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.

Choosing The Right Wedding Dress Color

In western culture white has become the color of choice for most brides. Although this was not always the case, traditionally brides wore their best clothes which could have been any color. There is a traditional rhyme that helped them to choose:

Married in White, you have chosen right,
Married in Blue, your love will be true,
Married in Pearl, you will live is a whirl,
Married in Brown, you will live in town,
Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead,
Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow,
Married in Green, ashamed to be seen,
Married in Pink, your spirit will sink,
Married in Grey, you will go far away,
Married in Black, you will wish yourself back.

There are two thoughts on why white became so popular. Some give credit to Queen Victoria because she chose to break with the tradition of wearing silver which was the color for royals and instead wore white. Others believe that the credit should go to Ann of Brittany for wearing it first, and making it popular. Brides who choose to wear white should know that it is the color for joy and chastity. Blue is traditionally the color for purity.

For many cultures white has never been the traditional color for a wedding dress. In some Asian cultures red is the customary color for brides. Japanese brides will often wear two or three different gowns throughout the day. During the 19th century many brides in Finland chose to wear black. In India, green is a popular color because of its association with fertility.

More and more brides are choosing to break away from the traditional white gown. Some brides are brightening up their gowns by using color accents. They are choosing to have the trim, sash or embroidery on their dress made in a different color. Other brides are going all the way and are choosing to wear a colored dress.

Brides breaking away from white are now choosing their gown color based on many factors. Some are choosing the color according to their family background. Some are using the time of year that they are being married as a guideline. If they are being married in the spring they are wearing pastels, whereas falls brides are wearing more earthy tones. Brown is even becoming a popular color for a bride.

You should not feel that as a bride you have to wear white. The color of your dress does not matter. What is important is that it reflects the mood and tone of your wedding. And the most important thing is that your dress truly makes you feel like a bride.

Tips For Choosing Your Wedding Colors

Trying to decide the colors for your wedding? There is no right or wrong way to pick your colors, and there are as many ways to pick colors as there are brides. However there are some things that you may want to consider when choosing your colors. The colors of your wedding are going to set the mood and the tone so you might want to look at choices from different angles.

If you have already chosen the location for your wedding and reception you may want to take that into account. You should look at the colors in their decor. Look at the walls, carpets and any other permanent fixtures in the room. You do not want your colors to completely clash with theirs.

Take a look at your bridesmaids; some colors just do not look good on some people. And some of them might have strong feelings against wearing certain colors.

Another consideration might be the time of year you have chosen to get married. Have you chosen a spring wedding or a fall wedding? Spring colors tend towards the lighter shades and pastels while fall tones tend to be darker earthy tones.

Colors also have traditional meanings. Green is usually associated with growth and fertility, while red represents strength and passion. Blue is often associated with peace and confidence.

Consider if there are certain kinds of flowers that you would like to have in your bouquet. If there are you might want to base your color scheme around those flowers.

Also you should consider what kind of invitation you are intending to send. A flashy pink and neon blue color scheme might not go well with traditional paper.

Once you have decided on a main color you can use a color wheel to help you with the rest. If you are going with a monochromatic wedding you will be using various tones and hues of the same color. There is the complementary scheme where you choose a second color which is on the opposite side of the color wheel. Or you may choose to go related colors; these are colors that are next to each other on the wheel. Or a triadic method can work. This is done by selecting two more colors from the wheel that are of equal distance from each other on the wheel.

Whatever you choose the important thing to remember is that the chosen colors should reflect you and the mood and tone you wish to have on your special day.

Wedding Invitation Tips

In today’s world, wedding invitations can be delivered by telephone, mouth, e-mail or by letter. It is important to remember that whichever method you choose the invitation is the first impression your guests will get about the wedding. It sets the tone and the mood of the wedding and lets your guests know how formal or informal your wedding is going to be.

If you decide to go with the traditional letter there are some general rules that you might like to follow:

The first thing to decide is who is announcing the wedding. This usually indicates who is acting as the host. Traditionally this would be the parents of the bride. However today it could be both sets of parents or the couple themselves.

Commonly the phrase ‘request the honor of your presence’ is used for formal weddings and/or if the wedding is to take place in a house of worship. The phrase ‘request the pleasure of your company’ is often used for less formal weddings.

Information to be Included:

• The bride’s full name then the groom’s
• The date of the event
• The time of the event
• The location of the event

Other important things to consider:

• Use full names, no nicknames
• Use courtesy titles e.g. Captain, Doctor
• Do not use abbreviations with the exception of Mr. and Mrs.
• Write out the complete date, including the year
• Write out the time, use o’clock and do not use am or pm.
• Do not use general terms like ‘and family’ write out each name
• The only punctuation that should be used are the periods which would follow Mr. and Mrs. and the comma after the day of the week
• Do not mention gifts, whether or not you wish to receive them
• As a rule, the heavier the paper the more formal the wedding

Extras

If you have people coming from out of town or you live in a large city it is often a good idea to include a map for your guests on a separate page in the invitation.

The other important part of the invitation is the reply card. This should include a self-addressed stamped envelope. It is advised to make sure that the invitations are in the mail at least three months before the actual date.

To save money some couples are choosing to do their invitations on home computers rather than hiring them out. The handwritten invitation is great if you have the time and good penmanship. Keep in mind that the invitation does set the tone of the wedding and it can be as elaborate or as simple as you choose.

Things to Consider When Planning a Themed Wedding

More and more couples are steering away from the traditional wedding. Themed weddings are becoming very popular. Theme are a great way for a couple to incorporate some of their personal style into the wedding. However if you are planning to have a themed wedding you will be faced with a whole new set of challenges.

Important Things to Consider

With a themed wedding you may be ignoring many of the old traditions. It’s your big day relax. Think about which if any of the old traditions are going to fit into the theme of your wedding and don’t worry about the others.

Location

The location of a themed wedding. If you are planning to have the wedding in a special place i.e. on a beach or in a park, make sure you get the proper permission to do so. Many beaches and parks have laws regarding weddings and parties. You also should take into account what facilities are available. Do they have bathrooms, tables and chairs? What will you do if it rains? What about food?

Let Your Guests Know

Be sure to include the fact that you are having a themed wedding on your invitations. You want your guests to feel comfortable and to be able to dress accordingly. Many guests may have questions regarding what to wear. If you are unable to take all their calls be sure to let your guests know who they can contact with questions, the maid of honour or mother of the bride can often help with this.

Do your homework

If you are planning to have a wedding that reflects a certain time period, i.e. the roaring twenties, find out all you can. Be sure to look at clothes, food and décor. You want to keep your clothes and décor authentic.

The Officiator

You may want to talk to the person who will be performing the ceremony beforehand and let them know the type of wedding that you are planning. You want to make certain that they will not be offended or upset by your choice.

Costumes and Themed Attire

If you are planning to ask members of the bridal party to dress according to the theme be sure that they feel comfortable with what you have chosen. Not everyone wants to wear a bikini top and grass skirt.

Decorations

It is very easy to get caught up in the theme of the wedding just don’t go overboard. You still want your wedding to be tasteful, so be careful.

Themed weddings can be a lot of fun. Be creative, try something new. It is your big day, make it what you want.

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