Choose flowers for your Wedding Day

How to Choose Flowers for Your Wedding Day

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

A wedding would just not be the same without flowers. Every bride wants her wedding to be memorable and her choice of flowers or arrangements should reflect her specific taste and personality. Her flowers should create a theme to make her wedding day special and provide the finishing touch to this very special day.

Steps

Wedding flowers can be simple or elaborate depending on the type of wedding that is being planned. They should have a look of individuality and look as if they have all been specially created for the bride.

1. The style of dress, the height of the woman, the overall theme of the wedding should all have a bearing on the choice of the flowers.
   
2. There are various styles of bouquets. These include round, trailer, sheaf, crescent, line and cascade bouquets.
   
   • Round bouquets made of roses are a popular choice for many brides.
     
   • Large trailing bouquets particularly suit romantic style wedding gowns.
     
   • An elegant line bouquet of lilies would be a good choice for a slim fitting gown.
     
   • A modern style bouquet made of exotic flowers and tropical foliage will suit the contemporary bride.
     
   
   

The bride's bouquet should be the largest and most spectacular bouquet in the wedding party. White is still traditionally the most popular color for the bride's bouquet, but many different colors are used in weddings today for the bride and bridesmaids from soft pastels such as pale pink through rich, vibrant colors such as hot pink, burgundy and violets.

1. Pearls and crystals can be incorporated into bouquets for a touch of added glamour.
   
   • For a delicate touch sheer organza ribbon can be used to create ribbon bows and long streamers.
     
   • Wide satin ribbon will give a rich, luxurious look.
     
   
   
2. Know that bridesmaids flowers can be a smaller version of the brides flowers or a different shape. If the bride is carrying a trailer bouquet the bridesmaids could carry round bouquets. Each of the bouquets can be the same colour as the brides bouquet or a different colour.
   
3. Learn that to give a different look, the bridesmaids could carry elegant evening bags filled with flowers. The bag would need to be lined with a piece of plastic to prevent staining the inside of the bag. A piece of soaked florist foam can be placed in the bag and the flowers and foliage arranged in the foam to extend gracefully from the top of the bag.
   
4. Notice that the flower girl could carry a small basket of flowers to match the bridesmaids flowers. The basket can be sprayed white or a pastel shade. Another alternative is to attach a spray of flowers to a piece of ribbon and tie it around the flower girls wrist, tying the ribbon ends in a bow with long ends. This is particularly suitable for a very young flower girl who may find a basket awkward to carry.
   
5. Remember that the bridegroom and groomsmen wear a buttonhole which often consists of a single flower such as a rose or a carnation or another flower the same type as used in the brides bouquet.
   
6. Notice that the mothers of the bride and groom also wear corsages. Often grandmothers and special aunts also wear corsages. It is helpful to know the colour of their dresses so colours will not clash. White or cream is always a safe choice
   

Tips

• Flowers really do provide the finishing touch to a wedding! By choosing flowers to complement your wedding theme it will give you wonderful memories to treasure for a lifetime.
  

Warnings

• Planning a wedding can be stressful. By working out the style and colours of your wedding flowers ahead of time will help you work to an overall theme to have the wedding of your dreams.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Choose a Wedding Florist
  
• How to Plan Your Wedding
  
• How to Choose a Wedding Dress
  
• How to Arrange Flowers
  
• How to Arrange Six Flower Buds
  
• How to Care for Orchids
  
• How to Grow a TickleMe Plant
  
• How to Know Where to Sit at a Wedding
  
• How to Sit at a Formal Party
  

Sources and Citations

• Floral art school
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Choose Flowers for Your Wedding Day. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

America's funniest weddings

Save Money on your Wedding

How to Save Money on Your Wedding Ceremony and Reception

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

You are getting married and want a beautiful event, yet you need to stick to a tight budget. This is a problem that faces many brides. Don't worry; there are ways to have your dream wedding without breaking the bank.

