This last weekend, my lovely Bride NK had me create these lovely hot pink tulips centerpieces. She placed black damask overlays on every table, and with white chair covers and matching black damask ties, the look was stunning! As you walked into the room there was a huge "wow" factor. NK had a vision for 2 bold colour elements - hot pink and black, and added nothing else to interfere with the pop and wow of the combination.

A small detailed that sometimes gets overlooked is who will be responsible for pinning on the boutonnieres and corsages?

Ask your floral designer if they provide this service, and if so, how much extra will it cost?

Based on my experience, if you have 10 or less to pin on, the floral designer will usually have time for this (provided it is agreed upon ahead of time). If you have 10 or more to pin on, it is suggested that a few family members help out.

Keep in mind that your floral designer will most likely NOT know your corsage and boutonniere recipients by face, so it make take them longer to find them in the crowd.

Also, if the set up for your Ceremony flowers is quite involved and requires extra time, it is best to keep your floral designer free to manage this task, vs, having them spend valuable time pinning on the corsages and boutonnieres. Make sure each corsage and boutonniere is marked with the recipient's name, and have your floral designer provide extra pins.

photo: Tying The Knot

Should you wrap the stems of your Bridal bouquets, or leave them up-wrapped ?

Comments on not-wrapping bouquet stems;
Some flower types like tulips and mini calla lilies used en masse (without any other flower types) look better left alone, like in this first picture. Overall, non-wrapped stems look more natural in appearance and lean more towards casual or informal in design.

Comments on wrapping bouquet stems;
Some flowers, like hydrangeas, almost always need to be wrapped so they can have a bit of a moisture pack throughout the day (this will most likely be hidden underneath the ribbon). Wrapped bouquets look more "wedding" and formal. If you are having a fairly textured bouquet with a variety of different flower types (like the photo below), it is best to fully wrap the stems, so the focus is on the flowers and not the stems.

Also consider that if you choose to NOT wrap the stems of your bouquets, some green may wander onto dress fabrics, especially if there are sweaty (nervous?) palms, or excess moisture in the air.

This is part 4 of 9 in "The Wedding Ceremony Flowers Series".

It's always a nice touch to have a special something outside of your Ceremony venue, to welcome your guests. Here's a few things I've done. The first photo is the outside of a Church where we hung a simple fabric panel from IKEA, and tucked in a few stems of white dendrobien orchids. The bottom portion of the fabric was "pooled", on which we placed a scattering of individual dendrobien orchid blooms. Not only did this add an accent, but it helped to keep the fabric stationary in the event of a slight breeze.

The second photo shows another Church entry that we created mostly-green garlands to drape over the railing and above the door. We finished the look off with some ribbons and bows.

This last photo shows an all-white wreath for a winter wedding. It hung on the door that entered into the Ceremony venue. Then we transferred it to the reception, where is hung near the head table.

Check back next Friday for part 5 of 9 in the "Wedding Ceremony Flowers Series" - Outdoor Wedding Ceremonies.
The Ceremony Series is every Friday in April & May.

Happy Earth Day...

As you plan your wedding, remember that we are all keepers of the earth.
What can you do at your wedding to give back to the earth?
Here are five easy steps;
1. Have your Ceremony & Reception in one place.
Eliminate the need for your guests to drive extra miles between venues - decrease their carbon footprint.
2. Request a "no gift" wedding. Save on paper products like wrapping & bows.
Ask instead for your guests to donate to an "Earth" charity of your choice.
3. Get your guests to RSVP on-line. This reduces paper use and the postal system will have a few less envelopes to drive around.
4. Use local products as much as you can. For instance, ask your floral designer to only use local blooms. Don't import any flowers.
5. In your early planning stages, do as much research on-line. Have a brief phone call with potential vendors instead of driving everywhere. Only drive to your top 2 or 3 picks.

After the majority of your Wedding details are organized, it's time to RELAX! You will definitely have last minute preparations to attend to, but it is so important to not stress the details too much - don't become a brooder by over thinking every last thing.

