Important Considerations - Flowers

Similar to all other wedding decisions, planning your wedding flowers takes time and a lot of thought. Obviously you want your flowers to coordinate well with your decor, fit in your budget, and look fantastic, but you will also want to consider the following:

• Will you be hiring a florist or doing the flowers yourself? Putting a bouquet together may not seem very difficult, but it can be more complicated than it looks. First, you need to practice well in advance to make absolutely sure that you and/or your family/friends can do the job. Then, I would recommend that you have lots of help. If you are using fresh flowers, it will not be something that can be done well in advance and there is so much to do at the very last minute that you will need help.
• Are you going for silk or the real thing? First, you need to understand that throughout the day the bouquets take a lot of abuse. Depending on the season, the flowers can be exposed to either really cold situations or very hot temperatures. Also, the flowers get waved around, pushed around, and in some cases dropped on the ground. Fresh flowers are wonderful, but you need to understand that you may not have the perfect flowers at the end of the night. With fresh flowers, you must also realize the fact that they may not be 100% perfect, or exactly the color that you had in mind. With silk flowers, you must think about how important it is for them to look real. Silk flowers that look very real can in a lot of cases cost more than real flowers. In addition, if you are purchasing silk flowers and are ordering online or without seeing them in advance, make sure that you can return them or order a sample, as the quality and colors may vary. The choice of real or silk flowers really depends on the person and the setting of the wedding, but either one can work well.
• What colors are you looking for? If you are looking at real flowers, you may want to choose natural colors. Many florists will tell you that flowers can be dyed, and this is a good option for arrangements, but beware, there may be problems in stopping the ink from leaking on to your white dress. With flowers you will also want to consider that trying to match colors too much may be difficult. I would suggest choosing a complementary color instead of trying to find an exact match.
• Are the flowers in season? Not only will choosing flowers that are in season save you money because they are more readily available, but they may also be nicer flowers. Trying to find exotic flowers may limit the suppliers, which means higher costs. In addition, if the flowers have to come from further away, the flowers may be less fresh. The last thing you want on your wedding day is to have your flowers arrive with brown spots.
• Can the flower arrangements be used for the ceremony and the reception? If you are looking for ways to save money, try to use as many of the decorations in both areas. Generally, flower arrangements are easy to load and place at the reception venue. Often you can have a close friend of family member with a larger vehicle do this if you don’t have a decorator. Beyond saving money, using the flower for both also bring continuity to the event.
• Will you be keeping the arrangements? If you are planning on keeping the bouquet, find out in advance the best way to preserve and/or dry the flowers. Don’t just put them on the counter on the night of your wedding, as this may ruin the bouquet.
• How many flowers/arrangements will you need? Flowers can be used to decorate the ceremony, the tables, can be given as favors, and are generally a part of the wedding party’s attire. Beyond that, corsages are often given to the mothers and/or grandmothers of bride and groom. It is also common for the fathers and grandfathers of the bride and groom also receive a boutonniere. Before making floral arrangements, make sure that you know what you will need. With flowers, you can often save money by buying in bulk.

Flowers provide great decor, and are usually a considerable portion of your wedding budget. Take the time to consider the options and make sure that you get the perfect wedding flowers.

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