Steps

1. Prioritize! Make a list of the most important things you want for your wedding and have your fiance do the same. Are you most committed to having gorgeous flowers, inviting 400 people, hosting the wedding at a particular location, or serving filet mignon and lobster? Knowing your priorities before the planning starts will help you decide what to spend money on, and what you don't mind doing cheaply or doing without.
   
2. Trim the guest list. This is difficult but sometimes necessary if the cost per guest is going to break your budget. Cross off names on the list of guests who might feel obligated to come to the wedding if they are invited, but would not have their feelings hurt if they are not asked to attend. Think of inviting only relatives with whom you have a close relationship instead of everyone related to you. Invite only the people who are important to you and your parents, rather than everyone you know.
   
3. Reduce the number of people in your bridal party. You have to buy nice gifts for every member of your bridal party, and that adds up. Plus, traditionally, the entire bridal party plus their dates are invited to the rehearsal dinner. Seven bridesmaids and seven groomsmen, all their dates, ring bearer and flower girls, and their families, plus both sets of parents and all the readers in the ceremony, plus officiant could add up to 40+ people to feed!
   
4. Have your wedding ceremony and reception held at a hotel, and ask for discounts when family and friends are staying at same hotel. Reserve a block of rooms for your guests several months before the wedding for the best rates. Speak with the appropriate manager when asking for discounts and reserving rooms.
   
5. Consider a country or small town wedding. Venues, catering, and florists tend to be cheaper in small towns than in large metro areas.
   
6. Stick to the schedule for your ceremony and reception. Musicians will charge more if asked to perform beyond the time stated in their contract. You will also incur additional limo charges if your event runs longer than planned.
   
7. If you don't know any musicians yourself, call local college music departments rather then browsing the yellow pages. Students will be cheaper then professionals.
   
8. Have your ceremony and reception in the same location to simplify things and save you money. There will be no need for limos to take you to the second location. Many houses of worship have halls that are equipped to handle wedding receptions at reasonable fees - especially if you are a member.
   
9. Ask friends to lend their talents by helping out with such things as invitations, flowers, and programs. Ask a friend with pretty penmanship to address your invitations instead of hiring a calligrapher. If you simplify your flowers and arrangements, perhaps a friend can assemble fresh or silk flowers which will save you hundreds of dollars. Some of the most attractive wedding programs are printed from a home computer and then creatively assembled with colored cardboard, tissue paper, ribbon, etc.
   
10. Consider having your wedding any day but Saturday. Fridays are also popular wedding days but may cost a lot less than a Saturday event. For even greater savings, choose a weekday evening for your wedding. Schedule the wedding to allow guests time to arrive at the ceremony after the work day has ended. Many guests enjoy weekday weddings as this frees up their weekends for other activities. Choose a date between November and April to avoid higher peak season rates in many areas.
    
11. Consider altering tradition. If you are doing a round of toasts, guests can toast with whatever they are currently drinking instead of you having to purchase champagne for everyone. Instead of a limo, consider a regular vehicle. If you are happy with just serving beer and wine, skip the full bar and save a bundle on liquor. Consider a lovely formal dress that isn't a traditional gown from a bridal shop.
    
12. Ask your married friends how often they pull out their expensive wedding album... Photos, though a nice luxury, can be a huge and potentially unnecessary expense. In reality, you only need one beautiful photo to hang on the wall. If you supply disposable cameras you will be surprised how well the candid pictures turn out. Also, ask a friend who you know is good at ensuring that your guests heads aren't cut off in pictures to help. Make a list of all the family and group shots, research wedding magazines for some nice "set up shots" of the bride and groom, and pass them on to your photographer friend. Also ask friends with digital cameras to email you all the photos they take. Ask a man and a woman who you love having around but couldn't have in the bridal party to capture the bride and groom getting ready. Remember that this is one very happy day when you are both looking your best so it shouldn't be that hard to get a nice album made up without thousands of dollars. You can hire a professional photographer for the ceremony, and leave the rest up to friends.
    
13. Remember that the wedding is one day at the start of a life-long commitment. Look beyond the wedding day to the goals you will have as newlyweds. If you want to purchase a house in the next few years, keeping that as a priority throughout the wedding planning process will help you to be prudent about how much you spend on that one day.
    

