Presented By: Judy Suarez

Choosing Wedding Flowers can be a hard decision and can sometimes leave you feeling overwhelmed. Many brides when planning their wedding can feel a little intimidated when they are making their decision about what wedding flowers to use. There are so many blooms to choose from! But this task can become a fun one if there is guidance as to how to pick these very important flowers. Here are a few ideas that can assist you during this important part of your
event planning.

Look for inspiration in pictures. Bridal magazines and bridal websites have a very rich collection of pictures and images of flower arrangements, which include centerpieces, bouquets, boutonnieres and ceremony arrangements. All colors and flower types can be found in these collections, which can suit every bride’s needs. This first research can be very useful since a bride can start determining the style of bouquet she may want to carry, as well as the many different options for centerpieces and arrangements for the main bridal ceremony. You can find many different types of boutonnieres and corsages to decide from as well. If you are trying to save money, and who isn’t, then think about the time of year and what is readily available. Because of the many wonderful wholesale growers in different parts of the world today you can find many things today that once were not available except at certain times of the year.

Determine the type of flowers you would like to use that match your wedding colors. While there are many options for white or red, some colors can be limited. To incorporate hard to match colors, you can use ribbon, pins, crystals and rhinestones which will also add a nice touch to your flowers. However, if you prefer to have blooms in these colors, you can use tinted flowers which can come in virtually
any color.

To save time and stress you might want to follow the following tips:
1. Set your wedding and reception location.
2. Figure out a color scheme for the entire wedding and this should include the reception. This will help you decide what type of flowers you need to purchase.
3. Develop a budget. Consider how much you are willing to spend on the bridesmaids’ bouquets and other floral arrangements for the wedding. Keep in mind when setting your wedding date, that if you decide on a major flower holiday such as: Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Mother’sDay, then you will probablybe spending more money onyour flowers.
4. Decide the size and the amount of bouquets you want to be placed in the reception room. For this step, you must consider how much free space you have, and how the size and shape of the bouquets will follow the theme of the wedding reception. If your florist has a good working relationship with your reception facility, then they probably already have many ideals that will help you make these decisions.
5. Decide where exactly you want to place the flowers within the reception area. Consider such places as the restrooms, tables, chairs, doorways or other places that could use a bit of touching up.
When choosing, you need to consider the time of year or date of your wedding. If it falls at a popular time of year, such as June, it is not too soon to contact florists 9-12 months ahead of time. Some florists limit themselves to 1 or two events, and you will want to get them booked early.On the other hand if you have chosen a date that is not a peak wedding time, then there should be no problem, 3-6 months is fine.

Judy Suarez has a Horticulture and Floriculture degree. She has been in the floral designing business for 27 years creating all aspects of floral designs. She managed a floral shop for 10 years while living in New Jersey and then moved to Delaware where she was employed by Walkers Florist in Hockessin and remained there until they closed in 2006.  At that time she began her own business. She is now affiliated with The Hartefeld Golf Club, Deerfield Golf and Tennis Club, and The Christiana Hilton.

Publisher’s Note:
The Women’s Journal just held an event at Deerfield and Judy provided all the floral arrangements for the event. What a fantastic florist to work with. She knew her flowers, took my suggestions and added her extra touch, delivered them on time to Deerfield, was extremely affordable, and on top of that she was just wonderful to work with. You will love Judy Suarez…
I know we do….Thanks Judy

For more information please check out Creations For Celebrations, a complete floral service for all occasions, on the web at www.creationsforcelebrations.com, or call us at 302-893-8230 and ask for Judy Suarez.