Wedding Flowers

Choosing Your Wedding Flowers.

Choosing Wedding Flowers is one of the most important decisions you will make. Considering that it will be the most important day of your life that decision needs to be one you can live with, happily, for the rest of your life. Before you start selecting flowers for your wedding there are lots of things you need to have planned such as your Wedding colors, do you have a theme, how large your wedding will be, will it be formal or more casual and at the beach or a Cathedral.

Whatever the theme, size or venue of your wedding, its best to choose flowers in season as out of season flowers can be very pricy. If your wedding will be outdoors try to choose fresh cut flowers that will hold up to the elements. Hardy varieties will hold up to the strain of the day better as well. You don’t want to have your flowers drooping and turning brown at the reception.

Choosing Your Bridal Bouquet.

Your Bridal Bouquet will be the most important accessory you will purchase for your Wedding day. Vibrant colors are becoming more popular in bridal flowers and bouquets. You are not limited to the pastel colors or solid white of days gone by unless that is what you prefer.

Bridal Bouquets come in several basic shapes such as;

Round which does not have to be perfectly round and the flowers can be tightly clustered or loose with a more airy look. Within the Round Shapes there is the Nosegay with is a smaller Victorian style cluster of flowers. The Beidermeier shape which consists of rings of flowers, with each ring representing a different type of flower.

Crescent shape bouquets can be symmetrical or asymmetrical with the sides flowing downward.

The Arm bouquet consists of long stem flowers cradled in your arm.

The Cascade or Teardrop Bouquets are round at the top and come to a point at the bottom usually with streamers of ribbon or flowers.

Single Stem arrangements are becoming more popular. They are typically long stem flowers decorated with streamers, ribbon or lace.

The most important question to ask yourself before you select your bouquet is, what will you do with it after the wedding? Will you put it on display in your home? Will you find a way to preserve it?

Since it is becoming more popular to use vibrant colors in weddings, this includes the flowers. More and more brides are choosing Silk Flowers. In most cases silk flowers are cheaper, they keep longer. A very popular idea is to mix silk flowers with fresh flowers, especially in center piece arrangements.

Popular Wedding Flower Meanings.

I have found some very interesting meanings for flowers most commonly used for Weddings. Flowers take on different meanings when combined with other types of flowers and when combined with other colors of the same type of flower. Here is a list of some of the more popular Wedding flowers for each of the four seasons and some of their meanings. The flower meanings I have listed come from a variety of sources and are by no means exact because nobody really knows.

Spring Wedding Flowers;
Amaryllis means Pride and Radiant Beauty.
Apple Blossom means Good Fortune and Better Things To Come.
Lily means Majesty, Innocence and Honor.
Peony means Bashful, Happy Marriage and Prosperity
Sweet Pea means Lasting Pleasure.
Tulip means Passion and Happy Years.

Summer Wedding Flowers;
Calla Lily means Magnificent Beauty.
Daisy means Innocence and Purity.
Hydrangea means Vanity.
Iris means Wisdom, Faith and Hope.
White Rose means Honor, Reverence, Purity.
Queen Annes Lace means Sanctuary or Haven.

Autumn Wedding Flowers;
Aster means Elegance, Daintiness and Patience.
Chrysanthemum means Cheerfulness, Optimism and Joy.
Gerbera Daisy means Purity and Cheerfulness.
Statice means Remembrance and Success.

Winter Wedding Flowers;
Camellia means Gratitude and Graciousness.
Gardenia means Joy, Sweet Love and Good Luck.
Jasmine means Amiability and Elegance.
Orchid means Rare Beauty, Long Life and Refinement.

About the Author

Deby has been a writer for Christmas Decorations and Gifts for several years. Select to view Christmas Decorations Ideas. We also have a great selection of Wedding Table Decorations.

Five Ways To Save On Wedding Flowers And Decor

After selecting the perfect reception site, it's all about the details. Consider the venue a blank canvas upon which to create your stylistic masterpiece. Event décor can make or break the ambiance, but don't assume it has to break your wedding budget. Remember-less is always more. With my sound advice, you can find simple ways to get the most bang for your decorating buck.

Choose Wisely - Make your wedding venue work for you - not against you. Find a ceremony and reception site that complements your desired style - so that you don't have to decorate around it with pricey floral arrangements. For instance, if you envision a relaxed natural setting, go with a park or botanical garden. Or for a formal stately affair, consider a museum or historical building, with dominant architecture as your wedding backdrop.

Something Borrowed - Add a personalized touch and honor your heritage by using family photos as wedding décor pieces. Gather some stylish frames and ask for photos from both sides from the family (black and white works perfectly here). These inexpensive touches can embellish your guest book table or decorate otherwise décor-impaired spaces in the facility.

