Flowers

03/07/07

The Florist

The trick is to find a florist who will make your dreams come true without blowing your budget. Word of mouth is usually a good start when finding out about a creative and reliable florist. Your family and friends will be happy to give their opinions but also ask for recommendations from your photographer and the staff at your venues. When you go to see them ask to look at photographs of their recent work and make sure their style suits your taste ask if they have any photographs of their work at your venue. You should expect to visit at least three florists to discuss your ideas before you find one you like. Bring along tear sheets of flowers that you like the look of, you won't need to know the names but this will give the florist a good idea of your personal taste and what style of wedding you are going for. A good florist will be able to make suggestions that you love and that will suit your wedding but don't be disheartened if they want to adapt your ideas slightly they will know what works well together, they're the experts after all. On the other hand if they are suggesting a dramatic alternative that you're not happy with or that is way over your budget then they're probably not the one for you.

You should expect to pay around £500 for your wedding parties flowers and more if you are decorating your venue(s). Discuss payment options and arrangements for deliveries. Do they deliver to your home on the day and to the venues if required? Also ask when you will have to finalise all the flower choices and what the timetable for the flowers will be on the day.

The Flowers

You will probably rely a lot on your florist's advice, as there are a huge variety of flowers to choose from. Remember to focus on the over all style - not just your flowers but how they will look with your dress and veil. It is important to choose your dress first and if possible take along a pictures and fabric swatches of both yours and the bridesmaid dresses. Your flowers are traditionally different from your bridesmaids but they should compliment each other and the dresses - not clash.
The shape of your dress is also important; a slim-line dress works well with structured or narrow trailing flowers, while A-line or full-skirted gowns are flattered by hand tied bouquets. If you have opted for a simple elegant dress you could set it off with either an informally arranged bouquet or make a statement with a single bloom. You should also think about the mood and season of your wedding, dark, romantic blooms such as deep red roses and luscious berries are great for winter weddings while in the summer months more delicate, pretty flowers in paler shades work well. Ask your florist about the scents of the flowers you choose, you don't want anything overpowering, you might be holding them for quite a while on the day and nothing should ruin their beauty.

Many brides are influenced by the meanings of flowers when they are choosing their bouquet. Look at our list of meanings if you are looking for something symbolis for your bouquet. If you are trying to stick to a tight budget then be honest with your florist about what you want to spend they should be able to keep the costs down with out cutting down on quality. Stick to seasonal flowers, as out of season ones will have to be imported or grown in greenhouses so are generally more expensive. If there is a particular flower that you love but its proving to be particularly expensive use it sparingly perhaps only in the bridal bouquet. Another idea to save money is to use the ceremony flowers at the reception, put your bouquets on the top table as decorations. Also it has become quite popular for bridesmaids to carry a single bloom rather that an expensive posies.

Styles of Bouquet

Posy: Small simple and usually hand tied with a ribbon.

Round: The classic bouquet, usually consisting of large flowers such as roses that are loosely arranged.

Hand-tied: This works well with a modern dress in an informal setting, it consists of blooms that are wired together or casually hand-tied.

Shower: The most traditional and formal of bouquets, a waterfall like spill of flowers wired to cascade from the brides hands.

Wedding Stationery by Leonico Designs Ltd
http://www.uk-wedding-stationery.co.uk/