They say it's all in the details, which I believe to be true, but at a certain point you need to rest assured that it will all be taken care of. How do you accomplish this?
1. Plan early to allow yourself time to make decisions.
2. Choose your vendors well - base it on referrals, experience and how well your personalities mesh.
3. Get it all in writing.
4. Ask a friend to go over things with you every 4 weeks. Another pair of eyes is a good idea.
5. Don't micro-manage to the point of not enjoying the process.

Tulips are the classic indicator of spring. They bloom in from early to late spring. Here in Vancouver, we are lucky enough to have a vast number of local growers, which means that tulips are readily available throughout most of the year (August - October can be tricky!).

Tulips in bouquets look best "en masse", without an other flower types, and the stems in tulip-only bouquets look best partially wrapped. If you are having tulips for your wedding, in simple designs like clear glass vases, make sure to ask your floral designer if they will clean the stems well. Dirt often gets trapped in the leaves, which can sometimes creep out in the water.

Another fabulous spring flower is the hyacinth. This is an early blooming flower with a delicious sweet fragrance. It comes in a variety of colours and the individual blooms can be wired to make for a great mini bouquet or addition to a boutonniere.

This is part 3 of 9 in the "Ceremony Series" - every Friday in April & May

The processional and recessional of your Wedding Ceremony are great photo opportunities (as your professional photography will already know). To capture the first moment of the Marriage as you turn to exit the Ceremony venue, after you have walked down the aisle will be some of the best shots of your Wedding day.

photo: Kim Christie

What some Brides do not consider is the background of the photos and how planning ahead with flower placement can be a nice accent to framing the photos. This is a finite detail I know, but I wanted to show some photos where the flowers helped to frame the focal point of the intended photo.

Here are some examples of how the placement of your Wedding Ceremony flowers can help to accent the photos.

photo: Tying The Knot

photo: Todd Duncan

photo: davidoffphotography.com

photo: Sweet Pea Photography

Check back next Friday for part 4 of 9 in the "Ceremony Series" - Entry To Your Wedding Ceremony - What Flowers Here ?
The Ceremony Series is every Friday in April & May.

As I get to know my Brides during the planning process, an interesting thing happens. The more time I spend with a Bride to be, the more I begin to see their true essence. Most Brides remain true to the vision of their Wedding day, while recognizing that their marriage is a future unknown - usually they are excited and nervous about becoming a wife.

Then there are the Brides that only see the Wedding. Yes, organizing a Wedding is a big job that requires many hours of planning and making significant decisions. You can't help but get caught up in all the details. But have you thought much about the Marriage ? As a Wedding vendor, a Bride's Marriage is not really my concern, but as I witness certain dynamics unfold between Brides, Grooms and their families, I often think that some of my clients are over focused on the Wedding, and missing the big picture.

So what's the happy solution? I say it's balance.

Your Wedding is an important short-term goal which necessitates a focus on your guests, your desired "look and feel of the day" and how you want to start your Marriage. Your long-term goal, of course is your Marriage which will be much like a roller coaster. There may be no answers now, for future questions, but at least you can build a good foundation from the start.

When you are interviewing floral designers for your Wedding, ask them what they would recommend to use twice (or more) during the Wedding day. For instance, typical large arrangements on pillars (usually at the Altar in Church ceremonies), can be used a second time at the Reception - placed on either side of the head table.

Pew ends can be designed to hang while at the Ceremony, but at the reception they can be placed (possibly) as centerpieces, or along the back edge of the sign-in table.

Before deciding on what flowers and decor to have at the Reception, brainstorm the best placement of your Ceremony flowers at the Reception, then go from there.

I touched on this in an earlier post you can find here.

HAPY EASTER!!!!!!

Some bunny loves you - yes, that would be your fiancee, among other good people in your tribe.
Enjoy your chocolate today and remember that you're a good egg.

This is part 2 of 9 in "The Wedding Ceremony Flowers Series".

Pew Ends range in size, shape and style with all the different Wedding Ceremonies out there. I've included a few photos of Church Pew Ends and a few examples of Outdoor Ceremony pew ends for the classic white folding chairs.