Think Double Duty - Wedding flowers are pricey, so make your floral arrangements earn their keep. Invite your ceremony flowers to the reception! You can use them to decorate your cake or gift table - and your guests will never be the wiser.

Go For Impact - Unfortunately, some elements of your special day simply go unnoticed by guests. Fortunately, that means that if your budget won't allow you to drape your entire reception area in stylish décor pieces, you can still create a noticeable impact by saving your decorating dollars for the areas that will pack the biggest punch - such as the entranceway.

See The Light - The right lighting can transform an ordinary room into something extraordinary. If hiring a lighting technician is out of your budget, consider creating this effect with candles. Fill glass bowls with floating candles and flowers, or place a single pillar candle in a hurricane lantern for a dramatic effect. The result is romantic and elegant...and inexpensive. For even more advice to help you plan your wedding decor, this step-by-step guide to wedding flowers and wedding decorations will walk you through the process.

Fall Wedding Flowers

If you imagined a fall wedding with no choices for a bouquet beyond carrying a pot of bright yellow chrysanthemums down the aisle, you will be pleased to find the many varieties of elegant fall wedding flowers- that don’t come in flower pots. Flowers with warm autumn colors including shades of wine, cranberry, deep yellows and oranges are often available without special ordering. And even if you are looking to use pink, peach, apricots or lavenders, there are several varieties of fall wedding flowers to choose from.


Popular Varieties of Fall Wedding Flowers

Calla lilies have grown in popularity with their many color and size varieties including rusty oranges and dark reds. Calla lilies have a mini version that are a frequent accent flower to bouquets or can be pulled together in a modern and creative looking bouquet with its unique cone-like shape. The larger blossom variety of this flower tied with a coordinating satin or tulle ribbon can make an excellent single flower bouquet for your bridesmaids.

Bright, lipstick red roses are a traditional favorite but by selecting different tones of red such as deep red roses or black beauty roses, your fall wedding flowers carry the autumn theme a little truer to its palette. If you know you will be going down the red path, ask your florist to have some live rose samples in various shades of red ahead of time so that you can get an up close impression of the color options. The dark red fall wedding flowers can capture the warmth of autumn and offer the classic elegance of a rose.


Colorful Fall Wedding Flowers

Gerber daisies, lilies and hydrangeas are colorful, cost efficient fall wedding flowers. These blossoms come in a wide assortment of colors and bloom sizes. Gerber daisies have a fun and simple personality and have some of the boldest, natural colors to choose from. Lilies are often thought of as white, springy flowers but there are many elegant fall varieties in deep wines and yellows. Lilies also have blossoms in large and mini versions that can work for any bouquet. Hydrangeas are typically large, colorful blooms with dozens of petals on every blossom that can be great for the flower girl’s basket.

Sunflowers in bloom are the sure sign that summer is coming to an end. These warm, bright yellow and orange hued sunflowers have giant varieties great for decorative arrangements and smaller, elegant versions that are great focal pieces to your bouquet.


Autumn Whites

Fall wedding flowers don’t have to be full of bright or deep colors. All white bouquets with Bianca white roses, white Gerber daisies and ivory calla lilies are meant for a bride’s bouquet. Gardenia’s are often fragile and can be pricey but are very classic wedding flowers. And while typically thought of for spring, white delphiniums, peonies and sweet peas can be excellent choices as well.

When meeting with your florist you should try to have your color palette in mind so that you don’t let the type of flower you want and the colors available decide your entire wedding theme. If you are selecting fall wedding flowers, there are many varieties, styles and colors to choose from whether you want bright, classic or elegant arrangements.


About the Author
Why not visit our website for more help with your wedding planning along with more ideas for the wedding flowers.

Most Popular Wedding Flowers

Wedding flowers are perhaps one of the most important aspects of the wedding, although they also tend to be one of the aspects of the wedding that are dealt with the quickest. This is because people tend to make snap judgments about flowers when sitting back and thinking about it a little bit is really the better way to go. The flowers in a wedding are everywhere, serving multiple purposes and that is exactly why understanding not only what the most popular wedding flowers are, but also why they are so popular is essential to picking the best wedding flowers for your specific occasion. In order to really understand the most popular wedding flowers however, it is important to look at them from the point of view of the different uses they will have.

The Bouquet

When dealing with the bouquet, there are two things in particular that drive the most popular wedding flowers. The first of these two things is the color of the flower because the vast majority of wedding bouquets involve flowers that are white or off white (i.e. cream) in color. Think about all of the bouquets at all of the weddings that you have been to and you will soon realize this fact to be true. Examples of extremely popular flowers in this category include gardenias, stephanotis, roses, carnations, orchids, lilies and sweet peaks.

