Wedding Flowers

Wedding Flowers
 
Your wedding flowers play a very important part on your wedding day. It’s not just the flower bouquets carried by your and your attendants, the flowers carry through to the ceremony and the reception.  You normally need to allow about 20% of your wedding budget
 
So choosing your wedding flowers and who will take care of your needs is very important.  If you have your favorite florist, contact them and make sure they have your date free.
 
Check with where you are having the ceremony and reception as to what they provide as far as the wedding flowers go and what will be involved if you organize the flowers.
 
If you don’t have your own florist, then check with your friends to see if they can recommend anyone.  See if you can get about 3 florists to check out.
 
You will need to make appointments with the florists or flower coordinators.  Do this early so that when you make your choice, they will be able to set aside your date.  At this stage it is not necessary to have all the details of the wedding flowers you will want.  To have your date booked is the important thing.
 
When you have your appointments with the florists you will need to take notes as to what they can provide and an estimate of the costings.  Until you decide on the style of bouquet for yourself and your wedding attendants and buttonholes, corsages and floral arrangements required for the wedding ceremony and reception, the florist will not be able to give you a definite quote.
 
The florist will need to know

• Firstly if you have a theme, then let the florist know what your wedding theme is.

• The color of your wedding gown and the attendants dress color, there are many shades of white and ivory. At certain times of the year, some white flowers take on a green tinge and champagne can look pink.  If the florist sees the actual colors of the dresses, then she will know what flowers to suggest.
• The style of your gown will dictate the shape of your bouquet and sometimes that will dictate the flowers that can be used.
• You may have a favorite flower, if so, be guided by your florist as to how it will be used.

 
If you have had your heart set on a particular style of wedding bouquet then tell the florist and she should be able to work this in no matter what style your dress is, there is always a way and there is nothing like a challenge for a florist’s creativity.

 
Be open with your wedding florist, the more information you can give them the better they will be able to give you something special.
 
Here is a list of what you may want the wedding flower specialist to provide for you.
 

• Flowers for the wedding ceremony, entrance, alter, aisle
• Flowers for the wedding reception, entrance, table centerpieces, cake table, guest book table,
• Flowers for home or where wedding photographer will be starting to take the photographs.
• Flowers for cake top
• Bridal bouquet
• Wedding attendants bouquets, maid of honor and bridesmaids
• Headpieces for maid of honor and bridesmaids
• Flower girl basket, headpiece
• A throwaway bouquet, often complimentary by the florist but not always.
• Buttonholes/boutonnieres for the groom, groom’s attendants, fathers, grandfathers, ushers, drivers.
• Corsages for mothers and grandmothers, ushers.

 
 
You will need to know how the wedding flowers will be delivered, what time and how will they be transported.  It is normal for the flowers to arrive just before the wedding photographer, so they can be included in the photos right from the start.
 
You need also to know if the floral arrangements for the wedding ceremony and wedding reception will be arranged somewhere and then delivered or collected or will they be arranged at the venues.
 
There are many details when it comes to your wedding flowers but by choosing a wedding florist carefully, they will be able to help and guide you with all these details.
 
Above all, don’t try to scrimp on the wedding flowers, there is a lot of preparation for bridal bouquets.  Only top quality flowers are used for weddings, those flowers go through special treatment so they will look as good at the end of the wedding day as they did when they were delivered.
 
Remember they are a compliment to your gown and add to the overall picture of a beautiful bride.
 
Your wedding flowers coordinator should work with the person making and decorating your wedding cake as well as the people at the venues for your wedding ceremony and wedding reception.
 
Organizing your wedding flowers can be a fun time, flowers are beautiful and add so much to the wedding day.

Carmel Baird is a freelance writer and publisher of wedding information and resources at Creative-Wedding-Planning.com

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