Tips

• Ask for deals when negotiating the costs for your cake, flowers, and reception hall. For instance, if you are able to pay up-front, you should be able to obtain a 20% discount on your cake, which can add up to hundreds off your cake! This is also useful in negotiating your flowers.
  
• Take independent businesses seriously. Individuals are more willing to cut a break than say, your grocer's flower department.
  
• When planning your ceremony and reception at a hotel, ask to speak to a manager who is in charge of these services. A manager should be in a position to offer the best rates for the hotel’s services.
  
• Cut out the travel (and limo fees) between the chapel and reception hall by having the wedding on the same location as your reception! Also, you may be able to negotiate a cheaper price for using more than one service provided at a particular location. This also makes it easier for out of town guests, since they won't have to drive to two locations. They will appreciate it greatly!
  
• Consider getting married during an off season, such as Lent, September through November, or April. You will be able to negotiate rental prices with reception halls due to decreased demand and business. For instance, if you marry during Lent, you may be able to negotiate a bigger reception hall for the same price as a smaller one. Also, off season weddings allow for more flexibility because in the off chance you have a 95% return rate on your wedding invites, you will be able to scramble for a bigger room, cake, or food order more easily and often at less cost than during the summer months.
  
• Consider a centerpiece that doubles as something else. For example, instead of one big wedding cake, put a small cake on each table. The cake is the dessert and the centerpiece! Or, if you are doing favors, put the pile of favors neatly stacked in the middle of the table. Or, create a beautiful table number, possibly decorated with a photo of the couple or a photo of a city the couple visited together, and use that as the centerpiece, surrounded by inexpensive votive candles.
  
• Ask the manager to throw in extras. Use hotel house linens instead of renting others. Hotels and catering halls have their own props and centerpieces that they are happy to loan. Always ask for at least 10% off stated rates.
  
• Another way to reduce the costs associated with weddings is to not mention that the item or service is for a wedding. For example, if you are renting a venue for the wedding, indicate the room will be used for a "family gathering." This approach can also be helpful for wedding cakes. A regular cake is generally priced much lower than an identical cake which has been identified as a wedding cake. If you plan to have a simple flower scheme (like gerberas and green poms) you can avoid a large markup and the need for an appointment by not mentioning the wedding.
  
• For couples with many friends, have a small, family-only ceremony. Then have a large, informal reception on another date. Decorations, location, dress and everything else can be very informal and not terribly expensive. Be gracious though, and serve good food!
  
• Use a tuxedo place that gives you the groom's tux for free when you order others at the same time.
  
• Borrow a veil or buy one off eBay. The bridal stores charge outrageous prices for veils.
  
• Have bouquets made of dried flowers or nice "silk" flowers instead of costly, fresh flowers. Cloth or ribbon flowers are also a lovely and durable option. Having the arrangements made days or weeks in advance can save time, money and stress.
  
• Buy your centerpiece flowers at a wholesale warehouse. Wholesale warehouses often sell products in bulk and cheaper than normal stores. You can often get 30-40 small centerpieces for less than $100 if you are willing to ask friends and family to help.
  
• Ask for assistance from friends and family! They are FREE and often happy to help.
  
• Instead of flowers and ribbons to decorate the church, try large potted ferns up at the altar with simple candles. They're inexpensive and very elegant. (Keep the ferns back from open flames, safety first!)
  
• If you do decide to go with fresh flowers, choose flowers that are in season. Possibly grow them yourself or buy the flowers in bulk at a Farmer's Market and arrange them yourself. Or, some trade schools that train florists will arrange wedding bouquets for the cost of the flowers.
  
• Check at the chapel to see if there's another wedding the same day. Sometimes you can split the cost of decorating with the other couple - if you're both willing to choose neutral colors and whoever goes first makes sure no well-intentioned relatives "clear things up".
  
• Instead of a catered event, you can serve it as a 'Pot Luck' style for the meals and can save you money.
  
