Beautiful Wedding Flowers

How to choose great wedding flowers and creative wedding florist

What is a wedding without the wedding flowers? Wedding flowers and weddings are so closely associated that it is expected to be in every wedding.

You may want to try your hand at making your wedding bouquet and wedding centrepieces by referring to some DIY magazines. The reality is, that you will be simply too busy especially the days drawing near to your big day. You can bet that those beautiful arrangements you saw in the glossy magazines are made by professionals and not amateurs.

Research

Wedding flowers and floral arrangement magazines are good source of reference for both amateurs and professionals just like wedding magazines does the same for both groups.

You will find many tips and write ups on different kinds of wedding flowers - fresh or silk, floral arrangements, style, color coordination and flowers in season. You will also find many different creative ideas for your wedding decorations from the entrance to the altar.

For professionals or wedding florist, they look for the latest styles, flowers in season, latest floral equipments and ideas to catch up .

For a clueless bride or groom, you will also be able to find a list of wedding florists for reference and a whole world of information on the different types of flowers, fruits and herbs and flora arrangement styles.

If you like a particular wedding flowers arrangement and style by the wedding florist featured in the magazine, you may call up the florist or ask if your local florist can do similar wedding flowers arrangement.

Interview and booking florist

It is good to do your research early at least 8 months ahead of your wedding. Start by asking family and friends to recommend wedding florists. If not, you may use your information from your research and call a few wedding florists. Once, you zero in on and shortlisted the two or three florists, a visit to the shop is a must.

Check out the wedding florist's shop, the floral arrangements, the displays, working area, staff and presentation etc. Bring along a sketch of your wedding gown, brides maids' dresses, groom and groomsmen's tuxedos include description of details like color, style and fabric etc.

Have a good chat with the wedding florist and if possible bring cut outs of floral arrangements you like and discuss with him/her the budget and what flowers are in season. A good florist will be able to work out a sketch for your wedding, recommend a few types of flower and color combinations, recee and are familiar with the wedding venue. Most importantly, the wedding florist be open to your suggestions and counter offer better suggestions or accomodate and modify to suit your needs.

Check if any family members have allergies

If you or your spouse to be is allergic to flowers then you may need to consider silk flowers for your wedding flowers

Be outright about budget and dislikes

Lucky you if you have a big budget for your wedding however if you don't have then be outright and outfront about it. Discuss with your wedding florist that you have a tight budget. Usually, florist will be able to recommend you equally beautiful in season flowers and arrangements without burning a big hole in your pocket. If you have any dislikes for a ceratin type of flowers, plants do let the florist know.

Get a sample of the actual day arrangements

Get your florist to do a the centrepiece and your wedding bouquet before your wedding day if you want to be sure that it is exactly what you wanted. This way you can be sure that there's no miscommunication between you and your wedding florist. You arrange to take pictures of you in your wedding gown and the wedding bouquet when you have your wedding gowns fitting sessions. This way you will have an idea how the overall looks like.

Signing the contract

Before you sign on the dotted line, make sure whatever you discussed and all the details are included in the paper. (Read everything including the fine prints).

Most importantly you know that you have found your ideal wedding florist when you liked the florist's creativity, passion and attitude. You should have a few good thorough discussions and all your questions and concerns are readily being answered.

By now your florist should have given you a beautifully designed wedding floral arrangements plan and layout of the venue. The good 'gut' feel and better still, if your wedding florist is a recommended source by your friends or relatrives. You will can rest assured that the job will be done well and you can concentrate on being a happy, radiant bride or prince charming.

How to choose a good wedding florist or floral designer?

Getting started

Get your friends, relatives or colleagues to recommend their wedding florist. If not, go to your local directory or research a list of highly rated wedding florist by the magazines.

Creativity and knowledge

A wedding florist is like the landscape architect for the overall design of your wedding venue. He or she should be knowledgable, talented, creative and accomodating. They should be able to create a beautiful theme that co-ordinates strategically, every detail down to matching your wedding gowns, tuxedo, bridesmaids dresses to the buffet table. They should be able to provide the best floral designs for the budget that you agreed on and even more.

Design style and philosophy

What is the design style and philosophy? When you walk into the wedding florist's shop did you instantly like the displays? Is their concept mordern? Traditional? Do you like the designer's work samples in the recent photo albums? Is the same designer going to create that magic for your wedding? Who are his or her previous clients? Is it possible to contact them for reference?

Manpower and onsite arrangements and deliveries

What is their manpower for your wedding day? Are they engaged to do other weddings on the same day? How many hours prior to the ceremony do they need to get the job done? Can they preserve your bouquets for you after the ceremony? Are there delivery charges?

Test their expertise

Ask as many questions as possible, test their expertise. Have they done a wedding at the same venue as your wedding? If they did, can they show you pictures taken? This will give you a better picture on how and what to expect. What are the in season flowers? What other alternatives than flowers can they fit in your tight budget? Have they won any innovative awards for any projects? How they can maximise the budget with alternatives if some the flowers you wanted can't be shipped on time?

Here's a list of the common items for the wedding flowers to be used:

1. Wedding entrance decorations

2. Wedding Reception Table centrepieces

3. Miscellaneous decor flowers at reception

4. Ceremony decorations

5. Wedding Altar Flowers

6. Wedding Aisle Arch Flowers

7. Pew flower arrangements

8. Flower girl petals

9. Wedding bouquet

10. Bridesmaid's bouquets

11. Flower girl's bouquets