First, consider your style. Clip from magazines and catalogs. Find photos that really speak to you personally as the type of bouquet you’d like to walk down the aisle with. Do you love color? Are you partial to lush or slim arrangements? Refine your own personal style and then start cutting it down to a few choices.

Once you have an idea of the size and type of bouquet you’d like to have, decide on the flowers. Some of the top flowers for bouquets today are roses, calla lilies, daisies, peonies, orchids, tulips, lily of the valley, and carnations. You can do any combination or stick to just one type of flower. It’s entirely up to you.

Now, decide if you want real or silk flowers. You may think real right off the bat. And that’s fine. Just be sure to look into some different pricing options. Don’t go with the first florist who says they’ll get your flowers for you. If you can, go with a wholesaler who supplies the floral industry. You can get them much cheaper that way. Or, use a grocery store florist. Have them order you just the loose stems and you can put the arrangement together yourself.

If you’re really up for a money-saving idea, plan to go with whatever’s in season. You may want a certain flower, but if it’s not in season and has to be flown in, it’s going to cost you more. If that’s ok with you, go for it. If not, choose something more locally grown and in season.

Now, order your flowers. If you want to just make your own bouquet out of real flowers and have the bridal party carry silk flowers, that’s fine. Order enough flowers just for your bouquet. Start the day before, but no sooner as the flowers will wilt. Pick the flowers up from the florist and keep in a vase of water while you work. Store them in the fridge if you can’t make your bouquet right away.

Take the stems and lay them down on a table. You’ll want to pick off any excess foliage or thorns if your florist hasn’t already done so. Decide if you want to keep your stems long, or crop them. Once the flowers are on the table, start to pick them up one by one and arrange them in your hands. You’ll be carrying this bouquet, so you want it to have the right feel in your hands.

Arrange the flowers in a grouping. Change the order of them until you get an arrangement you like. Then, tie the bundle off with a loose rubber band. Now, cut the stems to the desired length. As a final touch, wrap the flower’s stems from tip to where they meet the blooms. Use a wide satin ribbon  in a color that matches your theme or wedding accessories. Or use velvet ribbon for an even more romantic feel.

Finally, store your bouquet in the refrigerator. Don’t put the bouquet in water if you’ve already wrapped it in the silk, of course.

Related Articles:

• Cheap Wedding Bouquet Ideas
• DIY Flower Ideas for the Budget Bride
• How to Preserve Your Wedding Flowers

In the days of old, round about the 14^th century, brides and grooms got married with much less fanfare than today. The bride would usually just wear her best dress. And since she never planned on marrying again, she wasn’t as concerned as today’s brides are about preserving their wedding dress. Dresses were not as ornate and would not typically last for the next generation to wear, so there was no real reason to treat the dress with kid gloves like brides do today.

It was considered very lucky to touch the bride’s dress, and getting a piece of it to keep was considered the height of all luck. So, guest began to rip pieces off the bride’s dress while she was still wearing it. As you can imagine, this started to become a problem as brides were being attacked for a swatch of their dress at the reception. So instead, brides looked for things to toss to the crowds of guests that would not involve a mad rush at her apparel.

In came the bouquet toss. Brides began to toss their bouquets as a means of crowd control. All the single ladies would line up for a chance to catch the bride’s flowers. It was thought that the one who caught it would be the next in line to marry. Mad scrambles also ensued over the flowers, but at least the bride’s clothes were left intact.

The garter toss is an offshoot of the bouquet toss. Crowds of wedding guests often paraded through town after a wedding along with the bride and groom. Often, they’d follow them right into their honeymoon room. In an effort to avert the grasping and groping of the male guests who often went so far as to try to undress the bride in the bedroom, the grooms started tossing the bridal garter. Brides would have originally worn a garter to show their virginity was still intact. It was a symbol and she would have given the garter to the groom. But for crowd control, the garter started to be thrown to the crowd in hopes that they’d run outside and try to grab it. Many a drunken brawl ensued over the garter belt, but at least the bed chamber was cleared out so the bride and groom could be alone.

You may not have any rowdy crowds grasping for your attire at your wedding, but it can still be fun to line the single ladies up for the bouquet toss. Just be mindful that many women today choose to stay single and they may not want to be included in the tradition. Just keep it light when the time comes and ask the deejay or band announcer to ask anyone who wants to participate to come on up. No one should be pushed into going out in public to catch the bouquet.

