Selecting your Flowers

FINDING A FLORIST

If possible, you should book a florist 8 to 10 months before your wedding. You can find potential candidates in a print publication like this one, at a bridal show, online, or by asking friends and family for recommendations. Your goal is to find someone who is organized, professional, and whose style and personality meshes with your own. To start, create a flowers-only Pinterest board to gather images that you love, and maybe some that you don’t. It helps to have lots to show your potential florist. Have a budget in mind.

At your florist meetings, you should know your wedding colors and ceremony and reception locations. If you have a picture of your wedding dress and any fabric swatches from the bridesmaid dresses, bring those along as well. The right florist for you will take all of these elements (your style, venue, and budget) and create something special just for you. Florists know which flowers will and won’t wilt in the sun, which are best for indoors, and which will work better in a centerpiece than in a bouquet.

FOR YOU AND YOUR WEDDING PARTY

You’ll first want to determine the look of your bridal bouquet. All other floral pieces will take their cue from this piece. Cascading bouquets are a classic choice making a modern comeback. Today’s cascades are a loose, more natural style of bouquet. Also on trend are dried floral elements combined with fresh blooms for gorgeous texture and dimension.

For your wedding party, beyond bouquets for the bridesmaids, remember to also consider corsages and boutonnieres for parents,

Ask the Right Questions! !

• What packages do you offer? What do they include? • How can we make the most of our floral budget? • Do you deliver the flowers? Is there a charge? • Do you provide any other kinds of decorating? • Do you rent or provide decorations and props? • Will you come to the ceremony and reception site to plan out the decor? • Do you set up at the ceremony and reception sites? • Can you move the flowers from the ceremony to reception? • Can you provide fresh flowers for the cake? • How far in advance must I book your services? • What is your cancellation policy?

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Photos by: Abigail Miles Photography

DEFINING YOUR DAY

grandparents, and other important people. Nowadays, corsages often take shape on metal cuff bracelets, while a spray of small flowers makes an easy pocket boutonniere.

FOR THE CEREMONY & RECEPTION

If you’re having your ceremony in a place of worship, check with your officiant for any restrictions. Consider aisle adornments and arrangements — such as an arch, swag, or spray — to frame your vows. Ceremony flowers may also be moved to later adorn the reception hall. For the reception, there’s an endless array of options for floral reception centerpieces: elegant vases filled with cut flowers, footed pedestals brimming with blooms, glorious bunches of wildflowers, assorted small vases with single stems, nature-inspired elements, and so much more. You may even think beyond the tabletops themselves in favor of hanging floral installations. Use your imagination for one-of-akind centerpieces and scene-setters.

If your bridal party bouquets are doubling as decoration at the reception, equally space the bouquets at the head table and finish it off with a garland of greenery laced with flowers. If your budget allows, consider adding floral flourishes to tie everything together. A floral backdrop makes for a fabulous photo-op. A ceremony arch could even double as a photo booth. Simple greenery throughout the venue is a lovely way to bring the outdoors in.

Whatever your wedding’s theme and style, remember to trust your florist’s expertise. In doing so, your wedding flowers will be the envy of all. B