Picking
Your Wedding Flowers
Picking the flowers for your wedding is a significant
part of your wedding plans. They subtly bring
beauty and elegance
to your wedding day and can tie your colour scheme
together. They also bring a soft romantic ambiance to the overall
surroundings at your wedding.
Choosing
Your Flowers
When choosing your wedding flowers,
choose different flower shapes and colours that compliment each
other. There is quite a diversity of flower and
bouquet variations available to you. Ask your
florist if you can see some actual examples or
pictures of the flowers available and of bouquets
they have made in the past. Don't forget there are many ways of
using flowers, everything from bouquets,
baskets, even using them in your hair. Be creative, look through
bridal magazines, surf the internet and talk
to your florist to get ideas. If you choose flowers that are in
season at the time of your wedding it will bring
down the cost of your flowers considerably. Ask
your florist about what flowers are most available
at the time of your wedding. When you have your
consultation with your florist bring with you
all your clothing fabric swatches and any samples of things you
will be decorating with. This will help your florist
match and coordinate with your wedding colours.
You
may wish to choose your wedding flowers
by colour, size, shape, or maybe you just have an absolute favourite
that you want to use for your wedding. Many years
ago people would use the meaning of flowers to
help them communicate their feelings for one another. Some couples
decide to use the meaning of flowers to add sentimental
significance to the flowers around them on their
wedding day. Most people are not aware of the
meaning, but what truly matters is the implication to you. Just
like meaningful songs played on your wedding day that will help
you remember your wedding. The flowers
you wear, carry and decorated with to bring romance into your
wedding day, will always be something you remember.
If you wish to use the meaning of flowers, link
to our Meaningful
Flower List to help you choose the
right flowers for you. We have included some
of the more popular flowers that have wedding
related meanings.
Remember
to keep the flowers to scale when choosing the flowers
for small children in your
wedding party. Choose smaller
delicate flowers so they don't look awkward up
against their small bodies. For the women you want the bouquets
to frame their hips. Keep in mind their body shapes and sizes
when discussing flower options with your florists.
For example taller Brides suit long cascading
bouquets more than Brides that
are shorter.
Fresh flowers
take a little care. It's best if you can have the florist
take care of your flowers until your wedding
day. The florist can deliver the wedding
flowers to the different places you will be needing them.
Or you can have them delivered to one place and then have a responsible
person deliver them to any other places they need to go. Just
make sure your delivery person is clear on the facts of when you
will need them and where each destination is. If you have to keep
your flowers in water, be sure any ribbons do
not get wet because the colour could possibly run.
The
Flower Shop
We suggests that you visit at least a couple wedding
flower shops to look at styles and other important elements when
choosing a vendor. See our vendors'
notes. When you visit a florist business, look around at the
flower arrangements in the store. Are the styles similar to your
taste and do all the flowers appear fresh. Ask if the person you
are speaking with if they will be the one who will be doing all
your wedding flowers or will they have help from someone else.
Another great source for getting to know your florists is their
website. Many florists have pictures of wedding
arrangements and wedding bouquets
on their website for you to look over from the comfort of your
home. Viewing their website should never replace you taking the
time to visit the florists in person.
Scatter
Bouquet
An alternative to doing the traditional wedding bouquet
toss is to have a Scatter Bouquet (also
called a Star Burst Bouquet) which is actually several small wedding
bouquets tied together. The Bride removes
the ribbon or wire holding the wedding bouquets
together and tosses them into the crowd of Bachelorettes or all
the women wedding guests. Some Brides
choose to present their bouquet to a special
friend, relative or an engaged wedding guest
who is the next person scheduled to be married.
Most people prefer the traditional flower bouquet
toss where the recipient is said to be the next to get married.
You can have some fun with the bouquet toss and
have the recipient sit on the lap of the person that catches the
garter or let them put the garter on the man that catches the
garter. Decorating your wedding guestbook table
with your throwaway bouquet is an easy way to
decorate with something you already have. Also, see the alternatives
to the traditional bridal bouquet.
The Bridal
Bouquet of Love
and the Mothers' Bouquet are on our Planning
Your Wedding Ceremony page
of this wedding planner.
Boutonnieres
When it comes to the men's wedding boutonnieres,
usually less is more. Typically the men's boutonnieres
are made of one main flower, usually the same
flower that is used in the wedding bouquets with
a little of the same embellishment
Fall
Wedding Option
If your wedding is taking place in the Fall season,
pressed leaves make an interesting alternative to flower petals.
The Flower Girl can drop them in the isle at
the wedding ceremony or you can decorate with
them including placing them on the wedding guests'
tables.
Thank You Baskets and Arrangements
You may wish to arrange for a thank you gift basket or flower
arrangement to be delivered after the wedding
to those special people that have helped put your wedding
day together. They will be thrilled that their help meant so much
to you.
Budget
Tips
The
women's boutiques can often do double duty by
helping to decorate the head table at the wedding
reception. They shouldn't replace decorating
totally, just add to it. Remember to have vases of water on the
head table ready if the flowers require it.
If your flower budget is depleted and you want
to increase the overall usage of your flowers, use greenery and
branches as a foundation for the flowers so they
can be used more sparingly. Branches can be painted or left natural.
You can even integrate candles into the arrangements but make
sure the candles are very secure and set low enough into the holders
that nothing will catch fire. Be sure to ask about open flame
restrictions at both the place of wedding reception
and of ceremony when planning your decorating
options. You can also opt to use some silk flower in your arrangements
and decorations to save money, using fresh flowers in the bouquets,
corsages, and boutonnieres.
