florists
Silk or Real? Your Wedding Flower Questions Put to Rest – At Last
Silk or real; what’s a bride to do? For many brides, the question is really perplexing — especially for those who want to mix a dash of “Do-It-Yourself” into their wedding flower preparations.
Obviously, silk comes with some advantages — it’s tough and shelf stable, and the petals won’t come off at the worst possible moment. On the other hand, silk flowers don’t always look real, and they aren’t always a bargain, either.
The fact is, the silk versus real dilemma is more confusing than ever, thanks in part due to the increasing sophistication — and accompanying cost — of silk and latex flowers. To navigate this new terrain, we interviewed Paul Ajao, a professional florist and cofounder of Pure Botanics (http://wedding-flowers-guide.com/), a UK-based floral designer who specializes in weddings.
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Wedding Flowers: Meeting with Florists
Choosing a florist begins before you ever enter the florist’s shop. Take a moment and consider your first impression. Remember, you are hiring a florist professional for their attention to detail and their ability to create an atmosphere that invites you in. If their shop doesn’t invite you in or seems extreme in relation to your personal style, most probably the wedding flowers they provide you won’t be satisfactory to you either. There are always exceptions, but the chances are that this rule will prove true in your case. Do you really want to gamble on your wedding flowers just because your cousin Freda insisted that you had to use this particular florist? Show the florist the wedding flower pictures and the swatches of your wedding dress material (and any other prominent materials from your wedding i.e. bridesmaids dresses). Talk. Make sure the florist grasps the concept that you have in mind for your wedding flowers and understand your budget and any other constraints that you are operating under (i.e. facility rules, etc.), and then let them go to work. Resist the urge to micromanage. In most cases at least one of the florists you visit can make your ideas for wedding flower combination come to life in a manner that you never dreamed of.
At the same time, however, go over every detail of the proposal (including set up time and schedule – which will vary greatly depending on how much there is to set up for your wedding flowers and how many other weddings the florist has that same day) carefully before you sign the agreement to provide your wedding flowers. Get several proposals for your wedding flower needs before you decide. It’s your wedding so be sure that you are getting the best wedding flowers for your budget. Though it can be difficult to do, try not to get your heart too set on a particular type of wedding flowers (the possible exception to this might be your basic red rose). Flowers are beautiful but being living things they can be temperamental. Some flowers, such as gardenias and lilies are famous for triggering allergic reactions. If you have someone in your wedding party with bad allergies it might be wise to steer clear of flowers like these. Likewise, hollow stemmed flowers, such as the daffodils can drip sap on your wedding dress. Yes, this is a problem that can be overcome, but you need to be aware and prepared so your wedding flowers don’t ruin your wedding dress.
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Wedding Flower Tips For the Bride
One of my favorite parts of a wedding is the flowers. I love seeing the arrangements, bouquets, boutonnieres and the centerpieces. Although that is one of my favorite things to see at a wedding, it also proves to be one of the hardest items you have to decide on and put together for the wedding. Whether you go with fresh flowers or silk flowers they both have there advantages and there disadvantages.
Fresh Flowers: Good news first! One of the best things about having fresh flowers for your wedding is that they photograph beautifully, they have a richness that is captured by the camera and they are breath taking beautiful. Most fresh flowers smell wonderful. The scent of fresh flowers is a very welcoming scent for all of your guests to enjoy as they walk in to either your ceremony or reception. This is only good news to the brides who do not want to keep their bouquets. If you use fresh flowers they will not last so you will not be able to keep your bouquets, unless you preserve them which can be very costly.