In addition to color however, another thing that you must take into account is the scent of the flower. Some wedding bouquets are carried by people that love to have the scent of the flowers whereas in other cases light-headedness or outright allergy might argue against scented bouquets. Flowers that are extremely popular in scented bouquets are gardenias, tuberoses, peonies and stephanotis, so keep those flowers in mind when making the final decision on this front.

The Decorations

In addition to the bouquet that the bride will be carrying, there are also flowers that are going to be around in terms of the decorations. Decorations at weddings quite frequently involve floral arrangements of some kind and because of that making the decisions regarding the flowers in those decorations is absolutely something that you want to make sure that you do. There are not really any most popular choices in terms of decorative flowers because the flowers that people use in the decorations are going to depend on what they are doing with the rest of the decorations that are not flower in form. Colour, texture, shape, size and smell are all aspects of the decorative flowers that will largely be decided by what the other wedding decorations happen to be.

The Reception

At the reception of a typical wedding, there will be flowers in the decorations once again. However, these flower decisions can largely be put aside as being covered by the decisions you made in the previous paragraph, which in turn leaves the flowers that you will be using on the tables. Tables at the reception traditionally have a flower arrangement and a centrepiece, although the two might be combined together depending on the centrepiece design that is used.

When choosing flowers for the tables in a reception, there are many factors that you need to take into account. These are the same factors that you took into account vis-à-vis the bouquet, such as potential allergies that guests might have as well as personal preferences of your guests in terms of scents. While some people jump at the thought of scented flowers, other people find them extremely irritating and that is exactly why you need to spend time thinking about the flowers in the wedding before the final decisions are made.


About the Author
Shop for flowers online and select from our wide variety of exquisite fresh flowers and arrangements. We provide flower gifts for that special occasion and specialize in same day Flower Delivery.

Wedding Flowers Picture

Planning Wedding Flowers

Planning a wedding is not without its share of stresses. There are so many choices and decisions to be made, from the wedding date and location to the invitations, to the wedding dress, to the photographer, to the wedding cake, to the music, and on and on. The planning seems almost endless. There is, however, at least one area of wedding planning that should be joyful and uncomplicated: the wedding flowers. In this edition of the newsletter we'll explore some of the ways to make planning the wedding flowers an easy and stress-free experience.

Wedding Ceremony

The first step in planning the wedding flowers is to arrange an appointment with your favorite professional florist for a wedding consultation. This is best done at least six months prior to the wedding date. Most consultations for wedding flowers take between one and two hours, so be sure to allow enough time in your schedule. Prepare for the consultation by gathering pictures from bridal magazines of wedding flowers that appeal to you. Have a list of some of your favorite flowers as well as some that you don't especially care for. This will make your florist's job easier when suggesting bouquets and other floral decorations. Bring pictures of the bridal gown and the bridesmaids' dresses, as well as a sample of the fabrics being used in those dresses. In many cases, it is the color of the bridesmaids' dresses that determines the palette of colors to be used in the wedding flowers. Also, bring along a picture of the wedding cake if possible. This will help in planning flowers or other decorations for the cake and the wedding cake table.

Make a list of the members of the wedding party and the other people who will be participating in the wedding. Besides the bride and groom, this list should include the maid of honor, the other bridesmaids, the best man and the other groomsmen, the flower girl and the ring bearer, if any. Also list the parents, the grandparents, and any step-parents of both the bride and the groom, as well as any special honored guests, such as a great aunt or a childhood nanny. Include any additional ushers and anyone who may be singing or reading at the wedding ceremony. List any volunteer hostesses, such as guest book attendants, cake servers, etc. These are all people for whom corsages or boutonnieres should be provided (remember to ask mothers and grandmothers what style of corsage they prefer - pinned to the shoulder, worn as a wristlet, attached to a clutch or carried as a fingertip nosegay). To discover some of the trends in personal flowers, read "Wedding Accessories," our prior newsletter on the subject. And finally, have an estimate of the number of guests that will be attending the wedding.

Wedding Reception

Quite often, your local florist will be familiar with the venue for the wedding, having worked there previously. Nonetheless, it's a good idea to have a floor plan of the site for both the wedding ceremony and the wedding reception. Make note of any unique architectural features, as well as colors and style of décor. Know what kinds of banquet equipment, such as tables and linens, are available at the wedding reception facility, and have the names of the staff people with whom you've spoken. Bring with you a copy of the wedding policies for each venue, if necessary.

At the wedding flower consultation, begin by telling your florist what feeling or mood you would like to create for the ceremony and the reception. Shall it be dramatic and sophisticated? Elegant and romantic? Casual and upbeat? Should the wedding reception have the same feeling as the ceremony? Will any part of the wedding take place outdoors? If you have a particular budget in mind, let your florist know that, too. All of this information will guide your florist in making suggestions for the wedding flowers.