Brides do not typically toss their real bouquet but instead have the florist make them a “toss bouquet” instead. With flowers costing what they do, brides choose to keep their bouquets and preserve them or at least bring them home in one piece.

More Wedding Traditions

• Tossing the Garter Tradition
• Cash Bar at the Reception - Tacky or Not?
• Who Pays for What at a Wedding?

It may be that you have preconceived ideas about how you would like your wedding bouquet to look, or a particular flower that has meaning for you or your partner, but whatever your ideas all good flower shops will have advice on the best flowers to suit your color scheme, or your dress, right down to choosing the right bridal bouquet shape.

Flower delivery will need to be discussed and a time and place arranged. It may be that you would like your flower delivery to be to your home and all the guests that need buttonholes and such can pick them up from there, or it may be that you prefer to have them pick up any flowers from the flower shops themselves. Of course, someone will need to arrange flower delivery to the wedding venue, be it yourself or the florist.

To keep costs down choose a bloom that is in flower during the season that you are getting married, for instance, Spring wedding bouquets will offer a vibrant, colorful, cheerful stunning arrangement of color. Tulips are often favorite with brides at this time of year. Stunning shades of red, pink and yellow in a hand tied affair will compliment any bride and color scheme.

However, roses are the more traditional choice and a combination of cream and white flowers are often used, though more and more brides are opting for additional colors such as lilac and red.

The shape of your bouquet is also an important factor. Once chosen the flower shops will guide you on the different shapes that are available and which flowers are best suited to that particular shape. One of the most popular choices would be the classic teardrop shape, or a cascading bouquet. The shape tends to be roundish, graduating to a point and roses look absolutely stunning in this way. There are many other shapes to choose from, such as a hand tied bouquet, the pomander, or a posy, all of which are stunning by design.

Don't forget when ordering your wedding flowers it is traditional to give the bride and groom's respective mothers a bouquet of flowers and these are generally left at the wedding venue until they are required at the wedding breakfast.

These pens are made with polymer clay flowers that are heat bonded to a pen. They're then wrapped in green vinyl tape, to look like a gorgeous rose. Leela Lou makes the flowers for any occasion including weddings (of course), baby showers, new home gifts, point-of-sale decor, the uses really go on and on.

As for me, I'm picturing these little guys, perched in a little flower pot filled with sand on a guestbook table. Buy the flowers to match your wedding colors and it's the perfect little complement to your wedding decor. These would be perfect for an outdoor Spring or Summer wedding, but they'd look great any time of year, you just need to pick the right colors!

Choose your colors, the number of pens, and make your own little set. Or, you can simply order one and test it out at your desk. Either way, these Rosy Writers are making any space look beautiful.

Also in the package was a uber-cute, handmade card. You can see the photo here, it was so cute and can really be used for any occasion. She also makes them to the occasion that you are going to be using your flowers for, so if it's a thank you gift, or a new baby gift, then your card will be made accordingly... and really cute!

If you'd like to view other Rosy Writers that have been done by Leela Lou Designs, you can see them at her website: www.LeelaLou.etsy.com

*We did not receive any payment for writing this article, just a sample of the Rosy Writers, which we love!

The daisy is a sweet white flower with a yellow center. That’s what most people think of when they think of the kind of daisies that grow wild. But did you know that there are many shades of daisies from bright red to bright orange and even all green? Make use of the many colors of daisies and you can add pops of color all throughout your day.

Start off with your attire. You can either wear a daisy crown and a veil or you can choose a dress that features daisies in either beading or silk flowers. Don’t be afraid to add silk daisies to your waistline or place them in your hair.

The cake is another place that it’s lovely to add daisies. You can have them cascading down your cake in bright shades or fall colors. Or you can have a yellow cake with white daisies adorning it. The cake shown here was actually found on Flickr, it is so stunning that I had to add it to my daisy wedding inspiration board on Dessy.com - which you'll see below.

Your garter can be a crocheted daisy pattern. If you know a handy crafter who likes to crochet, ask them to make one for you. If not, you can find them online.

Of course, incorporate daisies into all your printed materials. From your save-the-date card to the invitations and table cards and programs, you’ll want to have daisies to carry your theme throughout it all. You can either have light daisies printed on vellum paper or have a card printed in black and white with a daisy motif.

