Wedding flowers

Wedding flowers are an important part of any wedding – whether it acts as an accessory only for the bride and the wedding party or as the main decoration. The meaning and use of wedding flowers can differ and vary widely from wedding to wedding and in different parts of the world.

For a very long time flowers have symbolized a variety of emotions and values. Lilies for virtue and roses for love and so on. In wedding dating very far back in time, the bride actually held herbs underneath the veil so show their fidelity. The world renowned wedding flower, orange blossoms, was chosen to symbolize fulfillment and happiness since the orange tree actually, at the same time, blooms and carries fruit. In very early times of marriage the fear of demons was prevalent and brides bore spice and herb garlands that stunk, in hopes of chasing away the spirits of evil.

Many brides like their weddings to incorporate a color scheme or a special theme into the wedding. For example, a December wedding might suit a winter wonderland theme, where the bride wears a pure white dress, embroidered with delicate snowflake shaped gems, with matching elegant 77 diamonds silver jewelerry and an icicle styled tiara. In this case, White Roses, Snowdrops or Lillys would suit this theme perfectly. White Roses symbolise purity, Calla Lillys symbolise magnificent beauty and Snowdrops match the wintery theme.

However, in this day and age brides often carry flowers to match their color theme for their wedding at the same time as carrying on with an ancient tradition. The flowers today primarily acts as an enhancer of beauty and elegance and can help create the mood the wedding couple is looking for as far as atmosphere goes.

Tropical Wedding Flowers

Tropical flowers make a great wedding bouquet if you are looking for bright colors and often tropical flowers give your wedding bouquet a modern look and feel. The good thing with tropical flowers is that they are often in season all year around. Here are a few examples of tropical flowers that are often used in wedding floral arrangements and bouquets; heliconia (the red and yellow will brighten any area), anthuriums (also known as flamingo flowers), orchids (there are loads of different kinds of orchids but the Cymbidiums is one of the most versatile one) and apart from flowers there are lots of different kinds of tropical leaves that can be used to create an interesting and beautiful look of your wedding bouquet.

Beach Wedding Flowers

If you are getting married on a beach and want to bring nature and the surrounding into your wedding flower bouquet and arrangements consider what grows in the area – what flowers and plants are common and would make for good beach wedding flowers? Often times if you are on a beach you are in a climate where plants and flowers flourish and you can have your pick of fresh and exotic flowers to include making your wedding blend in with the nature that surrounds you. So ask the local florist for advice and express the color theme in mind if you have one – to find the best option and combination for you.

Flower Wedding Favors

If you are wondering what to do with all the flowers after the wedding is done there are a few different options for you. One popular idea is to give away the flowers on the tables as wedding favors. This can be tricky though if you are in a location that most people have traveled to (hence it will be hard for anyone to take the flowers with them home to actually enjoy them), another options is to donate the flowers to say a home for elderly (or similar) where they can still be enjoyed after the wedding (be sure to research this though as many facilities do not allow flowers due to the allergy risk).

Fresh Wedding Flowers

You can opt to go with fresh wedding flower bouquet or silk. The obvious difference is the durability of them. Silk flowers can be used over and over and you can bring them home or give them away and they will last for a long time. These days there are beautiful silk flowers that look very natural in a bouquet. Some people even mix fresh flowers and silk flowers for their wedding bouquet if say one of their favorite flowers is not in season at the time of their wedding. Fresh flowers of course have the scent of flowers (for good and bad - if you are considering allergies). Also if you are using fresh flowers, in your wedding bouquet and other floral arrangements, you will need to be considerate of the timing of their preparation and delivery as flowers usually have some sort of favored environment as far as temperature goes and of course water. Talk to your wedding florist about this and they will be able to tell you what will work best to ensure your fresh flower bouquets and arrangements are stunning and vivid throughout your day.

Do it Yourself Wedding Flowers

There is nothing that says you can’t make your own flower arrangements. However, if you are the bride, consider the time you will have available for this on the day of your wedding (if you are using fresh flowers that is – otherwise you can make the wedding flower arrangements ahead). If you are making your own flower arrangement it is often best to plan ahead and plan for help. Talk to a friend or family member that you think will be good for this task and maybe get together to plan what you can do and practice how long it will take to make a bouquet for example (making all the flower arrangements for a wedding and doing it the day of will most likely take much more effort and time so consider all of this before you decide which route to go). If you are only doing one smaller bouquet, research designs that you like, what flowers that are required and then practice making the bouquet ahead of time just to see how many flowers you need, what you needs as far as materials goes (to bind the bouquet etc.). Planning ahead is key. Order your flowers far ahead of time and make sure you have all the materials, tools etc that you will need to make your bouquet and of course allocate time for it to be made (who ever is making it for you).

Wedding Flowers Online

These days there are tons of sites out there offering wedding flowers and arrangements. It comes down to your comfort level with this medium if you go this route. The down side is that you will not see the flowers ahead of time (usually) and you will have to trust the timing to be right (which may or may not happen depending on vendor etc.). Be sure to have a back up plan in case you are ordering all your fresh flowers online.

Wedding Flower Budget

Well, when it comes to the budget for wedding flowers you can stay low or blow through the roof. The cost of wedding flowers can get astonishing depending on how many floral arrangements you are looking for and also of course what type of flowers you will go with. If cost and budget is not of any concern then go wild and pick whatever. However, if you want to stay within a certain budget for your wedding flowers, set a range and go talk to your wedding florist to find out what your options are. The expense of wedding flowers will also vary depending on the season and whether or not the flower you are looking for is in season and easy to get a hold of. Flower prices tend to rise around Valentines and during the summer (as summers are busy wedding months) for example. Consider the type of flowers used also, since if you use a larger flower you will not need as many to create a rich and luscious wedding flower arrangement but if you use a smaller flower you will naturally need larger quantities to create your wedding flower designs.

Your florist may (or may not) also be willing to offer you a good price if you get all the decorations from one single place. Keep in mind that a lot of florists will take a deposit on your full order the day you place it. Make sure you are aware of the terms and conditions and decide who will follow up with whom and when.