Planning your Floral Arrangements

Martha Stewart Weddings

Whether you're planning a wedding or a tea party, floral arrangements make a big statement regardless of their size. Whether you enjoy a more spur of the moment pick of the season, or custom designed masterpiece, here are a few tips for making your trip to the florist worthwhile.

--If your event falls on a major "floral holiday"--Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Prom, or Homecoming--you need to plan far in advance. Popular flowers for that season may be in high demand, and you should try to get some initial figures and designs from the florist at least three months in advance.

--For weddings, try to complete your initial floral planning six months in advance. Ask the florist to use in season blooms to lower the price. Bring photos to your consultation--pick photos that demonstrate the color scheme, shape, flowers, or containers that you admire.

Martha Stewart
Weddings

--You can add an extravagant garden look to arrangements by using less florals. Seasonal fruits, twigs, and weedy plants may also lower the price. Try faux grapes--their rich colors and frosty texture are easy to imitate, and will add succulence to your arrangement.

--Ask the florist to write or type up a quote for you that includes the flowers used in each arrangement and the quantities of arrangements. Typically you have these categories to concentrate on for a wedding:

    bridal bouquet, bridesmaid bouquets, groom boutonnière, groomsmen boutonnière, flower     girl bouquet, ring bearer bouquet, parents boutonnière, grandparents boutonnière, alter     arrangements, table centerpieces, cake table arrangement, and bridal party table             arrangements.

You can leave out any combination of these to lower your price.

--If the florist plans on keeping the quote they've given you, ask for a copy of the writeup. You can take this to other florists to see how their prices might compare for the same arrangement. You can also refresh your memory by looking up the flowers you chose at sierraflowerfinder.com. Here you can search for flowers by name and browse photos.

--Lastly, like most pretty things, your arrangements are at the whim of nature. Don't expect your flowers to look exactly like the glossy you pulled from the magazine. Embrace the surprise of it all.

Comments

[angie]

Those are gorgeous, I love the creative mix of flowers and fruits at the first arrangement. I think, I may request my Silverdale florist to make me an exact replica.

[Elizabeth]

the dress and bouquet is amazing! i love the colors and the uniqueness of the floral draping.

[Shreny]

It's awesome....