Wedding Florist

Never underestimate the importance of wedding flowers. They provide a perfumed background of color and a beautiful symbol of life at the wedding ceremony and the reception. Skilled wedding florists can ensure that whether your wedding flower arrangements are large or small, expensive or budget-friendly, they enhance your wedding and will be remembered with pleasure by your guests.

Thoughtful arrangements of flowers on the tables at the reception center, combined with the placement of favors, also have the advantage of serving as ice-breaking conversation starters for wedding guests who are meeting each other for the first time. If your wedding is being held in an outdoor setting you will still need wedding flowers but, at the right time of the year and in the right setting, you should also be able to take advantage of the natural beauty of plants and flowers in areas such as parks and gardens. In this case, you will need to work out with your wedding florist the best color and types of flowers and greenery to provide. Flowers and greenery that will complement the natural growth rather than clash with it will be needed.

One of the most eye-catching floral arrangements at a wedding is the bride’s bouquet. The types of bouquets you can select are as diverse as the flowers that can be bought or hired. Wedding florists can help you to narrow down the style of bouquet you should carry by matching it to the style of dress you plan to wear.

As the size and shape of the bridal bouquet should complement the wedding dress, brides who are planning to wear long dresses will be advised by wedding florists to carry larger bouquets than brides whose dresses will be knee-length. Extremely formal, long wedding dresses will be enhanced by the classic cascade arrangement of flowers shaping down to a point, while a bride in a short dress can achieve a striking effect by carrying a single bloom. Wedding florists can also advise about the best way to carry the bridal bouquet, to achieve as stylish a look as possible and to show off the wedding dress to the best advantage. The most elegant way for a bride to carry a bouquet is usually in both hands, with the hands held slightly below her waist. If, however, she is carrying a long-stemmed, loosely-tied bouquet, wedding florists may suggest the bride carry it across her arms, especially if this will help to show off special features of the wedding dress.

Choice of wedding flowers is an important item on a wedding budget plan. If you do not have a limit you can have whatever type of flowers you want, flying them in, if necessary, from wherever they are available. Most people, however, will be watching the budget, and will welcome help from wedding florists about how to choose flowers that will enhance the wedding while not being excessively costly.

Flowers in season are less expensive than those that have to be brought in especially for a wedding if they are out of season. With the help of a wedding florist you can ascertain the flowers that will be most readily available at the time of your wedding, and order them for the church, reception center and bouquets. Most wedding florists should have lists of flowers that are easily obtainable year-round and those that will be available only in certain seasons. If you are not familiar with certain types of flowers, wedding florists should also be able to show you pictures of them and to help you decide whether they will be suitable for your wedding. Brides planning to marry in spring or summer will have the best choice of flowers, but there are still many available in the other seasons.

As well as using seasonal flowers, there are other ways to keep down the costs while still having beautiful wedding flowers. The need to keep to a budget is something wedding florists understand. They will be willing to help you with ideas for bouquets and other floral decorations that are in keeping with the style and theme of your wedding without costing more than you can afford.

Wedding florists know how to make the most of flowers, so ask about the most inexpensive. Unless your wedding date is already settled, don’t plan to marry in February, when Valentine’s Day sends the prices of flowers higher than usual. Seek the advice of wedding florists about the make-up of floral arrangements that will not be seen close up, such as those on the altar in the church, and ask to use ‘budget’ flowers that will look good from a distant but won’t cost a fortune. If you save money on wedding flowers that will be used mainly to create a colorful background effect, you will have more opportunity to splurge on the bridal bouquet and the bouquets carried by other members of the wedding party. These are the wedding flowers that will receive the most attention and that you may want to keep, so it’s worth spending more on them if you can.

If you already have a favorite florist you won’t have any problem deciding on the person to help you with your wedding flowers. If not, you will need to check out wedding florists in your area. Look in the phone book and on the internet, check the lists of wedding party vendors, talk to any friends who have already used wedding florists and, if you come across any bridal shows, visit them and talk to the wedding florists there.

