Every year brides come into my shop with a spectacular vision for their wedding. The most fun aspect of my job comes from finding a way to make it a reality while allowing the designers to have opportunities for creative expression. When this happens it is really magical. It has been my experience that listening closely to the bride during a private consultation creates a level of trust that we build on for the length of our work together. I am always happy to design the wedding florals, but the most satisfying aspect comes from the gushing when the bouquets are presented. (The calls after the event aren’t bad either). Here are a few images that capture some unique and interesting collaborations. Enjoy!

I was having lunch yesterday with a floral designer and we were talking about ways brides are trying to save money on floral arrangements. He mentioned that one of his brides heard that they could use the bridesmaids bouquets as table centerpieces at the reception. Not a good idea! Here are a couple things to consider:

Typically the guests arrive at the reception before the wedding party. This will leave you with empty vases on the tables until they arrive with their bouquets.

Will there be more tables than bridesmaids? What will you do with the empty tables?

The bouquets are a gift to the attendant. When they are ready to leave, they will be taking their “centerpieces” with them.

Always talk to your planner and/or florist about ideas to cut costs. An expert has seen many creative ideas that might work for your wedding. They can also let you know the pitfalls of some ideas that just won’t work!

Real flowers are the traditional route. The scent of a rose or lilac and how they fill a room draw many people to using real flowers. Scents are tied to emotions, and as a wedding is one of the most emotion-filled events a person can ever experience, the emotional factor is another selling point. The delicate beauty real flowers possess is usually the main reason many people choose real over silk. Real flowers do have their drawbacks. Real flowers fade and wilt away after a few days. For the more sentimental brides, who wish to keep their bouquet, this factor may push them to consider silk flowers.

SILK although not as traditional of a choice as real, they are becoming more popular. Today, there are many realistic looking silks out there. They are less expensive and you don’t have to worry you can’t have your favorite exotic flower because it’s not the right season. You also save money on preservation.

Note from the Big Wedding Blog Editor:

All Wedding Professionals are invited to become a Contributing Blogger and share your expertise with brides who read the blog.
To apply to be a contributing blogger, click on the register button at the bottom of the left column or on the top left of this page. Then sign up and submit your first post. Your submitted post will be reviewed by ADMIN and you will be approved as a blogger on the BIG Wedding Blog. To maintain your Contributing Blogger rights, you must agree to the Contributing Blogger Rules.

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The Big Wedding Blog

Editor

I attended a recent wedding where the bride and groom proceeded to “cut the cake” and then “throw the bouquet & garder” immediately upon arriving at their reception and before the dinner was served.

Is this a new trend? Is this now the preferred schedule of events for the reception?

Brides and Wedding Professionals, Please add your thoughts.

Editor, The Big Wedding Blog

Note from the Big Wedding Blog Editor:

All Wedding Professionals are invited to become a Contributing Blogger and share your expertise with brides who read the blog.
To apply to be a contributing blogger, click on the register button at the bottom of the left column or on the top left of this page. Then sign up and submit your first post. Your submitted post will be reviewed by ADMIN and you will be approved as a blogger on the BIG Wedding Blog. To maintain your Contributing Blogger rights, you must agree to the Contributing Blogger Rules.

The BIG Wedding Blog is an exclusive feature brought to you by http://www.brideandgroomplanner.com/

Many brides consider “doing their own” flowers for their wedding ceremony and reception.  While it can be done, it isn’t recommended by anyone.  As a professional floral designer I did my own flowers and I wouldn’t wish the stress on my worst enemy.

I can remember two years ago, almost to the day!, I was sitting in my design room on the floor making bouquets.  It was about an hour before the rehearsal dinner and I still had 12 centerpieces left to make.  I didn’t think I would ever get it done.  After the rehearsal dinner my sister and a couple of my bridesmaids came up and helped tie bows and put items in the cooler.  It was 90+ degrees….I can’t imagine what the flowers would have looked like without a cooler!!!

While you can find a wholesaler to sell you flowers, buy all the materials including items to process the flowers, hunt down the correct vases, and recruit an army to help do the work wouldn’t it be a dream (and a huge savings in gas!!) if you didn’t have to lift one finger and still have beautiful flowers?

Most professional florists have a variety of vendors available at their fingertips to find any and every item that you could ever want for your wedding and most can have those items to you in 24 hours or less!  Forget standing in line and searching for 12 matching vases at the local hobby store.  Also, most florists can get any flower that your heart desires from peonies in December to tulips in November.  Forget trying to get those items at your local wholesale club out of season.  Of course, getting spring flowers in the middle of winter is going to be more pricey than going with seasonal offerings- it still can be done!

Your local florist is a professional.  They aren’t going to leave a box of your wedding flowers sitting out in the scorching summer heat, or freezing winter snow.  All of your flowers will be hand delivered hours before your ceremony even begins.

I’ll post more tips in upcoming blogs about ways to save money on your wedding flowers and none of them include doing the flowers yourself!

Don’t Stress!  Leave the flowers up to us!

Enjoy Each Beautiful Bloom,

Heather McIntyre, Professional Floral Designer

*Heather McIntyre is the Owner/Designer of Felicity Flowers located in Felicity, Ohio.  You can visit her website by going to http://www.felicityflowers.com/

Note from the Big Wedding Blog Editor:

All Wedding Professionals are invited to become a Contributing Blogger and share your expertise with brides who read the blog.
To apply to be a contributing blogger, click on the register button at the bottom of the left column or on the top left of this page. Then sign up and submit your first post. Your submitted post will be reviewed by ADMIN and you will be approved as a blogger on the BIG Wedding Blog. To maintain your Contributing Blogger rights, you must agree to the Contributing Blogger Rules.

The BIG Wedding Blog is an exclusive feature brought to you by http://www.brideandgroomplanner.com/

 This Blog is devoted specifically to Wedding Flowers topics of all types.

All professionals in the field of Wedding Flowers and Wedding Florists are invited to become a Contributing Blogger and share your expertise and ideas on all related wedding gift registration topics.

The blog is for the entire wedding industry both vendors and brides.

Being a contributing blogger is an excellent way to promote your business for FREE. You can share your expertise with the Brides of America. Give them advice and invite them to your website. That’s right, as a blogger, you can put hyperlinks back to your website right in your blog post.  It’s an excellent way to increase your web presence and your search engine rankings and you don’t need to be a customer of BrideAndGroomPlanner.com.

To apply to be a contributing blogger, click on the register button toward the bottom of the left column (or at the top left of this page), sign up and submit your first post. Your submitted post will be reviewed by ADMIN and you will be approved as a blogger on the BIG Wedding Blog. You can blog as often as you like, however, to maintain your Contributing Blogger rights, you must agree to the Contributing Blogger Rules and post a blog entry at least once per month.

Hope to see you’re blog post soon.

Editor, The Big Wedding Blog

Flowers Blog is coming>