Welcome to a Private Consultation on Wedding Flowers, my name is Kathrine. With over 30 years in the San Francisco/Bay Area floral industry, I have dealt with diverse groups of customers and Brides at all levels. It was during the years at the wholesale level working with the many Do It Yourself Brides, that I realized the need for Basic Information on flowers, floral supplies and floral decorations for the Wedding Event.
With every year, a new collection of Wedding dresses, a new Color to draw from, new styles for Grooms and other Attendants of the Wedding Party. But the Flowers and Greens used to produce the over all desired look will remain the same as they have for generations. With each new Generation putting It's own hallmark of design on the Wedding Event.
Also, to show ways to help keep costs down by the use of floral decorations in different places at the Ceremony and then reusing them at the Reception to produce the best effect for pictures and decoration. For most Brides this will be the Largest Event they will need to organize.
The menu bar above will take to You to areas of information on topics like Bridal and Bridesmaids Flowers, Personal Flowers for Parents and Family, Cakes and Cake Cutting, Ceremony, Reception and Cut Flowers for Wedding design work.
For any Bride there are hundreds of books, magazines, and articles available which can help in planning and executing a Wedding or large event. Bridal magazines are rich with ideas and color combinations for Brides, Bridesmaids, Flower Girls, Grooms and other participants of a Wedding Event. Several of these magazines have their own internet sites to visit. The Internet can be invaluable in any of these areas of blogs, websites and social media. Any of these choices can be a great place to start looking for and gathering information. * Be sure to save any of Your ideas in a folder to refer back to.*
Bridal Fairs are another way to get “hands-on” information for Your Wedding Event. You will be able to talk with each Business personally, see photos or examples of their work or wares. Cake displays and Cake Table designs, the variety of Linens and colors available, Cake tasting- a must for every Bride. Caterers from Your area with Food Tasting and information on their delivery and set up details. See the latest on Wedding gowns-Veils, Bridesmaids and Flower Girls dresses, along with Tuxedos. Dramatic Floral displays for Ceremony and Receptions.
Anything which is related to a Wedding can be found at the Bridal Fair. If planning a Wedding with in the next year to two years, I highly recommend you and your fiancé (or Maid Of Honor, Parents, Bridesmaids, Friends) to attend one. They can be great fun. Many large convention halls and hotels host such events several times a year. Contact sites in your area, the Internet or Bridal stores for dates and details.
The presence of Floral decorations in the Wedding is not just traditional but an integral part of the Celebration of Life which is the reason for the Wedding Event. A fancy designer Wedding or small and simple, Flowers enhance the Celebration. The plan for ordering Wedding Flowers is to contact the florist about 6-7 months before the Wedding date. Many Florists can be booked up to one year in advanced. This can lead to double booking on specific dates or your Florist may be unavailable. This can also be true for the halls, churches, hotels and bakeries.
Floral selections should be considered or decided upon, remain open to possible changes, as soon as the Wedding colors are chosen. This can also help familiarize you with styles of Bouquets, colors, availability of flowers during the season of your Wedding date, and the alternatives made for those flowers that are not.
Theme Building is a plan for the overall look of the Wedding as it pertains to the floral Arrangements and Decorations. Your choice of Flowers, Floral styles, Cake and Favors can all be used to create an overall effect to this end.
Themes can be familiar like Old World Victorian, glamorous like The Great Gatsby, Bohemian, Modern, use Super Heroes or a Lego theme. They can be ethnic in origin like Latin, German, or American. It can be as uncomplicated as the fact You like lots of Bling or adore feathers. The trick is to make a choice and then draw it through the entire Wedding by using your flowers and other decorations.
For Example; A Garden Style Theme would be enhanced by choosing Presentation/Pageant Bouquets with spring flowers for the Bride and her Bridesmaids. But the Bride wants a more traditional Bouquet. Then the Bride could chose more traditional style bouquet for Herself, keeping the spring flowers and still retain the Garden Style feel. It is then by using these same spring flowers and colors in the Bridesmaids, Ceremony flowers and the floral arrangements at the Reception that the Theme's over all effect can be realized. Not all outdoor Weddings are casual, they can be very formal with the right decorations and setup.
The Wedding location or the Reception site may also contribute to your decision on floral styles. Try to find a theme which will express what you have in mind, or borrow one from a Wedding resource.
You must also get an idea on the size of Your Celebration. Will it be a large Formal, traditional Wedding with many Bridesmaids, Church ceremony, and large Reception? Or a smaller more Informal Celebration, with fewer Guests, a destination Wedding or a Home Wedding? Then again, You could decided to be more Casual in the Wedding design and preparations. Many of the Wedding customs can over lap, be exchanged, or not apply at all. But All Weddings, because of what they Celebrate, carry an inborn formality at any level.
You may be having a small Civil Ceremony and want a Casual Wedding feel. You can achieve this by having non-traditional styles, Wreaths, Books or Fans, for the Bouquets and decorate your Reception site, cake and favors with the same Theme.
