy white to go with it, and make sure that there are some greens in it so that the bouquet does not melt into the colour and cannot be seen. If you wish for some colour in your bouquet to co-ordinate with the attendants, try to use softer tones, so that the eye is not drawn first to the bouquet, as much as the florist wants people to notice it, you pay way more for the gown than the flowers and you want it noticed first, also if you are having any Black and White photography, your bouquet will take on the appearance of a dark blob in front of your gown. Dark reds, oranges and hot pinks are the main offenders in the Black and White photography problem.

Your girls should have something similar to yours, but smaller and without something that is in your bouquet. The Maid of Honour’s bouquet should be a little larger than the Bridesmaid’s.

There are 3 different ways that you can have a bouquet made:
1) Wired and Taped: The older fashioned idea which is making a comeback amongst florists again. It takes a little longer to make, but the security in the knowledge that the bouquet will stay together, not only for the whole day, but can be dried afterwards, is always a plus. The whole handle is wrapped in ribbon and decorated with pearl or jewel headed pins.

2) Handwrapped: This is the style introduced most recently by Martha Stewart and is basically a bunch of flowers with the stems showing and wrapped with a collar of ribbon to finish. A lot of brides like this style and some don’t. The illusion is that you can put them back into water and they will last longer. Unfortunately, what most people do not know is that once a flower is out of water for about 20mins, the ends of the stem close up and can no longer take up water, so it makes no difference if you put them back into water again.

3)The Oasis Holder: The bouquet is made in a special holder that has floral foam in a cage at the top. It has a plastic handle which some florist cover and some do not. The pros and cons of this type of bouquet are: pro- the flowers are in a water source. Con- if it is a hot day or the holder has not been soaked long enough the flowers can fall out. Some florist will use an adhesive to hold the flowers in place. This kind of bouquet gives a good look to your flowers though, as you can get a more even roundness to them.  The flowers are cut short, so you cannot do anything with them after the wedding is over, they will not dry in place.

Whichever one you chose on the day they will all look great and will be a great accessory to your gown. How do I hold my bouquet? Your bouquet should be held with both hands, and your arms should be resting just below your waist. It should feel very comfortable in your hands. Do not make the mistake of holding it up high near to your bustline. Make sure to you use them for your headtable and cake table for the reception as they will help cut down on costs for decoration.

Your bouquet has been picked, but now we need flowers for the ceremony or not, again depending on your budget and the size of you ceremony location, you might decide to either fill the venue with flowers or just go plain. If you decide to use flowers for the ceremony, make sure that they are something that can be used later at the reception. Ask your florist if they have a wait and move service that you can make avail of. This is when the florist sets up the church and waits for the ceremony to end and takes the ceremony flowers back to the reception and sets them up with the other reception flowers. This is a very useful service and takes the onus off the bride and groom to get the flowers to the next venue. Many Churches and other places of worship, do not allow the throwing of rice, confetti or rose petals, so if you wish to use these, check first with the venue to see if it is possible to do so. Another item to consider is the Aisle Runner. This is made of either a woven paper product which is quite strong or muslin. It should be place down an aisle that is not going to be used by the congregation before the bridal party goes down. This means that the inside and top of the aisle should be roped off with ribbon or tulle and bows with flowers, so that no-one can cross over it. Make sure that your ceremony venue has more than 1 aisle to enter by. If there is only one aisle, then do not use a runner.  Some churches require a donation of flowers to be left behind after the wedding. Ask you florist for an Altar arrangement, that can be left even if you take the large arrangements and bows, to decorate your reception.

The Reception: Most people do not realize that the thing their guest see most at the reception is the flowers. Your guests are sitting at a table for most of the evening, either eating or resting after dancing, so you want what they see to be something they will remember fondly. Do not skimp on the table decorations… I know that you have spent a lot of money on renting the room and the food, but the flowers are just another part of the whole effect and it make a difference. If you are giving away the centrepiece, it should be something that the guest who gets to take it home would be proud to have in their home. You do not have to spend a fortune to make the tables look good, but do include the tables in your budget.

Budget: Most florists would be more than happy to try and accommodate your budget, after all, not everyone is lucky enough to have lots of money to spend on flowers. There are lots of flowers that can give you a beautiful look without the beautiful price tag. Make sure that when you visit your florist, you let them know how much you have to spend. If they know your tastes and budget, then they will not scare you away with prices that are way too high for you. If possible you should give your florist at least 6 months notice of your commitment, changes to your order can be made usually up to 2-3 weeks prior to the wedding, so nothing is written in stone until you have your final numbers and the final payment has been made. The final payment is usually made 1-2 weeks (depending on the florist’s policy) prior to the wedding date.

Flowers that are always available: Roses, Carnations, Orchids, Freesia, Calla Lilies, local and exotic Lilies, Babies Breath, Waxflower, Lysianthus, Anthuriums, Bird of Paradise, Snapdragons, Stock Flower, Hydrangea, Mums, Gerbera Daisy, Alstromeria and Monte Casino Daisy, Stephanotis, to name a few.

Flowers that are seasonal: Lily of the Valley, Lilacs, Tulips, Iris, Sweet Pea, Peonies. These flowers can be purchased out of season sometimes, but they are imported from Holland and are very expensive.

Don’t forget, if you have used vases or arrangements from the church and they are not rented, to give them to the parents at the end of the night.  This is a lovely gift for them as they will last for a least a week after the wedding, especially vases.  If you are renting any table centre, make sure that your guests know that they belong to the florist, otherwise you will end up being billed for them if they are taken. The most important thing to remember though is: Planning your wedding flowers should be fun, if you meet with a florist and you feel uncomfortable with them or they push their ideas on you, go somewhere else.  It is your day and it should be your choice of flowers. Every Florist wants their flowers and style to be recognized and appreciated, but it must go with what you want too. Otherwise, no one is happy. If your flowers are beautiful then the florist will get a lot of feedback from them and word of mouth is the best advertisement.