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Floral Tips
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Photo by
Sarah Bettencourt |
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by Jeri Solomon,
Jeri Solomon Floral Design
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So, you're planning your wedding! It's an
exciting time, but did you ever think there would be so many
decisions to make? An important element of your wedding day will
be the flowers. Like with so many other parts of the wedding, you
will have choices to make regarding the floral designs; from who
will create them to what bud your groom will wear as a
boutonniere. Here are some tips to assist you with some of your
decisions.
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SO MANY FLORISTS SO LITTLE TIME!
Start looking for a florist as soon as you have chosen your
ceremony, reception site and color scheme for your bridal party. It
is possible to start the process before you have these pieces, but
the florist will not be able to make appropriate suggestions without
this information. In addition to using the Online Wedding Guide, a
good way to find a reputable florist is to ask people for
recommendations. Many of the vendors you've already hired, such as
photographers and caterers, may have suggestions. Function sites
will often have lists of their "preferred vendors." After all, they
work with floral designers at every wedding.
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WHO'S THE PERSON FOR THE JOB?
You may hire a flower shop or a floral design studio to create your
wedding flowers. Many floral studios specialize in weddings.
Whomever you hire you want to make sure that they specialize in
weddings. When you interview designers, ask them how many weddings
they do each year. There are so many details to a wedding and you
want to be assured that the designer you hire is very knowledgeable
in those details. Most of the time you will meet with a floral
designer for a consultation. Make sure that the person you are
meeting with is the person who will be overseeing your wedding. If
you meet with one person and another oversees the production of your
arrangements there is room for miscommunication. Choose a designer
whom you are comfortable with and whom you trust. You will have a
relationship with that person for many months during the planning
stages and you want to be confident that that professional listens
to and understands you.
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I DON'T KNOW A TULIP FROM A TIGER LILY!
You may not know the names of flowers, but you know what you like
and dislike. Before you meet with your potential floral designer,
look through some magazines to see if there are styles of
arrangements you enjoy. Bridal magazines have pictures of bouquets.
Home and garden magazines often have pretty table arrangements and
magazines featuring celebrity weddings always have great pictures. A
search online can also produce many photos. Cut or print out
pictures and bring them to the consultation. A great exercise to do
before you meet with a florist is to think of some adjectives to
describe your personal style and the type of wedding you want. Words
like dramatic, romantic, elegant, whimsical, gardeny, fun and simple
all conjure up different ideas. Those ideas will help the floral
designer choose the best varieties of flowers to create the look you
want for your day. A good designer will also consider the decor of
the reception site and the style of dresses in making the
arrangements so that each element is a cohesive part of the whole
event.
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WHAT WILL IT ALL COST?
Of course, flowers are just one piece of the wedding. Deciding how
much of a priority they are for you will help you figure out how
much to spend on them. Remember, the more guests you have, the more
tables that need centerpieces and the more bride's maids you have
means more bouquets. All this adds to the bottom line. Before you
even schedule a consultation with a floral designer, do some
research. Ask them their price ranges and make sure they correspond
with your budget.
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About the Author
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Jeri Solomon is owner of
Jeri Solomon Floral Design, a special events studio in Melrose,
Massachusetts. Since starting her business in 1994, she has created
custom flower arrangements for countless weddings. Her mission is to
expresses each couple's vision of the perfect wedding day by
combining creativity, attention to detail and service. She is
committed to making flower planning fun and stress free.
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