Choosing the flowers is the fun bit of planning your wedding.

There are so many things to decide about when choosing your wedding flowers, including:

Choosing Your Bridal Bouquet Gent\’s Boutonnieres (buttonholes) Deciding on Your Flower Colors Flowers for the Ceremony Reception Wedding Flowers Centerpieces Artificial and Silk Flowers Tropical Wedding Flowers

 

A lot of the preparation of the flowers is done the day before and the morning of the wedding when the couple and their families are at their busiest and most stressed. Therefore unless the floral displays are very simple it is wise to have them professionally prepared by a wedding florist.

When deciding on a florist seek personal recommendations from friends and recently married acquaintances. If you are unable to decide, it is best to visit several and look at their displays. Most florists will allow you visit them at a time when they have prepared flowers for other weddings so that you can see the quality of their work. You should also try to select a florist who actually does wedding flowers for a living, not just run a florist shop. Remember it is is your special day, so find a florist who shows passion, love and commitment for what they do as this way you know you are more likely to be getting the best.

Make sure your florist can work within your budget. Decide how much you can afford, then ask your florist for suggestions within this amount. The price of wedding flowers depends on type and availability and the size of the bouquets and decorations. If you are on a tight budget, use flowers that will be in season at the time of your wedding. Or keep things simple: a hand-tied posy of roses looks stunning and is less expensive than an elaborate bouquet.

There are several classic shapes of bouquet and good florists should have a selection of photographs to demonstrate them. The florist should also be able to advise on which flowers match the chosen shape bearing in mind the colour scheme and seasonal availability.

The choice of your wedding bouquet depends of the style of your gown. Bouquets can range from the just-picked-from-the-garden look, to the tailored-stylised formal look. You should always get a sense of balance between your gown and your bouquet. A fresh-picked bouquet from the garden may look out of place with a very formal gown. The bouquet size should be proportion to the bride. Too large a bouquet would simply overpower the bride and clutter her elegant dress.

Buttonholes will match the bride\’s bouquet and blend with the dark lapels of the groom\’s wedding attire. Usually the groom, best man, ushers and fathers of the bride and groom should wear buttonholes although other important guests such as the grandparents may also wear them.

Corsages are normally larger than a buttonhole and can be made of the same or similar flowers as those in the bride\’s bouquet. The mothers of the bride and groom will wear corsages and so may the grandmothers and other important guests. Corsages can also be pinned to the lapel as with a buttonhole or alternatively worn on the wrist or attached to a handbag or purse.

Some reception venues such as hotels and restaurants often include wedding floral arrangements as part of their overall wedding service. Others may make a separate charge. A lot of venues will allow the couple to provide their own wedding flowers and floral decorations. The venue management should be consulted to arrange a convenient time to set up the displays which will not inconvenience the catering arrangements.

The wedding flower decorations usually consist of a large display just inside the entrance which is seen by guests as they enter the reception room, and arrangements on each of the tables for guests. The top table occupied by the newlyweds usually has a more ornate wedding flower arrangement. Large halls and marquees usually provide plain backgrounds and therefore wedding flower arrangements should be spectacular and large to catch the eye. Decorating with potted plants is a good idea as they can subsequently be used in the newlyweds new home.

The new trend in winter wedding flowers is white. Traditionally, brides thought that winter weddings called for bold, rich colors; today, that attitude is changing. White wedding flowers can evoke thoughts of snow, purity, and untainted love. More and more, brides are choosing the stunning effects of white flowers to enhance their winter weddings.

You can achieve a look of elegance and beauty by using these ideas for white wedding flowers for a winter wedding, or design your own stunning arrangements based on the suggestions below.

˜ Standing at heights of 36″ or even 48″, larkspur centerpieces create an impressive appearance. As they flower best in the cool temperatures, larkspurs are the perfect white flowers for a winter wedding.

˜ White calla lilies are ideal for both elegant bouquets and chic centerpieces. Create an arm bouquet with long-stemmed calla lilies or a free-form all-white clutch bridal bouquet by combining white roses and white calla lilies.

˜ White roses are classic wedding roses- a perfect decoration for any winter wedding with white wedding flowers. Mix white roses with colored roses to complement the bridesmaid dresses, or maintain the purity of the day by combining white roses with other white flowers. For a look of unparalleled uniformity and sophistication, use white roses as the only flower of the day.

˜ For a more playful look, create a clutch bouquet from a tight ball bouquet of white hydrangeas. Add vibrant greens for an eye-catching splash of color.

˜ Chrysanthemums (and pompons, a more specific hybrid of chrysanthemum) are exotic and bold. They come in many different forms, each lovelier than the next. Because of their strong personality, mums should be used selectively and should preferably be coupled with a quieter bloom such as larkspur.

˜ Queen Anne’s lace is excellent filler for a winter wedding. Choose a particularly large or striking bloom as the focal point of the bouquet, and sprinkle Queen Anne’s lace throughout the display for a regal effect.

˜ Stock is a tall and full plant that enhances any arrangement. Make a stunning centerpiece arrangement by combining tall branches of stock blossoms with white calla lilies or hydrangeas.

˜ White alliums make excellent extra touches. Pin them to the side of each isle pew, attach to bands for corsages, or drizzle a few strands into your hair for a cascading floral hairstyle.

