We get a lot of calls around here on how to choose wedding flowers. My first and best advice is this: wherever you are planning on getting married, talk to a local florist, who can inform you of the types of flowers available in the area you are getting married in. Just because there are greenhouses, and just because the type of flower you want is available year around somewhere, does not mean that it is the best choice for your area. Yes, greenhouses extend the natural growing season of flowers, but some flowers don't produce enough blooms per plant to be cost effective for growers to commit bench space. Shipping routes may also affect the type of flowers available in your area. I am a florist in Alaska. 20 years ago, we bought flowers at auction in The Netherlands; they were shipped over the pole to Anchorage, and direct to our door. These days, the dutch product goes first to New York-- then overland to the west coast, and finally up to Alaska. That extra 12-24 hours those flowers are out of water and refrigeration makes them degrade faster-- providing less value for our customers-- too big a risk for us. So we now buy mostly around the pacific rim-- Canada's west coast, Hawaii, Southern and Northern California, Washington, Oregon, Chile. It changes the product available to us, but since freshness is of utmost importance, we only sell the varieties of flowers that we can purchase where shipping is easy. As far as flower styles go, you just need a little practice! Look at flowers everywhere you go. Look at magazines, online photos, pay attention at every shop you see them. Sometimes you have to look at something for a while to see the shape you really want. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Ask what type of flower is in that vase. Be aware that some flowers change color over the course of the season. 2 examples of this are hydrangeas and calla lilies. Hydrangeas start off the season as pastels. Baby blue, light pink, the palest green. As the summer goes on, the blue and pink darken considerably. The green may get freckles of burgundy, pink, blue, or purple in them. Calla lilies, on the other hand, deepen in the sun. Pink and burgundy callas come from the same plant, it just depends how much sun they're grown in. Typically, this suggests that the colors deepen over the summer as well. But if the summer is exceptionally cloudy, or the spring is overly sunny, that rule may not apply. Be willing to be flexible on the exact variety. This is where working with a professional florist will help. They can suggest alternatives if the exact color you want isn't available in your chosen flower. Do your homework before your appointment at the florist. Have your list ready of all the people you want flowers for. It is charming if your budget permits, to get flowers for everyone in your wedding party. Are you paying the minister/ marriage commissioner? If not, it is customary to get them a flower to wear. It is also charming to get a flower for all your relatives, whether or not they are in the wedding party. If you do that, make sure you include ALL of them. If you just cannot bear getting a flower for Aunt Bertha, then don't get flowers for any relative unless they are your parent or in the wedding party. What should you spend on your wedding flowers? Typically, one spends between 10-25% of your budget on flowers. Whatever you decide, be honest with your florist. Your florist cannot help you effectively if you are shy about what you can or want to spend. Many people tell us "budget is no object," but we have found that very few people really mean this. This approach does both you and your florist a huge disservice-- if your florist is taking the time to put together a proposal for you and they are working above or below your budget, they will have lost that time, and you will not be happy with what they propose. Save everyone (yourself included) future heartache and figure out what you can reasonably afford. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made-- very few people's budgets are elastic. Talk it over with your intended spouse, and parents or the person who is helping you financially. If you choose to have flowers only for the bride and groom, and spend the rest of your budget on a boat trip for the reception, or if you choose to go picnic style for the reception so you can have lots of flowers and 2 dresses, it's all up to you. Just have as clear a picture in your mind as you can when you call in the professionals. Then they can really help you.

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