Choosing your Wedding Flowers
Wedding flowers can be a large portion of the cost of putting on a wedding, but don’t let this discourage you. Don’t underestimate the importance of having flowers at your wedding. Flowers at a wedding denote celebration, congratulation, fertility, and prosperity. They contribute to the atmosphere of love and embody the beauty and promise of joining two lives together.
Orange blossoms have traditionally been associated with weddings, but there are many other flowers popular today:
” roses
” spider mums
” carnations
” orchids
” lilacs
” daisies
” asters
” bells of Ireland
” lilies
” stephanotis
” baby’s breath
For the best results, do some research about the types of flowers that will be in season when your wedding is to take place. Prices can be higher and blooms more difficult to find if the wedding flowers you pick are rare, exotic, or out-of-season.
The bride’s flowers should complement the style of her gown or dress, as well as her personality and the style and theme of the wedding. Be sure that the scale of the flowers at the site meshes with the scale of the location (be in contact with the administrators of the site to make sure your flowers will be accepted in the space). Also, if the other decorations or background are dark, or if it is a winter wedding, consider contrasting with bright or light-coloured flowers.
The bride’s flowers should also conform to the proportions of the bride (for example, a tall bride might want to use a cascading bouquet). There are a few kinds of bridal bouquets:
” cascade: flows downwards and may have a blossom or two suspended below by its own stem or a ribbon
” presentation: held in the crook of the arm like a sceptre
” round cluster: may have a ruff of lace or tulle behind it; a favourite is a tight cluster of roses or roses & peonies.
” loose-tied: arranged as if just picked from the garden or a field & tied with silk or ribbons and lace. If you carry one of these, have a vase or bucket of ice for it on the head table at the reception.
Some brides opt to have an additional toss bouquet with less expensive or common flowers so they can keep their own bouquet as a memento.
The bride should have the largest or most elaborate bouquet followed by that of the maid or matron of honour and then the other attendants. Both mothers’ corsages should be the same or at least similar in size and elaboration. The groom’s boutonniere should be distinctive though similar to the style of flowers used throughout the wedding decoration. One option is to echo one of the flowers in the bride’s bouquet.
Decorative flowers can be accented with bowls of water, goldfish, candles, colourful seasonal fruit, glass balls or marbles. The bride doesn’t have to limit herself to a traditional bouquet. She can carry a prayer book, a candle, or another special item with a single flower instead.
<h2>Ideas for wedding flowers on a tight budget</h2>
” Solicit donations: You may be able to ask friends & neighbours for flowers from their gardens.
” Borrow: Nurseries will sometimes loan a certain number of plants free of charge.
” Take from nature: In spring or summer, keep your eyes open for fields of wildflowers.
” Take your opportunity: Choose a time of year when the church, temple, or synagogue is already decorated for a holiday.
” DIY: Learn how to do your own corsages and flower arrangements; use bridal magazines for ideas.
” Mix it up: Use artificial silk flowers for some of the decorations and spend your flower budget on fresh flowers where it counts the most.
” Procrastinate: Some wholesalers or florists can give you a deal on last-minute flowers.
” Share: Share decorative flowers with another bride who’s marrying at about the same time as you.
” Rent: Some wedding halls have their own decorations, which can be rented.
” Re-use: Transport flowers from the ceremony location to the reception site.
” Go out: Pick a garden wedding site, saving the flower expense for the reception hall and bouquets.