White wedding flowers offer you endless, outstanding possibilities for your hall, table arrangements and wedding party. Winter weddings with white flowers are both fashionable and timeless.

If you imagined a fall wedding with no choices for a bouquet beyond carrying a pot of bright yellow chrysanthemums down the aisle, you will be pleased to find the many varieties of elegant fall wedding flowers- that don’t come in flower pots. Flowers with warm autumn colors including shades of wine, cranberry, deep yellows and oranges are often available without special ordering. And even if you are looking to use pink, peach, apricots or lavenders, there are several varieties of fall wedding flowers to choose from.

Popular Varieties of Fall Wedding Flowers

Calla lilies have grown in popularity with their many color and size varieties including rusty oranges and dark reds. Calla lilies have a mini version that are a frequent accent flower to bouquets or can be pulled together in a modern and creative looking bouquet with its unique cone-like shape. The larger blossom variety of this flower tied with a coordinating satin or tulle ribbon can make an excellent single flower bouquet for your bridesmaids.

Bright, lipstick red roses are a traditional favorite but by selecting different tones of red such as deep red roses or black beauty roses, your fall wedding flowers carry the autumn theme a little truer to its palette. If you know you will be going down the red path, ask your florist to have some live rose samples in various shades of red ahead of time so that you can get an up close impression of the color options. The dark red fall wedding flowers can capture the warmth of autumn and offer the classic elegance of a rose.

Colorful Fall Wedding Flowers

Gerber daisies, lilies and hydrangeas are colorful, cost efficient fall wedding flowers. These blossoms come in a wide assortment of colors and bloom sizes. Gerber daisies have a fun and simple personality and have some of the boldest, natural colors to choose from. Lilies are often thought of as white, springy flowers but there are many elegant fall varieties in deep wines and yellows. Lilies also have blossoms in large and mini versions that can work for any bouquet. Hydrangeas are typically large, colorful blooms with dozens of petals on every blossom that can be great for the flower girl’s basket.

Sunflowers in bloom are the sure sign that summer is coming to an end. These warm, bright yellow and orange hued sunflowers have giant varieties great for decorative arrangements and smaller, elegant versions that are great focal pieces to your bouquet.

Autumn Whites

Fall wedding flowers don’t have to be full of bright or deep colors. All white bouquets with Bianca white roses, white Gerber daisies and ivory calla lilies are meant for a bride’s bouquet. Gardenia’s are often fragile and can be pricey but are very classic wedding flowers. And while typically thought of for spring, white delphiniums, peonies and sweet peas can be excellent choices as well.

When meeting with your florist you should try to have your color palette in mind so that you don’t let the type of flower you want and the colors available decide your entire wedding theme. If you are selecting fall wedding flowers, there are many varieties, styles and colors to choose from whether you want bright, classic or elegant arrangements.

It’s not your mother’s wedding, so stop worrying about doing everything her way. This is a time for you to express your individual taste and style. So what if she never would have dreamed of carrying “fake” flowers in her bridal bouquet. In her generation fake flowers were plastic. Of course she wouldn’t have used them!

This is a new generation and silk wedding flowers are the rage! Not only have “fake” flowers evolved in leaps and bounds, but they have also become very popular as alternatives to fresh flowers for wedding bouquets, flower girl baskets, corsages and boutonnieres. From the exquisite cascading bridal bouquet to the simplistic hand-tied wedding bouquet, silk wedding flowers lend themselves to every style imaginable!

Elegant silk calla lilies look lovely, whether cascading downward intermingled with ivy, or when in a hand-tied bridal bouquet. Silk roses in a rainbow of colors combine nicely with a variety of other flowers in a clutch bridal bouquet or in a cascading wedding bouquet. The look is so close to that of fresh flowers that most people will never even know the difference. But your checkbook will!

Purchasing silk wedding flower packages is what many smart brides are doing. Eliminating the stress of last-minute florist mix-ups, ordering your silk wedding flower sets from one of the online merchants is convenient and cost-effective. With packages starting under $300, silks have made wedding flowers affordable.

Beware of low-quality silks, however. Make sure that you’re getting top-of-the-line silk flowers if you want to fool everyone that they’re real. Quality silk wedding flowers are so realistic that people will want to smell your bridal bouquet! To fool them, try spritzing your wedding bouquets with rose oil or another floral fragrance.

Flower girl baskets can carry a stationary arrangement or an assortment of silk rose petals to be scattered down the aisle for the bride to walk upon. Walking on rose petals is symbolic of both beauty and of the bride walking down the path of a new life that is about to begin. Another alternative for the flower girl is for her to carry a silk floral pomander. The flowers can match those in the bridal bouquet and your little flower girl will look adorable swinging her beautiful pomander to and fro as she heads down the aisle. This is especially conducive to very young flower girls.

The ring bearer’s pillow has an alternative as well. A fabric covered ring box can be carried down the aisle by your young attendant. This is a more contemporary look for the ring bearer, who often balks at carrying a lacy pillow.

In lieu of traditional corsages, consider giving the special women at the wedding small hand-tied bouquets for them to carry. With today’s flimsier fabrics, pin on corsages are sometimes too bulky to wear. However, by using silk flowers, the weight of the corsages is dramatically decreased. Maybe you could point that out as a benefit to your mother as you gently remind her — this isn’t her wedding after all.