Have bubbles instead of rice, which has been known to harm birds, at your ceremony for the sendoff. The tops of the bubbles can have silk daisies on them. If you can’t find them ready made at a wedding supply store, it’s easy to add a silk daisy bud to each small bottle of white wedding bubbles.

The flower girl will of course want to carry a basket of daisy petals, real or silk, to throw as she comes down the aisle. She can also be adorned in a sweet outfit featuring daisies. She can wear a daisy crown and her basket can be adorned with silk daisies. A cute idea for her dress is to have an overlay made in gauzy fabric that actually contains silk daisies inside it. She’ll look like a walking flower patch and everyone will ooh and ahh at her adorableness as she comes down the aisle and runs around the reception.

Your shoes are another place to add daisy accents. Clip-on daisies work well but you can also do a subtle sandal with rhinestone daisy accents.

Cupcakes at your reception can have daisies done in icing. Their entire tops can feature one big daisy bloom. Place them on stacking trays around the dessert table, or put one at each person’s plate for a really cute favor idea.

When all is set up, your daisy wedding accessories will look like a charming romp through a peaceful meadow. Everyone will sigh with delight.

For more yellow wedding ideas, see our post on Going Yellow With Your Wedding.

Before you do anything, you'll have to have a budget for your flowers. Remember that this will include your bouquet, your bridesmaids bouquets, groomsmen, ring bearer and usher boutonnieres, parent's flowers, grandparents flowers, wedding centerpieces, flower girl petals and any other items that you'll want flowers for. So make sure that you take all these into account when setting your budget for wedding flowers.

Next, do your research. Look around online or ask friends who have gotten married about their florists. Compare rates, reviews, years in business and options that they offer. It's a general rule of thumb that if you're trying to cut on costs, choose flowers that are in season. Flowers that are in season in Spring include: Daffodil, Anemones, Lilacs, Boronias, Star Gazer Lilies, Delphiniums, Narcissus, Sweetpeas, Ranunculus, and Tulips (to name a few).

1. Wedding Flowers, 2. B&E's wedding flowers 2 (by Franci), 3. James & Amanda's Wedding, 4. Wedding flowers, 5. Bridesmaid's Bouqette 2, 6. Untitled, 7. P5260716.JPG, 8. Untitled, 9. Rings in lilies, 10. flowers & rings (closeup), 11. orange rose bouquet, 12. June 20, 2009

Whether you are on a tight budget or not, flowers add a gorgeous touch to any wedding. Even if you choose to use fake flowers, take your time and really put together some bouquets that you'll love to have on display for your wedding day.

If you're interested in more ideas for centerpieces, see this article for Wedding Centerpiece Trends.

Besides being a cost-effective way to manage your wedding, making homemade boutonnieres also adds a personal touch to the wedding.  They can be arranged to complement the wedding colors. And best of all, boutonnieres are usually quite simple: a white rose against the dark lapel of a suit is striking.

Begin by choosing your flower.  If you want it to complement your bridal bouquets, this should be an easy choice.  Larger flowers are typically easier to work with, and roses, carnations, and miniature calla lilies are elegant favorites.  If you choose a smaller bloom, accents like baby’s breath can help create a more full display.

Your flowers are the most important supplies, but you will also need floral wire, available at florist shops or craft stores, or thin gauge copper or brass wire, floral tape, a 2 to 3 inch pin, and a knife or stem cutters.  Traditionally, boutonniere pins have a white pearl at the tip, but you can find any number of other accents to complement your wedding theme or groom’s personality.

Plan on making the boutonnieres the night before the wedding so they are still fresh.  Begin by cutting off any leaves or thorns from the stem and trimming the stem of the main flower diagonally to about 3 inches.  If you want to have accents, like sprigs of fern fronds or baby’s breath, place them behind the main flower and adjust the height.  Trim the accent sprig diagonally to match the stem of the flower.

Cut a 6 inch piece of your floral wire and wrap it around both stems. The remaining wire is stretched behind the stems to provide it with support.  When you are sure that the wire is not visible from the front of the boutonniere, wrap your floral tape around the stems.  Start at the base of the main flower and work your way down.  At the bottom, begin wrapping going upwards to the base of the flower.  Make sure the tape is secure. You can then wrap a colored ribbon around the base of the flower to customize its appearance.

