planning

The key to successful wedding flowers is planning! Here are a few important issues you must consider:

Budget - It's a good idea to set a budget window. Everyone has a budget, so don't be afraid to communicate this, it will save us both a lot of time. A good florist will make suggestions that work within your price range, no matter how big or small.

Size - The size of your wedding party will greatly impact the amount of money you spend on flowers. Bouquets, corsages, and bouton holes add up, so you may want to limit the wedding party to include only your closest friends and family.

Location - Before choosing the location for your ceremony and reception, be sure to get all the information you need. Is the venue available on the date you have chosen? Do they have certain parameters when it comes to floral arrangements? Will your florist be able to arrive early to set up the arrangements?

Colour Scheme - The flowers you choose for the ceremony and reception will enhance the colour scheme of your wedding. Look through books and magazines, and ask for advice from friends and family.

Personal Style - Are you the serious type, or you carefree? Your flowers should reflect your personality. Consider whether you prefer a simple bouquet of loose garden flowers or a sophisticated array of elegant blooms.

Mood - Your flowers will not only reflect the colour and style of the wedding, but they will also set the mood. Ask yourself what you want to convey on your wedding day. Attend other weddings and make mental notes about decorations that catch your eye, and why.

Seasons - To save money, choose flowers that are in season at the time of your wedding. Although Valentines Day and Christmas weddings are very romantic fresh flowers are in higher demand around this time and will therefore be more expensive.

Spring - to capture the freshness of spring, go for blue, white and yellow colour themes. At this time of year there is an abundance of flowers to choose from: delphiniums, ranunculi, tulips, freesias and lilacs.

Early summer is the best time of year for flowers, choose from the richest shades of vibrant yellow, pink, red, blue and purple to the softer more subtle hues of cream, peach, pink, mauve, apricot and lemon. Lillies, snapdragons, roses, foxgloves, sweet-peas, cornflowers and stock all capture the sprit of summer.

For autumn weddings mellow colours like rust, red, amber burnished orange and gold work well, although pale pink and cream and white flowers can still be seen. This time of year brings an abundance of coloured leaves which make a striking backdrop for the simplest flowers. Hydrangea, gladioli, Chinese lanterns and spikey thistles also make an impact this time of year.

Winter - In today's market cut flowers are cultivated and imported to ensure that there is a plentiful variety all year round. But, for a real wintery feel: fruits, twigs, heather's, and pine cones, could be incorporated into the arrangements and for colour we can reply on winter berries in all shades of red, Christmas roses, viburnum, skimmia and variegated leaves.

If you are ready to arrange a personal consultation please get in contact! Basically, the more you can tell me (colours, themes and styles) the easier it is to give you exactly what you want, photographs, magazine extracts and colour swatches are all very helpful!