This is a great example of when the color of your sash goes well with your Bride bouquet. Fuscia pink and turquoise are a classic pairing that exudes fresh, sassy and fun. If the blue were navy, it may still look okay, but the "pop" of the visual would be compromised.

If you are having a sash (or your Bridesmaids or Flower Girls), take a fabric sample to your floral designer.

Fridays in January 2009 will be reserved for a five-part series on choosing your florist. There will be great tips and ideas to help you plan well, be more efficient, and save time and money!

"Booking Your Florist" Part Five

So you have decided on your florist, and need to secure the booking. All florists are different, but most require a deposit to reserve the date. If the deposit is non-refundable, make sure you are choosing well, but don't wait too long to send the deposit in - some florists take a limited number of weddings on any given day.

Re-read the contract and have both of you sign. Keep copies of everything on file and organized so you can easily and quickly reference the quote.

Work with your florist to decide what happens next. When should you schedule the next meeting, and is it worth a site visit of the venues together to work out some of the details? A good florist will work at your pace but keep you on track with the decisions that need to be made along the way. You may want to ask if the florist prefers a certain type of communication - are e-mails better or will a simple phone call suffice?

Be clear on payment schedules, type of payments (credit card, cheque or cash), and when final numbers are needed - ie, the exact number of centerpieces, corsages and boutonnieres.

Enjoy the process and be open to ideas that may develop along the way.

Check back next Friday for the first installment of February Fridays - A Four Part Series on Bouquets!

For this outdoor wedding, the Bride wanted something a bit different.

We brainstormed together and came up with the design to place the guest chairs in four sections, to "surround" the Bride & Groom within a circle. There were four "aisles" or entry points, so the Bride walked into the circle and the Groom came in through the opposite side.

It was symbolic of true partnership and the wash of petals in the middle made for a fabulous pre-Ceremony focal point. We placed single red roses on some of the front row seats for the parents and other immediate family members.

Happy Robbie Burns Day!

One of my favorite poems by Mr. Burns is below to help ease you into the transition to Valentine's Day!

Enjoy your haggis stabbing and the lovely photo here of winter heather cuddled into a tartan pashmina...
(oh, and excuse the tip of my pink holey shoe in the foreground - woops!)

O, my luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June:
O, my luve's like the melodie
That's sweetly played in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I:
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun:
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only luve,
And fare thee weel awhile!
And I will come again, my luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile.

Fridays in January 2009 will be reserved for a five-part series on choosing your florist. There will be great tips and ideas to help you plan well, be more efficient, and save time and money!

"Reading & Comparing Quotes" Part Four

At this point, you may have 3 or so quotes from different florists. The most important advice is to make sure to
COMPARE APPLES WITH APPLES!!!!!

I had a Bride once call me up a month before her wedding and tell me that I was coming in 20% higher than another florist her future Mother-In-Law had found. This Bride had already booked me with deposit, so I asked to see the other florist's quote - I smelled something fishy! Sure enough the other quote did not list the % of green to be used in the Ceremony florals (mine were 15% greens and 85% flowers), the approx. size of the bouquets was not listed, and the actual flowers to be used were not listed. I pointed out the huge risk the Bride would be taking in that there was NO indication of proportion, actual flowers or materials. The other florist did not include for taxes either. There is no way to compare these quotes based on price alone, which is the point I am trying to make.

Just because a quote comes in high, does not mean that the florist is best, nor does it mean that the florist is out to gouge you.
A quote is simply the written description of the scope of work and price that that particular florist can do for you.

Here's what you need to have included in your quote;
1. Description of style, feel and design.
2. List of flowers in the floral designs - this may be a list of "maybes" OR it can be an exact list.
3. Approx. size of the dimensions. For instance, bouquets are best estimated by approx. diameter, NOT by number of roses used.
(You may ask for 24 roses and get the small ones!) Ceremony and reception designs should also have an approx. measurement given for the flowers and the vase.
4. All your contact info, wedding date, venue address etc. should be on the quote, NOT on another piece of paper.
5. Prices should be listed - either exact price or a range (depending on your final decision, or in-season availability etc.)
6. Taxes - are they extra or included?
7. Set up and delivery - how many staff members and hours do they include for? What is the extra fee incurred if the florist has a delayed set up due to a problem at the venue?
8. Late night pick cost of any design items such as pedestals, urns etc..
9. A clear indication on payment schedule, deposit needed etc...
10. A contract that protects both sides, and gives some sort of guarantee to you.

