Choosing The Right Flowers For Your Wedding

Flowers have always played a large part in weddings. Long ago brides carried herbs to scare off evil spirits and to ward off diseases. They would also carry plants to bring good luck and to ensure fertility. The groom, in turn, would carry a flower from the bride’s bouquet to show that he had earned her favor.

Choosing the flowers for your wedding is very important. Flowers are used not just in the bride’s bouquet but are also worn by the groom and groomsmen. At many weddings flowers are also placed on the head table, used to decorate the church and the reception room. They are going to be featured in many of your wedding pictures. How you are going to choose your flowers is a big question.

If you already have the colors for your wedding picked out then you want to be sure that the flowers are going to complement your theme. You might choose your flowers based on your primary color or you may want the flowers as part of the accent color.

The flowers are also going to have to match your dress. If you are planning to wear white almost any flower will be fine. But if you are planning to have a colored dress you should look for flowers that are going to complement that. You might choose to get something the same color, or maybe use a contrasting color.

Another important thing to consider when choosing flowers is availability. Many varieties of flowers are only available at certain times of the year. Some flowers are even associated with seasons. A June bride carrying Holly leaves would look a little out of place, the same way a December bride would look carrying tulips.

The hardiness and life of the flower is very important. Certain species of flowers will last far longer than others after they have been cut. You certainly do not want wilting flowers on the head table. When you can get the flowers is going to play a big part in this decision. Are you going to be able to get them the day of the wedding? Or do you need to get them the day before?

An additional thing to consider is whether or not you want to have real flowers or silk? Or are you planning to have a combination of both? Nothing can replace the beauty of fresh flowers but for practical reasons silk is often the wiser choice. With silk flowers you do not have to worry about availability, season, color or wilting.

Something else you might want to consider is the meaning of flowers. Almost every flower has an associated meaning, and the color of the flower also has meaning:

Red Roses=Passionate love
Peach Roses=sympathy, immorality
White rose=purity
Calla Lily=beauty
Monkshood=a deadly foe is near
Meadow Saffron=my best days are gone
Orange Lily=hate, dislike

You also have to consider that different cultures place different meanings on flowers. You might what to look into this before making your final selection.

Flowers should also reflect the tone of your wedding. If you are planning to have a very formal traditional wedding you might not want to have daisies in your decorations. But if you are planning to have a more friendly and relaxed wedding daisies might be perfect.

Price is another big factor when it comes to choosing flowers. Tropical flowers are great but if you plan to have flowers on all the tables at a large wedding this could get very pricey. You might want to consider having a few large elaborate arrangements rather than a lot of small ones.

With a little bit of fore thought choosing flowers does not have to be a hard decision. If you go in knowing what things you should consider and what you shouldn’t your job is already half done.