Wedding Flower Ideas

What to Look For

• Florists who will break down your costs menu-style and separate wedding ceremony floral costs from wedding reception costs.

• Floral designers who offer creative suggestions that are cost-saving or interesting alternatives. (For example, for a fall wedding they may suggest going with arrangements that feature Leonidas, often referred to as “Chocolate Roses.” They originate inSouth Americaand offer wonderful color combinations that can range from rich cinnamon/burnt orange tones with a creamy yellow reverse to ochre/rosy-brown. The rose is lightly fragrant and will not be distracting when used as a table centerpiece. When fully opened the rose is approximately 4 inches across, but the arrangements show best when the roses are opened only halfway.)

What to Watch Out For

• Florists who are trying to sell you more than you require. (For example, floral arrangements are never recommended for the bar area, as they only hinder bar service and bartenders generally tend to move them out of the way. Florists who suggest this may not be well schooled in handling special events, or may be interested in what they can sell you and not in selling you only what will have value to you.)

•  Find out from the florist if there are any special requirements you need to be aware of. (For example, after the flowers are delivered, what care will they require? Will the arrangements need to be refrigerated to prevent them from opening prematurely? How long can the flowers be expected to last?)

Flowers have been included in wedding ceremonies since Roman times. They add colors and character to the day, not to mention a delicious scent. Wedding flowers may include a bridal bouquet and posies for the bridesmaids, possibly floral headdresses, buttonholes for the groom, best man, ushers, mothers and fathers of the bride and groom, and other family members. There are usually flowers at the ceremony – in the entrance, in the aisle, at the pew ends – and at the reception – by the entrance, near the receiving line, as room decorations, table centerpieces and next to the cake.

When choosing a florist:

• Preferably pick a local florist on personal recommendation.
• Shop around for the best deals.
• Visit florists to see whether you like the types of flowers and arrangements they have in stock.
• Ask to see pictures of past work.
• Avoid florists who show you photos of standard bouquets or decorations and who won’t be flexible.
• Discuss your ideas and preferences and see how they respond. A good florist should be able to add to your ideas and present you with something better than you originally had in mind.

DO take along pictures of your own and the bridesmaids’ dresses, together with any swatches of material.
DO take along magazine cuttings of designs for bouquets and arrangements you especially like.
DO take photographs or sketches of the ceremony and reception venues.
DO fully explain any colors schemes or other themes you may have for the wedding.
DO tell the florist if there are any flowers you particularly like or dislike.
DO ask for a written quote.

Book your florist at least four months in advance – allow longer if you’re wedding is at Christmas or near St Valentine’s Day. To cut costs, choose flowers that are in season and a florist close to the venues to keep delivery charges to a minimum.

Many flowers are now available all year round – at a price. The following is a guide to which flowers are most readily available and abundant at different times of the year.

SPRING: Wax flower (Chamaelaucium), lily of the valley, lilac, broom, snowball tree (Viburnum opulus ‘roseum’), guilder rose (Viburnum opulus), some early flowering peonies, cherry, apple, lemon and orange blossom, African corn lily, cow parsley (from late spring) and bulb flowers such as daffodil, narcissus, tulip, hyacinth, bluebell and grape hyacinth.

SUMMER: Lemon and orange blossom, cow parsley, meadowsweet, honeysuckle, jasmine, peony, phlox, stock, sweet William, marguerite, sweet pea, clarkia,  Alchemilla mollis, campanula, goldenrod, lilies, allium, poppy, lavender, sunflower, tuberose, monkshood, hydrangea, agapanthus, passion flower, euphorbia, ranunculus and a host of other flowers in a palette of shades and colors.

AUTUMN:  Goldenrod, love-lies-bleeding, hypericum (St John’s wort), yarrow, late-flowering honeysuckle, red-hot poker, crocosmia, dahlia, gladiolus, globe thistle, Chinese aster, globe amaranth, scabious, sedum, stonecrop, late-flowering sunflowers, zinnia, godetia, montbretia and a range of berries, attractive twigs and seedpods.

WINTER:  Hellebore, snowdrop, early bulb flowers such as hyacinth, daffodil, tulip, narcissus and amaryllis, protea, kangaroo paw, winter jasmine, holly and other berries and twigs.

AVAILABLE ALL YEAR: Rose, iris, arum lily, calla lily, other lily varieties, lisianthus, lysimachia, freesia, carnation, gerbera, baby’s breath (gypsophila), iris, alstroemeria, anemone, chrysanthemum, September flower, snapdragon, orchid, ornamental pineapple, bird of paradise (strelitzia), statice.