The last thing to consider is the overall experience with the florist. Did they get you the quote on time? Is it professional and well-written? Do they follow up the quote with a phone call? Are they approachable and willing to discuss the quote to do any tweaking before you send the deposit? Does the quote accurately reflect the discussion that took place during your consultation?

Check back next Friday for Part 5 "Booking Your Florist"

This wedding couple designed a crossword with answers about their lives and time together. The guests were entertained with
the crossword until the wee hours! It was a wonderful way to start a dialogue between guests and get to know the wedding couple even more.

The black pencils stood in a small vase of rice, wrapped with a black ribbon. A single white gardenia completed the centerpiece and together these elements supported the black and white theme of the Wedding.

photo by Dina Goldstein

For a special treat for your Bridesmaids, hand write (in special calligraphy), their names on beautiful stationary.
You can design the name tags as smaller accent pieces that you can give ahead of time to your floral designer.

The floral designer can then tuck the name tags into the individual bouquets just before delivery.
This is a great way to show your appreciation to your wonderful Bridesmaids.

Fridays in January 2009 will be reserved for a five-part series on choosing your florist. There will be great tips and ideas to help you plan well, be more efficient, and save time and money!

"The First Meeting" Part Three

Remember to take the following items to the first meeting;
1. Photos of flowers you like AND dislike
2. Budget
3. Colour &/or fabric swatch
4. Venue locations

From the first moment you arrive, take notes.
Are you received promptly and are they on time? Is the workplace tidy?
Do the staff seem friendly?

The average consultation takes from 1 - 1.5 hours. In this time, you should be able to assess if the florist is the right fit for you.
Personality and how you mesh with your florist will play an important part in your floral designs - the better you get along together, the better service you will have. Let's face it - you want all your vendors to go above and beyond in their service for you on your wedding day.

See how well the florist "gets" what you envision for your wedding flowers. Try to determine if they are creative and willing to offer suggestions to help with flower choices and budget parameters. An experienced florist will be able to ball-park some prices on the spot, and will easily pull the important information from you. Try to go into the meeting with some flexibility so the expert can offer their ideas too - you may end up with a more enhanced design than you originally thought!

When looking at the florist's portfolio, pick out the wedding flowers and assess the number of weddings this florist has previously done. Wedding day set up and delivery can be stressful - make sure they have actual wedding experience. Another good question to ask is if they have serviced your venues at other events - this may make for a smoother set up if the florist knows where the service elevators are etc.

Ask to see a copy of their contract, or better yet, take a copy home to read when you have a quiet moment. Ask for references.

Before you leave, ask when your quote will be available, and if there is a deposit required if you decide to book.

Check back next Friday for Part 4 "Reading and Comparing Quotes"

Link: http://www.indieido.com

Hey all you groovy, off-beat, alternative and just plain "different" Brides & Grooms!

Check out this show;

Saturday, January 17th, 2009
11am - 6pm
Heritage Hall
3102 Main Street
Vancouver British Columbia

Here's a quick idea for the aisle at your Ceremony.

This Bride chose to cover all the guests seats with a crisp and clean white chaircover. The Ceremony was outside on a Hotel patio, in the city with lots of concrete. The chaircovers offered a perfect contrast to the surroundings and softened the atmosphere accordingly. We added a burst of burst of blue hydrangea on every second row for a nice accent.

A great way to save money on your wedding flower budget is to have your floral designer create flowers for your Ceremony that can be used again at the Reception. In the photos here, I designed the pew ends with extra long tails of dendrobien orchids for a high impact visual in the Church.

At the Reception, the orchid pew "tails" were detached quickly from the pew ends and used en masse on the head table. The orchids transformed into more of a garland design, and were set on either side of the upper portion of the pew ends.

Fridays in January 2009 will be reserved for a five-part series on choosing your florist. There will be great tips and ideas to help you plan well, be more efficient, and save time and money!

"Preparing for Your First Meeting" Part Two

The best time to meet with potential florists is after you have booked your venue for Ceremony and Reception. There is little point to meet before these decisions have been made, since the florist will not be able to suggest and quote on site specific designs. For instance, if you are unsure if your Ceremony will take place in a small Church or a large one, it my be challenging to estimate costs of the floral designs as accents only, or focal point extravaganza.