Another alternative is to secure the stems with a bit of wire and wrap it with flora tape.  Leave the stems to look natural or tie a ribbon around them.

Now we come to the pin.  Insert the long, slender pin into the flower’s stem. This will allow the boutonniere to be pinned to the groomsmen’s lapels.  You’re almost done!  Next, lightly mist the boutonnieres with water and place them in a plastic container with plenty of breathing room.  Put this in the refrigerator (not the freezer) overnight for use the next day.

After you’ve made your first boutonniere, you’ll find that it is an easy, quick, and best of all, inexpensive, process.

The first thing you will want to find out is whether the florist is available for your wedding day. If she is already booked for your date, move on. You can always put yourself on a list in case she has something open up in the near future, but you will probably already have chosen your florist by then. However, it doesn’t hurt to get on a wait list if you really love the florist’s work.

Next, start browsing through arrangements that she has done. This is usually in the form of photos in a book, but many florists will now email you photos. Under no condition should you book a florist without seeing her work. If you have a friend who used a particular florist and you’ve been to an event she’s done, that counts too! Just make sure you love the work and that it’s a comparable scale to what you’d be asking her to do for you.

Next, talk pricing. You’ll need to furnish her with a list of all the flowers you’ll want. This could include your bouquet as well as your bridesmaids’, your extra bouquet to toss, the groomsmen’s boutonnieres, any corsages you’d like your moms or grandmothers to wear, flower girl basket, and ring bearer’s boutonniere. You may also want your florist to provide your church decorations which would include aisle markers and altar flowers. If you’ll want her to do your whole reception as well, you’ll want to ask about pricing for your centerpieces and cake table. If you plan on having live flowers on your cake, ask about that too. Any other reception decorations you’ll want should be discussed at this time too so she can include it in her quote. If you want her to do an arch or extra baskets for the ladies’ room or guest book table, ask now.

When all the required pieces have been spelled out, you’ll want to talk about the actual arrangements you have in mind. The simpler and smaller you go, the less expensive the arrangements will be. It will increase the price if you want to use exotic flowers or flowers that are out of season and hard to get. So think seasonal and local or use decorations from nature in place of some of your flowers.

A good florist will work with you. Bring in any color swatches from your wedding theme colors. These can be a square of fabric from your bridesmaids’ dresses, a ribbon or a picture of an arrangement from a magazine that has the colors you like.

Get as specific with the florist as you can. You want her to quote a price that includes everything you’ve dreamed of. You can always scale back later if costs are prohibitive. Remember, this is your day and you are hiring a florist to work for you. So be sure to stand up for what you want and reject any ideas that go against your idea of the perfect wedding flowers.

For more ideas on wedding flowers, try:

• Calla Lily Centerpiece & Bouquet Ideas
• How to Preserve Your Wedding Flowers
• Cheap Wedding Bouquet Ideas
• DIY Flower Ideas for the Budget Bride

Florists tend to stock the most asked-for flowers and you may even be able to get a deal on them if they are in abundance in the season you marry. But even if you fall in love with a certain flower and it’s not in season, any florist can have your flowers flown in for you from a grower anywhere in the world.

Note: No matter which flowers you choose, don't forget to rent or purchase wedding vases to hold all of your flowers during the reception.

Here are the top ten most requested wedding flowers. See where they fall on your list and then plan your big celebration to include your favorites. Don’t forget, you don’t have to opt for just one kind of flower.

1.      The Eternal Rose: Nothing says love like the rose. For centuries, poets and writers have penned odes to the rose. And for good reason. Roses are available in almost every color imaginable and come in large to micro mini. They also smell divine.

2.      Calla Lily: Calla Lily flowers are seen at some of the most elegant weddings in the world. They look classic and have been the flower of choice for brides, especially in the 1920s and 1930s. If you want to opt for a vintage or retro chic wedding flower, go with this beauty. There are also plenty of calla lily wedding favors that look beautiful if you want to make this a theme for your wedding.

3.      Hydrangeas: Because hydrangeas come in such an abundance of colors and have such lush heads of petals, they are a choice for brides every year. You can choose from the palest pastels to the darkest of reds.

4.      Tulips: There’s no denying the allure of the tulip. From the Dutch tulip frenzies over the years, when bulbs were prized like cash, to modern day, the tulip speaks of regal elegance.