Pew ends should be an accent only - NOT a focal point, and they should never be so tall to prevent or hamper the view of your guests to witness the Ceremony in its entirety. Pew ends are a good opportunity to increase the "bang for your buck" with budget concerns - they can be used a second time at the Reception. You can use them as centerpieces, along the back edge of guest book tables, or group them all together for a big display at the entrance to your Reception.

In a previous post I show pew ends in the Church and then again used a second time on the head table.

Pew ends for outdoor Ceremonies can be a bit more casual, and exposed stems are okay. They shouldn't be so big as to make the guest uncomfortable (who is sitting in that actual chair). If you choose to hang a pot or bucket or paper cone, do a test run to see how it "hangs" or "sits" when placed on an actual chair. If it shifts a bit with the weight of the flowers, then you may need to re-adjust the design.

Check back next Friday for part 3 of 9 in the "Wedding Ceremony Flowers Series" - Flower Placement for Wedding Processional & Recessional.
This Series is every Friday in April & May.

Who is paying for your wedding?

The tradition used to be that the Brides' family paid for most things, and the Grooms' family were responsible for the alcohol, the honeymoon and the marriage certificate. Years ago there were more routine customs. The lines were more defined and the information was obvious.

But nowadays, it seems (talking to some of my Brides), that there has been a shift of how the wedding gets paid for. I have found that more Brides and Grooms contribute financially to their wedding costs, then say, 15 years ago. I believe this is a combination of two things; the increased costs involved in having a wedding, and the desire to have a more elaborate celebration.

As a vendor in the wedding industry, I try to keep the Bride as my client. There have been times when parents' call me (on the sly) and ask for changes in the budget. They believe that since they are paying for it, they can make significant changes. This puts us wedding vendors in an awkward position, and before you know it, I am playing armchair psychologist!

If you are finding that having your parents paying for the entire wedding is getting stressful, try this...Ask your parents if they can be responsible for certain areas of the wedding, such as reception food and drink. The other contributors (perhaps your future in-laws), can then be marked for flowers and cake. It is a simple way of delegating financial responsibilities without stepping on too many toes.

In the early planning stages, one of the first decisions you'll make (after picking a date), is where you will be married.

Where will you have the Ceremony?
If religion is a part of who you are, you may decide to get married in a Church setting, mosque or other religious building. If this is your choice, ask yourself a few questions;

1. Does the venue have time slots throughout the day? Is there a limit to set up time for your vendors?
2. How many people can the venue seat?
3. Do you have a choice in personality as to who will marry you?
Or do you accept the Pastor, Father etc. that works out of that venue?
4. Are you required to make an offering, above and beyond the standard fees? How much does it cost?
5. Are you required to enroll in pre-marriage classes?

If you are choosing a venue for your Ceremony like an outdoor park, Hotel banquet room, private house or other, non-Religious based place, consider the following;

1. Is there adequate parking?
2. Do you require a permit for the area? (ie, for a city park).
3. Will you require rentals of chairs, an aisle runner, or podium?
4. What are the washroom facilities like?
5. If it is in a more remote area, have you spent the time to print off maps for your guests?

Church Ceremonies are the epitome of Weddings in the traditional sense. I thought we'd start the series off with a bit of tradition.

Try to get the flowers to "frame" the Altar of the Church. Most photos will be taken while you are at the Altar and the architecture of the Church will be a pre-dominant feature in the background of the photos. Here are two shots of Churches where the Brides wanted simple flowers.

In the first shot, the church did not allow for any flowers ON the actual Altar, so we designed a full tropical basket to sit just in front. In the second photo, the Church DID allow for a small design on the actual Altar.

In the next two photos, the flowers were all white, for accent only.
Go to this page of my website to see more photos of this Ceremony and how we used the flowers again at the Reception.
Photos: Lisa Petkau

Check back next Friday for part 2 of 9 in the
"Wedding Ceremony Flowers Series" - Pew Ends.
This Series is every Friday in April & May.

Just wanted to let you know that every Friday for two months (April & May), I will be posting a series on
"Wedding Ceremony Flowers".

Check back every Friday for information and tips on everything to do with your Wedding Ceremony Flowers.