This photo shows the correct way to hold your bouquet for photos. The Bride is holding it right in the middle of her abdomen - not too high and not too low. This bouquet is accenting the Bride and not overpowering her or blocking the gorgeous dress. I realize that this is a cascade style bouquet, but the same holds true for a hand held or posy style bouquet. The top of the bouquet should sit just above your belly button.

If you have a good photographer, he or she will direct you accordingly and help you hold your bouquet so it looks natural (not awkward), and it should accent the overall composition of the photo, and not be the focal point.

The tricky part comes when you are walking down the aisle - processional or recessional. Many times Brides get nervous and "tighten up" - they seem to hold their body closer and bunch the bouquet up close to their chest - the bouquet ends up sitting too high against the body. It can hide the bodice of the dress and can make your photographer's job a challenge.

A close second to my favourite flower, the peony, are lilac and mock orange.

These are early summer blooms, perfect for June Weddings, and they both emit a nice scent.

Mock orange (available only in white) is a great pick for big, full arrangements for your Wedding Ceremony, or focal points at the Wedding Reception. You can leave the green leaves on - perfect for a more informal, outdoor or garden Wedding. Mock orange needs LOTS of water, and make sure your floral designer has worked with it before so they know the correct way to condition the stems. The scent is slightly subdued and gentle during the day, but comes alive at night.

The lilac is a woody based shrub that comes in a variety of colours - white, cream, pale yellow, pinks and purples. The lilac you see here is an heirloom variety and is a "double" - a super special treat that grows in my garden! Lilac has a stronger scent and is best showcased with no leaves, and no other flowers in the design. Just an exciting bloom to use on its own. Lilac makes a real impact for bouquets and adds a nice, even texture to your decor.

Want to add sparkle to your Wedding without wearing the tiara?

Love the way the sun hits the water and there is an instant sparkle that twinkles in your eyes?

Want ambience at your Wedding Reception that lasts well into the night and suggests magic, romance and glam?

Here are my top ten suggestions for adding that sparkle and wow to your flowers and decor;

1. Candles - various sizes and shapes,
2. Sequins - use bands or strands to wrap around your napkins on the guest tables,
3. Rhinestones - accent small areas of your invitations, menu cards or place cards,
4. Mirrors - place on tables with candles or small vases of flowers on top,
5. Glass - best used in the floral vases or containers - trim the edges with sequins, rhinestones or beads,
6. Beads - en masse in the bottom of the vases to hide the floral stems,
7. Crystals - wire onto longer bits and have your floral designer add them into the bouquets,
8. Silver - think mint julep cups,
9. Gold - jewelry, thin angel hair or baubles - get creative! and..
10. Lights - hidden LEDs amongst the individual blooms, white lights strung or piled together.

When you arrive at the Wedding Reception you'll most likely still be carrying your bouquets. Where do you place them?

Here's a list of the top five places to consider....

1. On the cake table - surrounding the cake. You'll need to make sure the cake table is of ample size to allow for the extra room.
2. On the head table - bunched together, shoulder to shoulder, facing your guests, in front of the Bride & Groom.
3. On the lounge tables which may surround the dance floor.
4. On the family tables as part of the centerpieces - a little something special for your families to enjoy.
5. On the backs of chairs of the head table or family tables - tucked into a fabric tie back.

Hot tip: If you plan on arriving AFTER your guests, do not rely on your bouquets as a focal point or accent of your decor in the foyer area of the Wedding Reception (after all, your guests will have already been in that space for awhile...). Re-purpose your bouquets in a place where they can be enjoyed and seen after the cocktail hour.

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.

Add some sparkle to your bouquet to catch the light throughout your Wedding day. This bouquet has pearl center stephanotis and pre-wired silver accents. The silver and pearl accents are fairly neutral with the range of white flowers in the bouquet.