A Garden of Love on your Wedding Day

by Peter Carnater

Everyone hopes to have a picture-perfect wedding day. Getting to that point takes untold amounts of time, money, energy and patience. Even the tiniest detail cannot be left unchecked, if we have any hope of eluding Murphy's Law. These days, brides-to-be must even consider potential allergic reactions to their flowers, in addition to the more traditional details. It's enough to crush the faint of heart.

The flowers for the church, the wedding party and the reception are a big item on the wedding plans list. If this goes wrong, it can be a real disaster. So many problems can crop up in this area: flowers not being delivered on time, not fresh, or not the flowers the bride ordered. Just try to send the flowers them back or get new ones when your perfectly orchestrated color scheme is ruined because the wrong colored flowers arrived. The ambiance of the wedding is ruined, and we probaly have a bride in tears. Take certain precautions to avoid this disaster. Before you meet with your florist, there are certain steps that must be taken so that you'll be prepared to cement the arrangements quickly and cleanly. Many of the details will hinge on the color scheme. If you haven't yet determined what that will be by the time you're ready to order your flowers, you're going to encounter your first major glitch. While many varieties of flowers are available in several colors, that's not always the case and if you're looking for a specific type of flower, it may just be that it won't be available in the color that you finally choose. Typically, it's best to begin with the color of the bridesmaids' outfits and choose other shades that will complement them.

You always need to take the season of your wedding into account when you are choosing your flowers. Even though, nowadays, many flowers are available all year long, it will add charm to your wedding if the flowers suit the season. Daisies in the middle of winter may not convey the mood you would want, and out of season flowers will probably be more expensive. You also need to consider the type of wedding that you're planning. Formal church weddings need more sophisticated arrangements than a wedding on the beach.

Take your total wedding budget into consideration when you are planning the budget for your flowers. The rule of thumb is to spend ten to fifteen percent of your budget on your flowers. Anything higher will break the budget, or cause you to skimp on other more important items. Be sure to discuss your budget and its limitations with your florist at the very beginning. He is the expert, and can work with you to explore different ideas that will make your day perfect without breaking the bank.

Other considerations include bouquet size, the shade of your gown (there are many variations of white), whether or not you prefer a "toss" bouquet, the seasonal temperature (some flowers don't do well if carried outdoors during the winter months, and will actually turn black), whether or not the flowers may pose a pollen problem for your gown (lilies should have the stamens removed before being
carried down the aisle, since they can stain your gown) and dozens of other little details that your florist will help you to work through. Most of all, be open-minded, learn to take advice and don't sweat the small stuff.