You should talk to at least three wedding florists several months before your wedding to help with the decision about the one who will help with the wedding flowers. By visiting their shops you will be able to see their floral arrangements and view photographs of their recent work. You can also take swatches of the fabrics that will be used for the dresses for yourself and your attendants, as well as any pictures of wedding flower arrangements you like. Don’t be afraid to express your ideas about arrangements and colors. Ideally you will be able to establish a rapport with the florist you eventually choose. This will help with the smooth running of your wedding plans. When you are ready to make a decision, spend time clarifying the arrangements about the costs and be sure that you know exactly what is included.

When you contact wedding florists to decide who will help you with your wedding flowers, there are various questions you should ask. From the answers to these questions, and from your general conversation, you will be able to assess which of the florists you will liaise with most successfully on the floral arrangements for your wedding. If, for example, one florist is wildly contemporary while you favor traditional arrangements you will probably want to look further, but if you prefer modern floral styles you may feel confident that this is the florist who will suit you.

If the organization employs a number of wedding florists you should ask who will be doing your flowers, and also ask to see examples of recent work by that person. Find out if they will be looking after any other events on the same day as your wedding and, if so, how much time will be spent on your flowers. Listen to any suggestions from the wedding florists you visit. Even if you don’t decide to use their services, they may have some ideas that you find helpful. When discussing prices, don’t forget to ask if there are any hidden costs. Get an itemized quote if possible and ask when a deposit would have to be paid to secure the wedding florist’s services.

As well as the bouquets carried by the bride and her attendants, there is a need for many other flowers on the wedding day. Wedding flowers add color and charm to a marriage ceremony. They also brighten up the reception venue and contribute to the mood and theme of the entertainment. With the help of wedding florists you can make sure you have all the flowers you need to make your wedding day complete.

While attention is usually on the bride and bridesmaids, don’t forget the groom and his attendants. Buttonhole flowers that complement the theme chosen by the bride and the bridesmaids should also be worn by men in the bridal party, usually on the left lapel. Wedding florists can also provide the mothers of the bride and groom with corsages. These need to tone in with their outfits, so make sure you know what they will be wearing in plenty of time to order the flowers. Male relatives, such as the fathers of the couple, can also wear buttonholes to complement those worn by the members of the bridal party. It is also customary to have small floral arrangements on the first few pews on each side of the church to show they are reserved for family and close friends.

As well as the big arrangements of wedding flowers, the bouquets and the personal touches of the buttonholes and corsages, it is also important to discuss with wedding florists the table arrangements for the wedding reception. The centerpieces you choose will make all the difference to the appearance of the room. Your wedding florist will be able to advise you on this and on other details such as the distribution of plants and flowers around the reception center.

Throwing away the bridal bouquet before leaving for the honeymoon is an enjoyable tradition most brides like to observe. It is believed to have originated because brides are considered lucky, so a symbol of the wedding day such as the bouquet carries the luck on to the person who catches it. The bride usually throws the bouquet over her shoulder towards a group of her friends. According to a wedding superstition, the one who catches the bouquet is supposed to be the next person to be married.

At the same time, many brides now like to keep their bouquets and have them preserved and mounted as a lasting memento of the wedding. Wedding florists can help by providing a second bouquet for the bride to throw. This can be a smaller replica of the real bridal bouquet.

You can also obtain advice from wedding florists about the best way to have your bouquet preserved. Unless you know how to do it yourself and can do it within a few days of the wedding when the flowers are still fresh, have them sent to a professional preserver immediately. Some preservers will provide a transport package in which you can send the bouquet to them.

If you plan to have one or more flower girls in your wedding party, you may like to provide them with baskets of flowers rather than bouquets. Wedding florists or wedding party vendors can provide you with charming baskets in suitable sizes for little girls to carry. Some brides like to have the baskets filled with petals for the flower girl to scatter as a path for the bride when she walks down the aisle. Others prefer the flower girls to carry special wedding arrangements, that wedding florists can also supply, or the ring cushion if there is no page boy in the wedding group.

Adult female attendants such as the matron of honor and bridesmaids usually carry bouquets that reflect the style of the bridal bouquet while not necessarily replicating it. If you want them to carry smaller versions of your own bouquet, your wedding florist will be able to arrange this for you. As well as being smaller than the bridal bouquet, the bouquets carried by the attendants are usually less formal. A popular choice for attendants is a small nosegay or posy style of bouquet. This is often made up of a cluster of hand-tied roses with a lace backing.