Wedding Florists
Flowers add that special touch of beauty to a wedding. Before you think about what flowers you need, think about the wedding colors and style of your wedding. There are many things to consider with flowers. Some flowers are only available during certain months. Others need a lot of water so if you're in a dry environment with a long ceremony/reception, you should stay away from these.
First you need to decide if you want a florist or a floral designer. A floral designer usually gets their arrangements from a third-party source. They are artists, so to speak, and can focus solely on you, while florists juggle multiple orders at once. You should begin looking for a florist/floral designer about eight months before your wedding and sign a contract with them no later than four months before the big day.
Once you find one you like, set up a time to talk with the florist. It is best to meet at the wedding location so the florist can get a feel of how everything will be set up. Describe your wedding colors and style of your wedding. The florist will need to know how many bouquets and centerpieces to make, so detail where you would like the flowers. Make sure you tell the florist your budget so they can work within it. Lastly, as with all vendors, review and double review a contract and sign it.
If you don't know much about flowers, the florist should be able to pick colors that match your wedding colors. Colors such as yellow, red and orange will add bride excitement to your wedding while pink and purple add a calmer affect to the setting. Bring in samples of the bridesmaid dressesso the florist can see the color in person, as well as a picture of your wedding gown. Any pictures in magazine that have captured your attention, clip them out and bring those in as well. Here is a list of items that you may need from your florist:
- Bride's bouquet
- Bouquet to toss
- Maid of Honor's bouquet
- Bridesmaid's bouquets
- Groom's boutonniere
- Boutonnieres for the groomsmen
- Ushers' boutonnieres
- Corsages for the mothers of the bride and groom
- Boutonnieres for the fathers of the bride and groom
- Flower girl's basket
- Ring bearer's boutonniere and ring pillow
- Aisle decorations
- Altar or Chupah decorations
- Candles for ceremony
- Table centerpieces
- Cake table
- Live Flowers for wedding cake
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Remember to work with the florist to pick flowers that are in season. Out-of-season flowers are available, but they may have to be shipped in and will probably require extra care.
If you're going over budget, try to only put floral arrangements in places that will stand out. Also, instead of floral arrangements as centerpieces try something else. If your wedding is vintage, a cute lantern may make a cute centerpiece. This is also a good choice because it is low, which allows guests to see across the table. Another way to save money on florals is to have your wedding ceremony/reception locationin nature, especially a garden. You may opt to use the flowers from the ceremony at the reception, or use the bridesmaid bouquets at the reception as well.
When choosing your bridal bouquet, you want to go along with the colors of the wedding, bridesmaid dresses and the style of your wedding gown. Roses are fairly traditional as they symbolize romance. If you have a simple gown, you should go with a simple bouquet and if you have an extravagant gown, you should go with a more complex bouquet. Keep in mind your height as well. A smaller bride holding a big bouquet would look disproportionate as would a tall bride with a small bouquet.
The bridesmaid's bouquets should complement the bride's and not overpower it. You can also vary their bouquets. Try doing the same color but different flowers. The maid of honors bouquet is usually slightly different from the rest as well.
Choose something that is special to you. Perhaps a flower that means something to you. Or you can add a jewel to it for some sparkle.
Here are a few terms florists use when describing color:
- Variegated: Patches of various colors.
- Graduated: A shade of a color that goes from light to dark.
- Monochromatic: One color throughout.
- Cool: Deep colors
- Tone-on-tone: Colors that complement each other.
Again, check with the other vendors you have already hired for florist recommendations. The photographer, caterer and musician may have some good ideas.
