Colour Analyst | Willpower | Honeymoons | Duties of the Chosen Two
Hen Nights | Stag Nights | Flowers & all things nice | Renewing | Cakes
Asian Ceremonies | Buddhist Ceremonies | Hindu Ceremonies
Jewish Ceremonies | Muslim Ceremonies

FLOWERS AND ALL THINGS NICE

Flowers are another important feature of your wedding (it seems like every single thing is important!); but the reason is that they will set the tone and coordinate the colour schemes for all of your day, all from the dresses, to the colour of the napkins.

The main flowers you will have are the bouquet for yourself, the flowers within the church (on the isles, and at the front and rear of the church) in the reception (on the tables, over doorways and so on), and on the car or outside the church and maybe in your hair.

There are lots of things to consider doing with flowers throughout the wedding. However although flowers are considered to be an essential part of the wedding, you can manage to get them done pretty cheaply and still look amazing. The best thing to do is to get quotes off several florists for the wedding and see who can do the best deal on flowers!! Six months before the wedding is not too early to select your florist at all, especially if you're planning a big white traditional church wedding.

When you talk to your florist, bear these points in mind.

• The style of your wedding (is it low key and minimal or an extravagant and bold?)
• The season you are having it in (for a summer wedding the flowers available will be greater and will vary to what you can with a winter wedding, this will also affect the price of flowers due to blooming!)
• Your budget- very important, and although you will, try not to go over your agreed budget when it doesn't have to be done. Every now and again it's allowed but you don't want to be in debt just over flowers!!
• More to the point, what you like and what you have imagined for your wedding.

Go prepared. Choosing your dress, the bridesmaids' dresses and the main colour theme is a must before visiting your florist.

Take fabric swatches and descriptions of your chosen wedding choice.

Also it's really useful to have examples and styles of both mothers' gowns and the dress of your fiancé and his attendants. (So that, like it or not, they can all be matching!)

With all of this information to give to your florist they'll be able to come up with floral combinations and artistic treatments to create beautiful floral displays for your wedding. It is always a good idea to request that your florist gives you an itemised bill in advance, and make sure that you supply the florist with the names, addresses, and times for delivery of your bouquet, buttonholes, corsages and floral arrangements.

Traditionally, the bridal bouquet is completely all white flowers but, if you prefer, adding in colours can look equally beautiful as the groom's buttonhole, (worn on his left lapel) can be a spray of the same type of blossoms used in your bouquet. (Matching again!!)Remember that the ushers and groomsmen normally wear carnations which are different from the groom's and, of course, your attendants' flowers are different from your bridal bouquet. Corsages for the mothers, and buttonholes for the fathers, are co-ordinated in colour and style within the general theme of the flowers.

But you don't have to go into your florist knowing exactly how you want all of the displays; they'll have done thousands of weddings and might have pictures of weddings to show you which could inspire you! As long as you know the basic ideas it can't go wrong! Ask your florist for guidance, that's what they are there for!

Take charge of the ring and hand it to the groom in the ceremony.

Organise transport for guests from the church to the Reception.

Make brief speech, including the reading of telegrams and thanking the Groom for his toast to the Bridesmaids.

Take the Grooms formal wear for return to the hire company at the end of the reception.