• Also, ask if someone might be willing to purchase the wedding cake in lieu of giving you a wedding gift.
  
• Use an online service for RSVP and simply include the web address on your invitations, saving the need for RSVP cards and extra postage. Consider including a phone number for those who may not have Internet access.
  
• Consider a sheet cake instead of a tiered cake, it will save you enough that you could get a fancier recipe or fancier cake decorations if you really want and still spend less.
  
• Look for a dress at a thrift or consignment store or eBay and then have it altered if necessary. Even consider non-traditional dress, perhaps just something you feel looks great and you could wear it again after the wedding too.
  

Warnings

• Sometimes Do-It-Yourself projects cost just as much as buying or renting the finished product. And the time costs can be enormous when you have so much else to do.
  
• Don't forget to include postage costs in your budget. After invitations (usually at 60 cents), reply cards (use postcards instead of envelopes), and a zillion thank you cards, it really adds up.
  
• When you are considering the cost of postage check with the Post Office to find out if there is going to be a rate increase. This can blow your budget.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Make a Cupcake Wedding Cake
  
• How to Lower Wedding Cake Price
  
• How to Have a Small Private Wedding
  
• How to Obtain a Prenuptial Agreement
  
• How to Choose a Wedding Florist
  
• How to Personalize Your Wedding
  
• How to Plan Your Wedding
  
• How to Buy Wedding Invitations
  
• How to Defend Traditional Marriage
  
• How to Choose a Wedding Photographer
  
• How to Choose a Wedding Chapel in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
  
• How to Clean a Wedding Gown
  
• How to Arrange Flowers
  
• How to Choose a Gift for Your Friends
  
• How to Know Where to Sit at a Wedding
  
• How to Make Bridal Earrings
  

Sources and Citations

• http://www.discountbridal.org/
  
• http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/311176/how_to_save_money_on_your_wedding.html
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Save Money on Your Wedding Ceremony and Reception. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Wedding Planning

How to Create Silk Flower Sachets Wedding Favors

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Creating your own silk flower sachets wedding favors is easy and cost of the ingredients are inexpensive Silk flower sachet make an elegant gift for wedding guests. Although it's simple to make, a ready-made silk flower sachet at retail stores could run between $4 up to $12 each.

Steps

1. Cut a piece of fabric 10"x10" and lay it flat on a table.
   
2. Put some potpourri in the middle of the fabric.
   
3. Lift each corners of the fabric to meet the ends together in the middle with one hand, then with your other hand grab tight the middle of the sachet until you can see the round bulky shape of sachet.
   
4. Tie it real tight with cotton yarn and make sure the buds were covered with fabric.
   
5. Cover the yarn by tying a ribbon on top of it.
   
6. Cut the extra fabric on top by making a round shape , cut it short but not too short.
   
7. Take a silk flower (just the flower) and apply some glue on the bottom with the glue gun.
   
8. Stick the flower on to the top of the silk sachet and Viola! You've made your first flower sachet.
   

Tips

• Heat up the glue gun before you start.
  
• Cut cotton yarn long enough to tie the sachet.
  

Things You'll Need

• A glue gun, a scissor, cotton yarn, potpourri, silk flowers, ribbon color and silk fabric of your choice.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Elope in Las Vegas
  
• How to Arrange a Cocktail Wedding Reception
  
• How to Include a Pet in Your Wedding
  
• How to Make the Best of Your Jewish Wedding
  
• How to Ship a Silk Flower Arrangement Without Damage
  

Sources and Citations

• Other popular sachet is Pillow Sachet:
  
• http://sweetmemorybaskets.com/Burgundy-and-Black-Satin-Sachets_pid-10175.aspx
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Create Silk Flower Sachets Wedding Favors. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Tip - Bridesmaids Gifts

The most common thing to do with bridesmaids gifts is to give them all the same gift. If you want to make it feel a little more personal, you can individualize them by monogramming them, or maybe different colors.

Don't know what to get? Check this out for a great list of ideas for what to get your bridesmaids or groosmen