Before meeting with a potential florist, start a wedding flower file of photos, ideas, must-haves and general ideas - anything that will help your vision for your wedding day.

Photos of wedding flowers from on-line sources, magazine ads and editorial spreads are great indicators of the style and design you have in mind for your wedding. Start cutting out those photos! Here's a tip - collect photos of flowers you DON"T LIKE. This has proven a valuable tool to use as you add and eliminate ideas.

Think about making a list of descriptive words that will help you and your florist to get on the same page. The big catch-phrase the last few years has been "simple and elegant" - words that personally hurt my ears because they mean SOOO many different things to different Brides. Be more specific! Think about it lots and come up with interesting phrases that will get to the essence of the design you want.

Also take photos &/or fabric swatches of your dress, and the Bridesmaids' dresses. This is invaluable to help decide on what flowers will best work with your overall vision. If no photo or fabric swatch is available, take a few paint samples from your local hardware store to show the florist the colours you have in mind.

The last thing you need to think about in preparation for your first meeting with a florist is budget! I can't tell you the amount of Brides that come to the first meeting saying they have no idea what they want to spend. You may not know the exact the amount you want to spend, but you should know a range of prices you'd like to stay within - try to determine a low end and a high end price that you are comfortable with. A good exercise to do is ask yourself if you want to spend $ 10K on your flowers. If your immediate impulse is no way!, then ask yourself the same question with a different amount, say $ 5K. Continue through with different amounts until a number "feels" right. At least this way you'll have a starting point.

Check back next Friday for Part 3 - "The First Meeting"

Some venues offer the perfect surroundings - views, gardens for photos or simply a great location. The food is
fabulous, and the charm of the reception room suites your style well, but the only way the venue can
accommodate your numbers is to mix up the table sizes - some round and some banquet style. This scenario
happens sometimes in venues that have heritage buildings, smaller rooms or character architectural features
that prevent the large "hotel style" banquet rooms.

To solve the centerpiece challenge for the different table types, try choosing a colour or flower scheme
that can be used in two different centerpieces. This will accommodate for the different table sizes/styles,
without sacrificing your chosen theme.

Here's an example of the idea. The round, large diameter guest tables can handle a tall hurricane candle with full base of flowers. The Banquet style tables look great with a sphere of flowers and smaller votive candles. Both centerpieces use the same flowers and colour scheme.

Fridays in January 2009 will be reserved for a five-part series on choosing your florist. There will be great tips and ideas to help you plan well, be more efficient, and save time and money!

"Sorting Through All Those Florists" Part One

Interview a handful of florists to decide which one will be the best fit for you. I suggest three interviews if you can, in order to get a good feel for what's out there. If you are starting from scratch, where do you begin?

First, ask your friends and associates if they have any referrals. Next, comb local Wedding magazines, source guides etc. and circle the ads you like. Go to websites of florists you are interested in - look at the photos, the style of and the presentation of their work. Not all websites are created equal, so bear this in mind as you sort through some of the schlock that's out there. On one hand you do not want to dismiss a florist because their website is not to your liking, but on the other hand, you want to see that a florist is up to date with their website and current with styles etc.

Phone some florists you like and have a short (10 minute) conversation with them to decide if you want to book a consultation.
A word to the wise - don't just show up unannounced at a florist shop and want to talk wedding flowers. The initial conversation can be a lengthy one, and it is much better to set aside a meeting time.

When you book your first consultation, ask if it is complimentary, or if there is a fee for their time. Try to get a sense of the
florist's personality - are they flexible with meeting times? Are they polite and eager to book an appointment? Are they available for your wedding date? (Some florists only accept a certain number of wedding bookings within the weekends).

Book your appointment and ask if there is anything you need to bring to the first meeting.

Check back next Friday for Part Two: "Preparing for The First Meeting".

Link: http://www.sweetpeaphotography.com/

Thought I'd start the year with a great photo by Lori Miles at Sweet Pea Photography.

Bride Jamie wanted her bouquets to be pink rose balls accented with stephanotis.
This photo shows her bouquet resting
next to a simple vase with hydrangea and hidden light. It made for a fabulous
display of flowers on the head table during the reception.