5.      Gardenia: Gardenias not only smell like heaven, they look just as marvelous. You can include these white beauties in your bouquets or have cut stems in vases or floating in bowls.

6.      Daisies: Entire daisy-themed weddings have been created to mimic the charm of spring. These bright and happy flowers come in so many shades that you can actually work your entire theme around them.

7.      Anemones: These completely fragrance-free flowers are a good choice when allergies are a concern. They look so darling in just about every color of the rainbow. Opt for a shade that is stunning or subtle.

8.      Carnations: This most charming of flowers is a favorite of the Italians and for good reason. Their blooms are hearty and come in every color you can wish for.

9.      Orchids: No one can deny the awe-inspiring response you will get when guests see the delicate orchid as your flower of choice.

10.  Lilly of the Valley: Sweet and honest, these happy little flowers are able to bring a smile to even the most stressed-out bride’s face.

1. Roses, 2. Calla Lilies, 3. Hydrangea, 4. Tulips, 5. Gradenia, 6. Snowland Daisy,

7. Anemone, 8. Carnations, 9. Orchids, 10. Lily of the Valley

Choose flowers you love and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Mix or go matchy-matchy. It’s up to you. It’s your big day to stop and smell the roses…or carnations…or daisies…

More flower information:

• Calla Lily Centerpiece & Bouquet Ideas
• How to Preserve Your Wedding Flowers
• Cheap Wedding Bouquet Ideas
• DIY Flower Ideas for the Budget Bride
• Pink Wedding Flowers
• How to Choose a Wedding Florist
• DIY Homemade Boutonnieres
• Spring Wedding Flower Inspiration

When decorating for a winter wedding, your colors might include white, purple, and blue, centerpieces might even include ice sculptures, ice like stones in clear, blue, and purple hues, or even heavy, soft fabrics such as faux furs incorporated as small table runners.  Candles of all shapes and sizes can also be used as centerpieces and are often more beautiful in winter than at any other time of year.

Pine

Pine trees are the one of the most recognizable symbols of winter.  Pine products can be brought in to incorporate winter wedding themes.  Pine boughs can be used as wall decorations, and pine scented candles, and pine potpourri packs can be used to adorn tables.  Burning pine logs in a fireplace can provide that same scent naturally, if that is a possibility at your location of choice.

You might, if this is a Christmastime wedding, even decorate an actual pine tree in typical Christmas garb.  Furthermore, mistletoe, poinsettias, and pine cones can decorate doorways and even centerpiece settings.  Stones of crystal and other clear material can be set with snowflake candle favors to give the winter wonderland effect.  Or, if you are not in a setting that provides a real fireplace, consider faux fire with flame-like strung lights.

Color and Texture

Colors that can accompany the centerpieces may include browns, maroons, velvet reds, and royal blues.  These colors bring warm feelings to their surroundings.  The faux fur mentioned before could even be used to create thrones for the bride and groom, or to ring the table cloths. Wall coverings could be almost medieval in design, with long drapery and flag like coverings.  All give the feel of warm, inviting, winter settings.

Ice sculpture

Before you look for ice sculptures, make sure the budget is there for these pieces of art.  Ice sculptures are beautiful and can certainly bring in the wow factor to any gathering, but they also tend to be quite pricey.  The nice part is that these one-time sculptures will also pick up the colors of the room and reflect them in a prism-like way, which will really add a sparkly element to the centerpiece.

Flowers of the Season

If you want a way to decorate the table for your winter wedding while pleasing the guests, then you might also consider potted plants of traditional winter flowers.  The obvious choice would be poinsettias, which most frequently come in whites, reds, and pinks.  However, there are other wintery options.  For instance, white roses give the feel of winter, but also have a glamorous appeal.  There is also a flower called the star of Bethlehem, which has fragile white petals and a unique style that can provide a touch of surprise to any centerpiece.

Whatever way you choose to incorporate these elements, ultimately a winter wedding can be as beautiful, if not more so, than the more traditional summer weddings.  The textures, color palettes, and natural elements, like fire and ice, provide a feeling of romance that cannot always be achieved in the warmer months.

More Winter Wedding Advice:

• Winter Wedding Ideas
• Winter Wedding Favor Ideas
• Winter Wedding Color Ideas
• How to Create a Winter Wonderland For Your Wedding
• Winter Wedding Decorations
• Winter Wedding Invitations