Create Your Signature Wedding Flowers

When talking about flowers some brides say: “I love flowers but I don’t know very much about them.”  Others chime in with, “I have done my homework online and I am very knowledgeable about flowers and I know exactly what I want.” Whichever camp you might be in (or even if you’re somewhere in between), there are certain things you need to think about before you talk to your wedding florist.

Every wedding should have a style or theme. While you may not have set a crazy theme (like David Tutera’s brides who choose pirates, trucks or Lady Gaga!) you do need to think about how you want your guests to emotionally react when they first see your wedding and reception.  Flowers and décor can make the difference between a colorful, fun, and whimsical experience or an upscale, sophisticated and trendy vibe. Think about three or four adjectives to describe you and your fiancé’s personalities and then think of three or four adjectives that come to mind when you think about the look and style you want for your wedding.  Flowers and décor will have a huge impact on making that style come to life.  When your guests walk into your venue, you want them to say. “Oh, this just looks so much like them!”

Once the style and theme words are chosen, a professional floral designer will be happy to work with you to find what flowers will most enhance your style. What color palette will best suit your overall design – bold, bright colors, subdued cool colors of greens, blues and violets; hot vivid yellows, reds and oranges; or sophisticated ivories with metallic or crystal touches?

When choosing flowers, you should also think of your overall design style and budget constraints. Rounding flowers, such as roses, hydrangea, carnations etc. can be used to base in bouquets and centerpieces giving you a full lush look in your choice of colors while still being friendly to the checkbook. Top those base flowers off with a few more exotic lilies or orchids for an upscale look or with a splash of bright colored daisies for a more playful, fun feel. Talk to your professional designer about favorite flowers and floral dislikes but the more open you are to which flowers are used to achieve your individual flair the more look you will get within your budget. Another budget saving device is to focus on fewer varieties so your florist can order flowers in quantity. Remember when doing this, however, that fewer varieties leave you with less opportunity for the flowers to interact with the shapes and textures of each other,  so be careful not to be so conservative that you end up being boring! This is a great time to add some extra interest with ribbons, bling or accents to enhance the flowers chosen and still give you bouquets that are unique to your wedding.

When educating yourself on design and flowers, make sure your information is coming from local professionals. The internet is a great place for inspiration but sometimes flowers and styles online or on the bridal TV shows take place in distant locales, in different seasons from your wedding, or with much different budgets from yours. So find out what inspires you and then look to professionals from the surrounding areas to guide you in the most beautiful blossoms for your incredible day!