Its hard to imagine a wedding without flowers.
They create the most lasting impact on your wedding ceremony and reception, transforming the simplest dress into a glorious gown, a church into a cathedral and your reception into a palace.
As soon as you have set your date and chosen your wedding dress, make an appointment with several professional wedding florists and ask to see photographs of their recent work. Take along a photo of your venue(s); your gown and the bridesmaids dresses; any samples of materials and trimmings; your magazine cuttings. Know the name(s) of your favourite flowers and have some idea of your budget.
Nowadays, most flowers are available all year round. It is best to choose the flowers that are in season - they are more readily available and less expensive. If you have your heart set on something out of season, discuss this with your florist, they may be able to make special arrangements but it will be more difficult for them to guarantee the availability. If it is a matter of colour, ask if there is a seasonal flower that could be dyed appropriately.
Wedding bouquets have moved on a great deal from the days of simple flower arrangements, so keep an open mind when making your choice. Fruit - even miniature  pineapples - can be incorporated, giving a twist to your bouquet and arrangements.
Foliage is more prominent in the arrangements than it has been in the past, so dont be too fixated on the blooms - some very striking effects can be achieved with well chosen leaves and accents. A professional florist will of course be able to advise you in detail.
Silk or dried flowers are very popular and a good alternative, particularly if you suffer from any allergies.
The size and shape of your bouquet will depend on your figure as well as the style and fabric of your dress. Remember too, that you, and your bridesmaids, will be carrying them for sometime so they should be light and easy to carry.
The bridesmaids flowers generally complement the brides bouquet but very young attendants might be happier with baskets, horseshoes, wrist posies, pomanders, or decorated hoops rather than bouquets.
Some brides also have a flower girl. She carries a basket of flowers and gives a flower to each guest as they arrive; she may also walk in front of the bride and bridegroom as they walk out of the church and she scatters flower petals along their path. Do check with the church that this will be permitted.
 The men in the bridal party traditionally wear a buttonhole in the le  ft lapel. A carnation is no longer the only flower used for buttonholes. Consider choosing a more unusual bloom for your buttonhole, especially if you are wearing a very plain suit. In some cases several small blooms or stems can look just as good as a single bloom. Again, a creative choice of foliage can be well used here. The bridegroom may wear a flower to match the brides bouquet.
The mother of the bride and the mother of the bridegroom usually wear corsages, either to match the theme of the bridal party, or flowers to complement their own outfits.
If you are getting married in a register office you will need to check if you can decorate the room with flowers. However, you will be able to decorate the church - though check beforehand in case there are any objections to certain decorations, and the throwing of confetti. (If there are other weddings in the church that day you could speak with the other couples and between you choose something mutually acceptable, maybe even extravagant, and split the cost!)
Bird seed or blowing bubbles are good alternatives if paper confetti is a problem.
Decorating the church pews makes a wonderful welcome for your guests and large pedestals of flowers or flowering trees are well worth considering.
Your reception flowers may be part of the package offered by your reception venue or catering company, but do check what is included and make sure it is what you want.
Table arrangements should be short enough to see over or, tall enough to see under. It is a nice idea to have them made out of individual sprays of flowers that can be distributed to the guests as they leave. The top table should have a long, low flower arrangement falling over the front of the table. Dont forget the flowers to place around the cake.
Check to see if your florist is prepared to visit your chosen venue. This is always best as photographs can be misleading in showing exactly how much space is available for any floral arrangements.
An increasing number of brides are preserving their bouquets as a lovely and lasting keepsake. It can be mounted in a frame, sometimes using a sample of their bridal gown materials as a background, or some lace trimmings, etc.
Most flowers are suitable for preserving but check first. Tell your florist that you wish to preserve your bouquet so that she keeps wiring to a minimum.
If you want to fulfil the tradition of throwing your bouquet over your shoulder as you leave the reception, you could ask your florist to make a smaller replica of your bouquet.
- Carnation - Fascination
- Chrysanthemum - I love
- Daffodil - Regard
- Fern - Sincerity
- Forget-me-knot - Remembrance
- Heliotrope - Devotion
- Hyacinth - Lovliness
- Ivy - Fidelity- Lovliness
- Jasmine - Amiability
- Lemon Blossom - Fidelity
- Lily, White - Purity
- Lily of the Valley- Return of Happiness
- Magnolia- Sensitivity
- Maidenhair - Discretion
- Peach Blossom - Captive
- Pink - Boldness
- Rose - Love, Beauty
- Rose, white - I am worthy of you
- Sweat Pea - Delicate pleasures
- Tulip, red - Love
- Tulip, variegated - Beautiful eyes
- Veronica - Fidelity
- Violet - Faithfulness
- Determine your budget and book as soon as possible
- Find a florist who enjoys arranging wedding flowers, not all do. Most offer free consultations
- Meet the florist who will be overseeing the flowers on the day. Ask to see a portfolio of recent weddings and testimonials from other couples
- Expect to spend at least an hour at the initial meeting, so booking an appointment is advisable
- Ask if yours will be the only wedding that day
- When you find the right florist for you, agree in writing the minimum numbers of bouquets, buttonholes, corsages, table arrangements and pedestals and ask for a written estimate. Ensure it includes VAT and delivery. Secure the booking with a deposit and ask for a receipt
- If hiring pedestals, candle holders, vases or containers, these will need to be collected after the wedding. Check with the venue(s) whether any other flower arrangements need to be removed
- Finalise the exact details and numbers about a month before the wedding. By now, especially if your florist is not familiar with your venue(s), you will meet him or her there and determined access times, etc. Or, if its a marquee wedding, you will have provided a floor plan showing the entrances
- Ask for a written contract. Compare this against your original checklist and estimate. Remember that your choice of flowers may alter the price, especially if they are out-of-season
- Give addresses for deliveries: usually the bouquets, corsages and the brides fathers buttonhole to one address and the buttonholes for the guests to another address. Make a list of the guests to receive buttonholes. Give a copy to the Ushers to distribute to guests arriving at your ceremony venue
- Your bridal bouquet should be the starting point to your decisions. However, also keep in mind the dcor and colour scheme of your venue(s)
- You will spend more time at the reception venue than at the ceremony, so spend more on the reception flowers
- Be open to your florists suggestions, particularly if they are familiar with your venue(s)
- At the church, maybe you can work together with the volunteer flower arrangers in exchange for a donation
- Go for one large display in a prominent position rather than smaller ones scattered about
- Avoid too much table decoration - less is more!
- Hold bouquets just below the waist and tilt them forward
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