Flowers

Flowers are a very important aspect of the wedding. As a general rule you should consult a florist at least 2 months prior to the big day, even earlier if your wedding day is during peak wedding season. You can discuss your ideas as soon as you have decided on your themes and your colours. Brides-to-be may also want to bring along fabric samples of the wedding dress and their bridesmaids’ dresses, to help find the most suitable blooms to compliment their outfits.

Choosing the right florist

When you meet with your florist, ask to see some of their work and see if you can get any ideas which can be incorporated into your own wedding. Your florist may also be able to offer some helpful suggestions. Let your florist know the kind of mood you are aiming to achieve and ask for suggestions as to which types of flowers are most fitting. For example, frangipanis are not particularly well suited for elegant and formal weddings whereas roses, tulips, lilies or orchids are much more appropriate.

It’s also a good idea to bring a checklist along with you when meeting your florist, listing all the places you need flowers for. Your florist will be able to suggest the types of flowers that would be suited for each setting.

Here’s an example of what your sample checklist might look like:

• A bouquet for the Bride
• Bouquets for the bridesmaids
• Bouquets for the flower girls
• Corsages for the Mother’s and Grandmother’s of the Bride and Groom
• Flowers for the Groom’s lapel
• Flowers for the Groomsmen’s lapel
• Flowers for the Pageboy’s lapel
• Flowers for the Bride and Groom’s Father’s and Grandfather’s lapel
• Flower arrangements for the ceremony entrance, chairs and lectern
• Flower arrangements for the reception entrance and signing table
• Flower arrangements for the Bridal table
• Floral centrepieces for dining tables

Choosing your flowers

There are many different blooms to choose from but if you are on a budget, a good alternative might be replacing real flowers with silk ones. Silk flowers have the added advantage in that you can reuse your flowers.

For example, flowers used to decorate the church during the ceremony can also be used to decorate the reception venue as well. You can also save money on flowers by using blooms that are in season, as well as keeping in mind that flowers will always incur a higher cost during special occasions such as Valentine’s Day, where the demand for them is higher. ç

Below is a list of popular blooms including when they are in season and what they represent.

Season – All year round

Alstromeria – Abundance
Anemone (Wood or De Caen Variety) – Expectation
Asiatic Lily – Purity
Baby’s Breath – Innocence and fertility
Carnation – Boldness (pink), love (red), talent (white), admiration
Chrysanthemum – Wealth, abundance and truth
Daisy – The sharing of feelings
Gardenia – Purity and joy
Gerbera – Admiration
Ivy – Fidelity
Lilacs (French variety) – Love’s first emotions
Lissianthus – Beauty
Orchid – Love and beauty, sensuality
Oriental Lily – Purity
Rose – Love, joy and beauty
Stephanotis – Marital happiness
Stock – Lasting beauty

Season – Spring/Summer

Calla Lily – Magnificent beauty
Daffodil – Regard
Delphinium – Swiftness and lightness
Freesia – Innocence and sweetness
Hydrangea – Unknown
Iris – Faith and wisdom
Lilac (Local variety) – Love’s first emotions
Lily – Happiness
Lily of the Valley – Happiness
Magnolia – Love of nature
Peony – Bashfulness
Sweet Pea – Departure
Tulip – Love and passion, elegance

Season – Fall

Anemone (Japanese variety) – Expectation
Hydrangea – Unknown
Sunflower – Adoration (short stemmed), haughtiness (long stemmed)

The bouquet

From the traditional to the modern, a stunning bouquet is one of the most important accessories for you on your wedding day.

A bouquet should be designed to compliment your dress so while it may be tempting to have a large and ornate bouquet, other factors have to be taken into consideration. You’ll be carrying your bouquet around for most of the day, so will it be heavy? Will you be able to pass it to your bridesmaids with ease? Will the blooms you have selected be able to withstand the handling and temperature throughout the day? If you would like to preserve your bouquet after the wedding, are the blooms suitable for this process? And if you want to preserve your wedding bouquet, is a complimentary throwaway bouquet available?

Whatever you decide to go with, flowers are the perfect accessory to creating the perfect ambience for your wedding. Have fun with deciding the perfect flowers for you!

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