Where do you start?
Well, the best place to start is usually the most obvious place and in this case it is naturally, a florist. Even if you have absolutely no idea what you would like in the way of flowers for your wedding, your florist is still the best place to head to.

Your florist will have many wedding flower magazines and photo's available for you to look though, and most florists will not mind you browsing through the pictures and asking questions. It is a good idea to look at as many pictures as you can so that you can see many different styles of bouquets and different flowers that are available today. You will almost definitely find something that appeals to you.

The more recent magazines will have pictures of flowers that are more popular at present. You will see a lot of Oriental Lilies, Orchids and still the ever-popular Roses. When you are looking at the pictures make sure you look at the style of bouquet, the flowers and also the foliage (greenery) used within the bouquets that you like. Tropical leaves, vines and berries are all quite popular at the moment and there are many to choose from.

Once you have got an idea of what appeals to you, it is time to sit down with your florist to discuss what you like. Your florist will then give you there opinion on whether the flowers and style you have chosen are going to compliment you and your wedding gown and if the flowers and foliage will be available on your wedding day. Don't panic if what you have chosen is out of season because your florist should be able to help you choose something that is going to be in season for your wedding and is going to give you a similar ‘look'.

There a many factors for the florist to take into consideration in regards to both the style of your bouquet and flowers and foliage you have chosen. Some of these are your height (there's no point having a extra long trail if you are a very petite person, the bouquet needs to be in proportion to you), the style of your gown (we don't want to cover up any features on your gown), the colour of your gown, availability etc. Your florist is trained to look at these details and will be able to recommend something to you that can still be the style you are after but also takes into account all the other factors that I have just mentioned. Your bouquet should appeal to you and also compliment you, your gown and your day!

Once you have decided on your bouquet you can then move onto your Bridesmaids bouquets and flower girls flowers. Not to forget the boys, (Groom, Groomsmen and Page boys) buttonholes. Corsages and buttonholes for the mothers and fathers of the bride and groom, and perhaps grandparents as well. Any flowers you might want in the church such as alter flowers, flowers on the ends of the pews and entrance flowers. Fresh flowers for you cake top are also another option to think about. Then you have to think about your reception and what flowers may be required there. You can have entrance flowers, table centres, bridal table arrangements, candelabras; the choice is completely up to you.

Throughout all of this you are going to be working closely with your florist discussing what appeals to you, what you require in the way of flowers and your budget (although we all wish it wasn't a factor!). Therefore, the most important choice you can make is to choose a florist that you feel comfortable discussing all of this with and that even more importantly, listens to you.

Choosing your wedding flowers should be a fun,
exciting and stress free experience.

Enjoy!!

Carolynne Hore
The Wild Orchid Florist
Echuca and Kyabram