Choosing your wedding flowers tips

The bride’s bouquet

Traditionally the bride’s bouquet held only white flowers as a symbol of purity but today white is very rarely used on its own and flowers in colours to match the bridesmaid’s dresses are frequently used instead. The shape is just a matter of preference and florists will have books to show you with bouquets in several classic shapes and they will be able to advise you on the flowers best suitable for the chosen bouquet shape and availability due to season.

Two of the most popular shapes are the cascading waterfall which draws the eye from top to bottom and tends to have a slimming effect and compliments a full length dress however if you are only small then it can overshadow you.

The posy style draws attention to the hips and waist and may not be suitable for the taller person; this bouquet is normally held just below the waistline. As a general rule larger bouquets are more suited to full length wedding dresses while the smaller ones suit knee length dresses.

Preserving the bouquet after the wedding

Many brides wish to preserve their bouquet after the wedding day and there are several ways you can do this:

* The bouquet can be dried and kept.

* Take the bouquet apart and make a framed collage from the flowers.

* The florist can make an exact replica in silk flowers.

* Shoots can be taken from the plants and grown.

The bride’s headdress

A well chosen and styled floral headdress can enhance your wedding dress and the florist should be able to give advice on matching a suitable headdress to your wedding dress and bouquet. Another choice for the headdress and bouquets are silk flowers as these will look fresh and won’t wilt even on the hottest day, the bridesmaids could also wear smaller floral headdresses in the same colour and style as the bride.

Corsages and buttonholes

Corsages are small flower arraignments which are usually worn by the bride and grooms mothers, button holes are worn by the groom, best man, bride and grooms fathers and the ushers though other family members can wear them. The fathers, groom and best man will usually wear a double red carnation while the ushers wear a single red or white carnation.

Flowers for the wedding ceremony

If you are getting married in a church or register office then they will usually decorate with flowers themselves though churches will sometimes allow couple to bring in their own flower arraignments if asked. If you are bringing in your own flowers then this will needed to be done the day before the wedding and then after the wedding flowers are usually donated.

Flowers at the reception

Most reception halls, venues or hotels will provide the flower arraignments for the wedding reception as part of the service and price, if however you wish to decorate yourself then the management should be consulted and a suitable time arraigned the day before the wedding. Decorations will normally consist of a large display in the entrance hall and a smaller display on every table for the guests.