As was mentioned earlier, the color of the bridesmaids' dresses is very often a starting point in planning the color harmonies for the wedding flowers, and your florist will have several suggestions as to how the color may be best utilized. For example, the dress color may be repeated in the bridesmaids' bouquets. Or, it may be the basis of a contrasting, complementary color harmony. Whatever bouquet colors are selected, they should look good against the backdrop of the dresses as well as inside the church, synagogue or other venue where the wedding is taking place. For more ideas about wedding bouquets, read our earlier newsletter, "Trends in Wedding Bouquets."

In planning the decorations for the wedding ceremony location, consider all the areas that may be enhanced with flowers, including:

• the altar
• columns and candelabra flanking the altar or creating a backdrop for the ceremony
• an archway or canopy
• the podium or lectern
• for Jewish weddings, the chuppah
• the ends of the pews or the aisle itself
• communion rails
• window ledges
• the entry vestibule
• the guest book table
• doors leading into the sanctuary
• stair rails outside the entrance

The wedding reception may be decorated in a style similar to that of the ceremony, or it may be completely different. For example, many brides choose all white flowers for the wedding ceremony and switch to a more colorful scheme for the reception. In planning the reception flowers, let your florist know what kind of food will be served and how it will be presented. Is it a stand-up buffet of finger foods or a seated banquet with a plated meal? Cake and punch only, a cocktail party, or a complete dinner? Will there be a dance floor? Entertainment?

Some other considerations in planning the wedding reception flowers include:

• the entry area
• place card table
• buffet table centerpieces
• guest seating table arrangements
• head table design
• free-standing decorations and foliage rental
• table linens
• candles
• stage décor
• wedding cake and cake table
• restrooms

Read "Decorating Ideas for a Wedding Reception," our previous newsletter on the subject, for more thoughts on wedding reception flowers.

As you can see, planning the flowers for a wedding is no simple undertaking. But it doesn't have to be difficult. With adequate preparation and a little forethought, combined with the expertise of a talented professional florist, the planning process can be as smooth as a silk wedding dress and you will have created the kind of beautiful memories that last a lifetime.

More wedding related articles:
Fall in Love with Fall Flowers
Roses and More Roses
Beautiful Wedding Flower Pictures
Decorating ideas for a Wedding Reception
The Perfect Wedding
Fabulous Wedding Flowers
Roses as Wedding Bouquet Flowers
Autumn Wedding Bouquet Flowers
Wedding Day Wishes

Outside Ceremonies

Decorating for your ceremony is just as important as choosing the location.
Below are some photos of recent Brides choices and a brief description of the location, anddecorations possibilities.

A simply constructed chuppah, covered with luxurious linen, and draped with English Ivy
and Dendrobium orchids made a Simply elegant statement at this back yard wedding.


Above we find a simple lattice archway, draped in elegant white tulle. Flowers adorn
the archway at the three arch points. This bride chose Roses, Stock, Hydrangea, Pom
Poms, and Babies Breath.

Choosing tropical in the dead of summer is an innovative way to add color and drama to your ceremony location. Pictured here at Cypress Grove Park, are arrangements of hot pink Ginger and Stargazer Lilies, glowing yellow Mini Calla Lilies and Oncidium Orchids, and perfect purple Iris. Choosing a center arrangement that is larger than the two side arrangements is a smart way to cover the Gazebo without spending a fortune in flowers.

Use your floral decorations on a Gazebo or archway again to decorated the entrance of your reception location. This happy couple decorated the Gazebo with Florida Ruscas garland adorned with masses of hot pink, white and ivory roses, and curly willow. After the nuptials were over, we simply took the garland down, drove to Heathrow, and reattached the same garland on the entrance to the club.



If a garden ceremony is all you have dreamed of, tip up an archway, cover it with
luxurious gossamer fabric, adorn it with a swag of flowers at the top, flank it with Roman
columns topped with green plants, or flowers, and you have an instant Fairy tale wedding.

Two 8' Roman Columns, and two 6' Roman Columns draped with tulle, and topped
off with beautiful cascades of Roses, Lissianthus, poms and Carnations set the mood as
well as help keep your costs down. If you like, this arrangement can be moved into the
reception location being the head table for added drama.





A gazebo adorned with flowers can make any location suitable for a wedding. Pictured
here are two such examples. A lakeside ceremony on the left, and a beach side hotel on
the right. Both of these setups are fully removable and available through our rental
department.

Mason Jardin Restaurant in Altamonte springs, makes a beautiful garden venue. Pictured here is a simply elegant combination of white tulle swagging the aisle, with pew arrangements of dendrobium orchids and curly willow.

For ore information go to this site :-

http://www.blossomsweddingflowers.com/ceremony_decorations.htm