Your wedding flowers – making your special day even more special

Planning for the most important day in your life is not the easiest thing in the world. There is so much to consider – the timing, the venue, the guest list, the dress, the wedding ring, the photographer and the flowers. Of these, the hardest to get right and yet probably among the most important is the flowers. Apart from the wedding dress, it is the flowers that have the biggest visual impact and leave the longest impression.   When deciding on the flowers for your wedding, you need to consider several points.

1. Budget. Flowers can be very expensive so you have to set a budget. This will normally be around 10% of the cost of the wedding. To keep costs down, you can choose flowers that are in season or more common species. Remember, though, that more expensive flowers, like peonies, are often larger and therefore go further than less expensive small blooms like carnations. But, whatever you do, make sure that the bridal bouquet is exactly what you want – it is after all your day – and design the rest of the flowers around it.

2. Florist.  Florists are experts at selecting and designing flower arrangements for all occasions. To make sure you find a good florist it is best to ask around and visit a number of florists to see what they have done in the past. Once you have found a florist that you feel comfortable with, then you can discuss your ideas and get their opinion. Make sure that you take a picture of the wedding dress so that they can come up with a colour and design for the bridal bouquet from which the rest of the flower arrangements – centre pieces, buttonholes, corsages and bridesmaids bouquets – will derive. And don’t forget to let your florist know your budget. If you have some extra cash, you might consider hiring a floral designer for a more imaginative approach to your wedding flowers.

3. Theme. You can probably think of as many themes as there are varieties of flowers to suit them. A modern trend is a rustic look employing local wildflowers. These can be arranged in stunning colours and can be as simple or complex as you wish. For the best effect and for the biggest choice of flowers, a rustic theme should be used for a springtime outdoor wedding. At the other end of the scale, you might prefer a little more glitz. Strong colours in the bouquet will make a bold statement that can be enhanced by the addition of a few jewels to your bouquets. Pearl-tipped pins look stunning set in deep red flowers while a simple jewelled brooch on the bouquet wrap will add just the right amount of glamour and could be the perfect match for the stone in the engagement ring or the wedding ring.

Flowers are crucial to the perfect wedding. Your flowers, and especially your bouquet, must be right for you. Take the advice of family and friends and your florist, but remember that your wedding is your day and your opinion is the one that counts.