From the Extension: Wedding Flower Tips

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By Jayne Luetzow, Regional Extension Agent, Home Grounds

Many individual elements come together to create a beautiful wedding, from the venue, to the dress, to the cake, to the music. One detail some brides agonize over is the flowers. Here are some things to keep in mind:

RESEARCH

You’ll need to see a florist to get started with choosing your wedding flowers – but before the meeting, you’ll need to do some research. Find out the names of the flowers you specifically want in your arrangements and bouquets. Find out what flowers symbolize: your choice of flower, the arrangement, colors and other details all carry special meanings and evoke certain styles.

MEETING WITH YOUR FLORIST

When meeting with your florist, bring along your inspiration photographs or Pinterest boards, a photograph of your wedding gown, your bridesmaid fabric swatch and anything else that will help your florist visualize your style and choice better.

Your meetings with the florist should also include getting a cost estimate. Flowers and décor will take up about 10 percent of most wedding budgets. Have this at the back of your mind and let your florist know your budget right from the start of the discussion. Details like the exact list of your wedding flowers, the cost of materials as well as the general breakdown of total costs should be included. Get the highest best-case scenario as well as the lowest possible minimum. Be open about your budget and discuss with your florist how to make the most suitable decisions.

FACTORS TO KEEP IN MIND

VENUE: Your wedding venue, as well as your table configuration, can influence your choice of wedding flowers. Talk these through with your florist so you can have a design that blends well and won’t look out of place.

GUESTS: Consider your guests while making your decisions with flowers. Your tablescape should not get in the way of a good time. Flower arrangements should not get in the way of conversations. Also, you might want to keep floral arrangements away from the buffet line; while some flowers are edible, nobody wants the taste of flowers with their meal.

SEASON: Many flowers are seasonal and might be out of season during your wedding timeframe. Insisting on certain blooms could have major impact on the bottom line. Fortunately, some flowers have look-alikes that will fit in as worthy replacements. Talk to your florist about what is available during the time of your wedding and be open to using a substitute flower.

DAY-OF LOGISTICS: Be sure to work with your florist on the timing of the flower delivery. Remove damaged blooms and keep your flowers cool and away from sunlight so they don’t wilt too quickly.