Congratulations on your engagement! This is a really exciting time in your life. It’s also probably going to be a bit stressful.
During this next year, I want to walk through this process with you. I’ll give you a 12 Month Guide to planning your wedding and explain things along the way. You can start from the beginning here (click). Come back to this blog each week for the next installment.
Week 13 – Florist
Hope you’re week of looking for bridesmaid attire has gone well! This week we’ll be addressing flowers and choosing a florist!
First, let’s look at the basic styles of floral bouquet arrangements and work on figuring out your options.
Bouquet by Rosetree Floral Design in Waco, TX
1. Arm Sheath
This bouquet is long with the stems exposed. It is draped over the bride’s arm like you’d see at a beauty pageant. This is a good formal look as well as a more casual look, depending on what flowers are used.
2. Ballerina Bouquet
This is a small bouquet that has tulle wrapped around the bottom. This is a very feminine look.
3. Breidermeier Bouquet
This bouquet is made of tight consecutive circles of flowers. It can be end up as a bold, bull’s eye look.
4. Cascading Bouquet
This look starts as a normal bouquet, but it flows over your hands and down the front. This can make a beautiful formal bouquet.
5. Composite Bouquet
This is not made of whole flowers. Florists become true designers by wiring flower petals and creating one large flower. It’s a unique look and expensive.
6. Nosegay Bouquet
These bouquets are also small enough to hold in one hand. This is a traditional and round look. They usually have more greenery in with the flowers. This is where you might encounter a tussle-mussle, which is a metal bouquet holder.
7. Pomander Bouquet
This is a ball of flowers that is held by a ribbon or chain. It is becoming more common for flower-girls.
8. Posy or Hand-Tied Bouquet
This bouquet is small, can be held in one hand and is much more traditional. It is often wrapped in ribbon or velvet and secured with pearl pins.
9. Wreath Bouquet
This bouquet is closer to a traditional bouquet, but the stems are still exposed. Flowers are gathered into a bouquet and tied with a ribbon. This is a more casual look.
Those are the basic bouquets. Boutonnieres come in multiple forms, but they are all fairly small so they fit on a suit’s lapel. There are three ways for mothers and grandmothers to wear flowers. They can have a small corsage pinned to their dress, they can wear the corsage on a wrist strap (a lot kinder on nice dresses), or they can carry small bouquets (no larger than a ballerina bouquet).
You can use flowers to decorate in so many ways. You can have a simple arrangement on the alter or you can use them to frame an arch. You can drape them across pews or place petals along the aisle. You can have small arrangements on the reception tables, or you can have multiple arrangements that vary in size placed throughout the reception area. These are things you’ll want to discuss with your florist while you consider cost, style and flowers.
As I’ve mentioned before, there are many lists out there about questions to ask florists. Use your best judgement on what you need to know about who you hire. Here are the top things I recommend you look for in a florist:
1. Vision
The first person you talk to may be incredibly talented, but do they understand your vision and build on it? Several years ago, I talked with two florists for my wedding. They first was local, recommended by a ton of friends, and a company I’d had a tiny bit of experience with. They are great at what they do, but the designer I talked to kept steering me away from what I’d envisioned for years (not a good sign). I left the appointment feeling discouraged. The second person was recommended to me by the reception venue. As soon as I explained what I’d always thought I wanted, she jumped on board and tried to figure out how to make it work. There were a few adaptions (I hadn’t thought about the length of time it takes for flowers to dry up when you cut the stem), but the overall look was spot on. Basically, know what look or style you’ve dreamed of and ask how to make it happen. The florist knows how flowers work, when flowers are in season, and everything else that goes into keeping flowers fresh and beautiful.
2. Price
I’m like a broken record, aren’t I? What does your budget say you can spend on floral arrangements? Please try to stay in that price range. Tips for staying in budget are to only use flowers that are in season, adjust the size or style of bouquets, perhaps make half of the arrangements while the florist handles the more difficult ones.
3. Personality
I’ve talked about this before, and it really goes hand-in-hand with having the same vision. Make sure you’re in sync and that you enjoy working together.
4. Experience
Again, it’s not the most important factor, but it does weigh in. The florist needs to know when to finish arrangements and set up so that the flowers are fresh and stunning.
That’s all for now. I hope it gives you a better concept as you go to visit florists. What’s one flower you know you want in your bouquet?
Next week we’ll go into how to select a rental company!
Katelyn is a certified wedding planner. She is available for consultations.
She will even meet with you on Skype to help you work through part of your wedding planning.
Click here for more information.