Wedding flowers

There are really only three rules when it comes to organizing the flowers for your wedding: plan well in advance, choose the varieties you like to complement the style of your day and use someone who knows what they're doing.

Planning in advance

Who pays for the flowers?

Make sure you allow enough money to pay for all the flowers you want - nowadays; the average bride spends about $625-750!

Normally, the groom pays for his bride's bouquet and her parents pay for the rest. Some grooms pay for all the flowers. Remember to get written quotations from your florist well in advance and make sure it covers all extras, including floral headdresses, buttonholes and 'thank you' bouquets for the mothers, if you're having them.

Where will flowers be needed?

For the wedding party The bride usually carries a bouquet and wears flowers in her hair or a 'crown' of flowers to hold her veil in place. Be careful when choosing flowers for buttonholes or corsages or hair. They should be wired, or preserved, or they may well wilt before the day is out.

The bride's flowers set the tone and scheme for the bridesmaids' bouquets, the buttonholes for the groom, best man, ushers and father of the bride and the corsage for the couple's mothers. The tradition of a flower girl, strewing petals along the aisle of the church for the bride to stem on, dates from the Middle Ages. Very sweet, but check first with your clergyman!

For the registry office Many register offices change their flowers every day anyway, since ceremonies can take place whenever it is open. However, they may allow you to bring in a special arrangement if you wish.

For the church The most usual positions for flower arrangements in the church are the chancel steps, the windowsills and the pew-ends. Some clergymen will allow the altar to be decorated; others are strongly opposed to the idea.

Your vicar or celebrant may suggest that the church decoration be left to those who arrange the flowers for him every week. The advantage of this is that they are more conversant with the layout of the church and where flowers show to the best advantage. However, if you're not happy with this arrangement, a little tactful negotiation needs to take place - after all you'll be paying for the flowers and possibly the arranger too!

Find out if another wedding service is taking place on the same day as yours. If so, it makes sense for the brides to make contact with each other and discuss the flowers they would both like to have and perhaps arrange to share the cost. After the ceremony (and usually after the Sunday Service is over!) you could always ask that your flowers are given to a local hospital, old people's home or wherever you feel they will be appreciated.

For the reception Flower arrangements here are very much determined by the venue and the kind of reception you are having. It's nice for guests waiting in line to have an arrangement of flowers nearby. Other arrangements can be placed around the hall or marquee. Smaller arrangements on individual tables add an air of festivity and charm.

If a hall or rooms are being hired for the reception, flowers are sometimes included in the reception hire package. Make sure they will be to your liking and match your colour scheme. Again, there might be an opportunity to share the costs with a bride who is holding a reception in the same place on the day before or the day after yours.

For the cake Many couples prefer to use fresh flowers to adorn their wedding cake rather than artificial ones or plastic figures or models such as horseshoes.

What sort of flowers should I choose?

Most brides like to include their favorite flowers, but the style of the wedding dress and colours she and the rest of the wedding party will be wearing are the most important aspects to be considered. And remember, for those working to a budget, flowers, which aren't in season, will cost more.

There are many different types of bridal bouquet, from a wild flower posy to a basket of flowers; a single amazing stem of lilies or a traditional sheaf of varied blooms. Some brides even choose a freeze-dried bouquet, which lasts forever. There are many companies who will preserve your fresh flower bouquet too. You'll find some in our wedding shop.

Whatever flowers you decide on, keep your arrangements to scale with the venue and occasion. A grand wedding requires more stylized floral arrangements, whilst a small reception at home could be adequately catered for with simple vase arrangements and bunches of flowers.

Finding a florist

You need to decide whether to employ a professional florist or get family or a friend to do some floral DIY. Don't forget that most of the arranging will need to be done immediately before the wedding - a time when things are at their most hectic - so don't rope in a key member of the bridal party. They won't thank you for it!

If you don't already have a florist in mind - perhaps a company you've used before - by far the best method for choosing a florist is by recommendation. Standards of service vary considerably. Always ask to see photos of other wedding-flower arrangements the florist has done. To find a professional florist in your area, try our confetti pages.

The cost of flowers can be alarming and much depends on seasonal availability, so to cut costs, find out what's in season and work round it. When visiting a florist, take as much information with you as possible to help them to help you. If possible, take sketches of your dress, the attendants' clothes and samples of the fabrics. You could also cut out pictures of the kinds of bouquets you particularly like.

"Some girls bring us flowers from their own garden," says Sheila Hurst, a spokesperson for the Society of Florists. "Others bring photos of their mother's or grandmother's bouquet so that we can copy it." All this will help the florist achieve the best possible result for your special day. A good florist will ask to visit the church or registry office and the reception venue, too.