Wedding Flowers

Weddings o ne of the most interesting and challenging segments of the florist business t radition plays a major role

m odern weddings are reflecting more individuality c ouples are generally older and have a specific idea of what they want

Bridal Consultations f irst interview is usually the most important a t least three months prior to the wedding

n ormally handled by the head designer or the owner/manager of the shop a n area is usually set aside for these meetings where interruptions will be minimal

m ay include looking at ribbon samples p hoto albums of sample wedding work

f lorist must learn as much about the wedding plans as possible

f lorist needs to determine: s et a budget within which to work

Other stuff…. T ype of gown t ype of wedding being planned h ow large is the wedding party

F ormal or informal w here will the service take place t ime of day or evening r eligious ceremony

W here is the reception h ow large will the reception be w ho is paying for the flowers

Bridal Consultation e stablish the size and budget for the wedding w ith this info the florist will be better able to make suggestions relative to flower choices and other decorations

Wedding order form u sed for planning floral decorations l ists the majority of items needed for the wedding

h as space for notes on the style and types of flowers used s erves as a contract between the florist and the bride

t he form is signed by the bride and the florist t his helps prevent problems in the future

a copy is given to the bride to serve as her reference i temized list of floral expenses

f orm may categorize expenses under two columns o ne for the bride and one for the groom

Bouquets b ridal and attendant s tyle is preference of bride s everal factors considered in selecting style of bouquets

f lowers should compliment the gown t raditional gowns - traditional flowers such as roses and stephanotis

s ize of the bride and attendants p etite women should carry a small airy cascade n ot a large, heavy cascading bouquet

l arger women can carry larger, heavier bouquets m ost frequent styles ordered: a rm bouquet

c olonial nosegay c ascading bouquet v ariations of each are made by altering the flowers used, size, density of bouquet

Arm bouquets p resentation bouquet c arried across the forearm d esigned with natural stems remaining on the flowers k ept fresh in a vase until wedding time

o rchid tubes or water picks may also be used r emove tubes just before the wedding f lowers are bound together with wire

Colonial Nosegay h andheld bouquets c onstructed in a circular shape with an attached handle u sually a plastic bouquet holder is used with

s oaked oasis or floral foam is placed in the bouquet holder a piece of PVC pipe is used to hold the bouquet holder while designing

Cascade bouquets h eld at the waist c reated by extending the colonial bouquet into a flowing garland.

c ascade may be any length from one foot to floor length c ascade is extremely popular with brides

h and tied - each flower wired and taped separately d esigned in same foam holders as colonial nosegays

w ire and tape the long cascade and add to a foam bouquet holder

Corsages and Bouts n ormally worn by ushers, best man, groomsmen p arents, grandparents s ervers at the reception o ther close family members

Corsages and bouts o rganist, minister, soloist m inister - if they do not wear a robe r oses and orchids are favorite for mothers and gmas

Corsages and bouts a ny flower can be chosen u sually flowers used in bridal or bridesmaids bouquets

Ceremonial Decorations c heck to see if the church has a policy on the use of flowers and decorations

a few large, bold arrangements are more effective than several small ones

Entry and Vestibule g uest book table c ut flower arrangements g arlands framing doorways

Aisles and Pews b ows made of number 9 or 40 ribbon w hite is the most common o ften accented with flowers and foliage

m ay be used on every pew e very second or third pew

Candelabra m ay have flowers and foliage added m ay be used in altar area or in aisles

Altar f ocus attention on the center of the altar s hould be large enough to be seen by wedding guests l arge, bright flowers are most effective

s ingle arrangement in center of altar t riangular or fan shaped

Reception Decorations m any times arrangements used at the wedding are moved to the reception site

Reception s erving tables c ake table p unch table f loating pool arrangement

Rehearsal dinner d epends on the style of dinner a rrangements are kept low so guests can see

Delivery f lorist usually stays at the wedding site until the ceremony has begun. p ins on corsages and hands out bouquets