Wedding Flowers Part 1: The Research

Last year's wedding planning blog was very popular so why fix something that isn't broken? Here's our planning series, Wedding Flowers.

Planning a wedding is a lot of work, and the flowers are just one small piece of the puzzle. One of the most exciting stages happens at the beginning: the research. This is the fun part because it entails looking at a lot (we mean a lot!) of beautiful pictures and choosing what flowers, colours, styles, and moods suit your taste and fit within the wedding's overall concept and budget. At this point one of the most important things to remember is to be open minded. Flagging what you don't like is also a good idea; if there is a flower that you don't want in sight in your bouquet or decorations, your florist will need to know.

This is a good time to start thinking about what colours you will want to incorporate into the wedding bouquets, corsages, boutonnières, and decorations. What colours are the dresses and suits of the people in the bridal party? Do you have a theme colour for the wedding? What are some complimentary colours that could highlight your theme colour? These are some questions to consider that can help guide your research.

As you look through various sources, you can also start to think about the mood you want to capture for the day. Do you want your wedding flowers to convey dramatic and energetic or elegant and romantic? Or how about casual yet sophisticated? You should also research which flowers are in season for the time of the wedding. Choosing flowers that are rare, out of season, or exotic could end up with a higher price tag or be difficult for your florist to find. Your florist can help provide this information as well.

Here is a list of sources to help you get started with your research:

• your local flower store
• florists' websites (most will have a bridal section)
• blogs
• bridal magazines
• books
• wedding trade shows

One way to keep track of your research is to create a portfolio. This will make it easier to visualize what flowers and arrangements you want for the wedding (and keep track of what you don't want!). These visuals will be a useful tool when the time comes to meet with the florist, as you can show them flowers and arrangements that you might not know by name.

Coming up … Part 2: The Consultation