Wedding Flowers

Selecting the Flowers for Your Wedding

By Anna Lynn Sibal

Flowers make a wedding romantic. Because of the romance that flowers bring to a wedding, it is not unheard of for a bride to splurge when it comes to her wedding flowers, from her bridal bouquet, to her bridesmaids' posies, to the men's boutonnieres, to the decorations at the church and at the venue of the reception.

A practical bride, however, would never go overboard with her wedding flowers. She would make a sound plan that fits her budget but nonetheless matches her fancy before she places her orders for her flowers.

If you are a bride-to-be, how can you choose the wedding flowers that will enhance the atmosphere of your wedding, but without taking up all the money that you have set aside to get married?

1. Have a budget and stick to it. Make an estimate of how much money it would take you to cover all the expenses for your wedding flowers. Set aside a budget for your wedding flowers and try not to give in to temptation to spend more.

2. Hire a competent florist. If you do not think that you can handle all the details regarding your wedding flowers, engage the services of a florist. Choose a florist whom you can get along with and who is really interested in making your wedding a special one. Most of all, you should choose a florist who is willing to work with your budget.

3. Picture your wedding in your mind. One of the questions the florist you hired will ask you is what you want with your flower decorations and bouquets. Since you are the one getting married and not the florist, you should at least be able to give her an idea of how you picture your wedding to be.

4. Choose a theme. Working with a chosen theme would help a lot in the decision-making process when it comes to selecting wedding flowers. If you want a truly romantic setting, you can choose to fill the church and the reception venue with red roses. Orchids would be nice for an exotic wedding. If your theme is a color, you can combine different flowers of the same color of your choosing.

5. Match your flowers with your dress. Since you are the star of your wedding, the focus should be on you. You should stand out instead of blend in the background. The flowers you have selected should complement you and your wedding gown. The same goes with the flowers you choose for your bridesmaids. Their flowers should match their dresses as well.

6. Use flowers in-season. To save yourself and your florist the headache and the expense involved in shipping flowers out of season, just use flowers in season.

It is hard to imagine a wedding without flowers, and this is why brides make it a point to have flowers for their wedding. But if you do not want the hassle of deciding what flowers to buy for decorating the church and the reception, you can opt to hold your wedding at a botanical garden.