You may be having a small Civil Ceremony and want a Casual Wedding feel. You can achieve this by having non-traditional styles, Wreaths, Books or Fans, for the Bouquets and decorate your Reception site, cake and favors with the same Theme.
With the Global event of the 2020 viral Pandemic, the large social gatherings normally associated with Wedding Events was placed on hold. Many couples were force to find alternative ways to celebrate their unions. The Micro Wedding and the Zoom Wedding, in part, have been able to continue the tradition of having Family and Friends join the Couple on their special day. A large number of these Couples then plan to have a Reception party at a later date that can include all Guests.
The Bridal Bouquet should be your first place to start designing.
A Bridal Bouquet is a Young Girlʼs or Womanʼs dream come true. She has chosen all her Wedding attire with great care. Now, the final accent which will complete the picture must be chosen. You the Bride must now try to envision the future.
The Bridal Bouquet should be everything You desire. Every Bridal Bouquet is unique and an exclusive design. Each time a Floral Designer starts a Bouquet, she or he, gets the inspiration from the Bride. The Bride chooses the shape, the flowers, the greens, the colors, and any other things she wishes to add. Then the Designer creates the Bouquet by putting all the elements together from experience and creativity.
Always remembering that The Bride and Groom are the most important part of the Wedding Event.
Your initial Consultation should include all your thoughts and ideas, no matter how outrageous. From the Personal Flowers to Reception decorations-even if the total goes over your budget. You can always remove items, but you may find you can afford more than you realize.
Brides at this point should have decided upon their Gown and Veil color, an idea of Bridesmaids dresses and have two colors they wish to work with, plus an accent like a gold, silver, or copper.
During the Consultation it is a good idea to also decide how much you may wish to do on your own or what may need to be given over to a Florist. As a Designer, I feel the Brideʼs, Maid of Honor, Bridesmaids and Flower Girl Bouquets should all be done by a professional. Unless You or a friend have had prior floral experience. This may also include Hairpieces, Boutonnières and Corsages.
There are Five Basic Bouquet Styles, with sub-styles based on the original five;
Cascade or Waterfall: 8” to 10” across and 18” to 24” (or more) vertically Teardrop, Open End, Free Form
Round or Colonial; 6” -8” -10” across Classic, Nosegay, Free Form
Teardrop; 6” to 8” across and 12” to 18” vertically Classical Teardrop, Free Form, Modern
Crescent; 5” to 6” at center with up to 12” to 10” at tips Single, Double, Free Form
Presentation or Pageant: 18” to 24” (and up) end to end Arm-held, Single or 3 flower
These sub-style Bouquets get their shape from one or more of the basic styles, yet offer a unique style to the Wedding;
Fan Bouquets; can be hand wired or made on a fan form. A lovely style for the Garden-Spring Theme or Out Door Wedding. Right-side up, hand -wired
Fan Bouquets; can be hand wired or made on a fan form. A lovely style for the Garden-Spring Theme or Out Door Wedding. Right-side up, hand -wired
Book/Bible Bouquets; a hand wired bouquet made to lay within a closed or open book, or a small bouquet tied to the book. This style works well for all Wedding Themes.
Brooch Bouquets; hand made from vintage and modern jewelry with ribbon. Can be found in large range of colors and sizes. Can be designed with fresh flowers, too.
Beaded/Crystal Bouquets; usually in white or ivory these Bouquets are predominately a Latin tradition but are used throughout Europe. Can be purchased at many Latin Bridal and Favor stores or made DIY. Can also be augmented with hand wired fresh or silk flowers, ribbons or tulle.
Bridal Cuff; a sleek modern design, favored in Europe but finding great success in Western designs.
Wreath or Hoop Bouquets; a very unusual style for Garden-Spring themes, works well for Bridesmaids and Flower girls; 6”-12”-15” wreath not more than 2” width, in wood, wire, fresh or silk greens. Decorate with tulle, ribbons and flowers.
Of the basic styles Round, Teardrop and Cascade are the most traditional. They will give you the most formal and informal looks. Crescent or Wreath with traditional flowers can also archive this Theme. However, the later two styles are more modern.
For Example: If the Brideʼs Bouquet is a Crescent style of white orchids, white and hot pink roses and greens-The Groomʼs Boutonnière should be one or two of these flowers.
The Maid of Honor can echo the Bridal bouquet with a smaller crescent with one orchid match the Wedding colors with roses;
Bridesmaid can have the same as Maid of Honor with no orchid or bring in hand held roses of 3-5.
This coordination of flowers and colors should extent to Groomsmen, Parents, Church and Reception decorations. In this way you can pull together the flowers and colors for pictures.
Remember: Not only are you planning a beautiful Wedding event you are also setting the stage for the Wedding pictures and/ or video-which will be the lasting memory of the Wedding event. When considering flowers for the Cake limit yourself to the flowers used in Bridal or Bridesmaids Bouquets only.