Those of you who have been planning a wedding for any length of time will be able to relate to this question.

The question becomes greater with the increasing number of options there are for every choice that can be made and the flowers and decor are no exception.

This is equally true when it comes to the linens.

Should we keep the linens as is OR should we “upgrade” to an overlay?

Should we do a plain one OR a textured one?

Should we “just do” and overlay OR “upgrade” to nicer table cloth?

Should be “just do” the nicer table cloth OR do the overlay and the table?

Then the napkins…and the chairs and the rest of the decor all come into the question.

It’s one of the many ways that your ultimate choice of designer can add value that is beyond the size and quality of the florals they create for you.

This post might start off sounding like your hard sell scare tactic for convincing 2011 brides to consider booking now as opposed to waiting arbitrarily until later in the year, but if you’ve ever met me you’ll know that that’s not my style and if you read on you’ll understand.

My post last week got me thinking about the advantages that my clients who choose to book their florals now have over those who choose to wait, and while there’s definitely more than one reason: having your choice of florist, getting things done on your long list of to dos, those all aside there is a singularly stands out above the rest.

It will give you the chance to see the flowers that will be in season now for when you get married next year.

Having said this, if it’s only roses and daisies you’re wanting, there no issue. However, if you have an interest in a seasonal item, such as the dahlia, it’s best to start now and you’ll be glad you did.

The advantages are many - the most important one being, it would allow you to see the flowers at the only time would be available.

I was happy to be able to do just this for Daniela and Julian whose beautiful nuptials I will featuring mid next summer.  Their choices were hydrangea, roses and a blush pink dahlia that would take your breath away and she was able to see these gorgeous blooms in their prime.

If I get a chance to take a pic, I’ll post it and you’ll what see I mean.

With weddings for this season well underway (I’ll be writing about them soon),  as a wedding florist , I have the distinct vantage point of working in the present with the weddings that are at hand and at the same time knowing that weddings that are a year away are already being planned and eagerly anticipated.

Wedding professionals have a different perception of time and it always crosses my mind as I meet with clients who are reserving my services next year. It’s a unique experience to be asked join in the journey of planning a singularly important day.

I know that it’s a little early to be making predictions about an upcoming year.

People usually starting making them in December or so, but I thought I’d give you a little glimpse into what I’m seeing in my clients who are getting married next year.

2009 was a year full of colour. From baby pink to deep purples and everywhere in between, but so far it looks like 2010 might bring the total opposite.

From clean and crisp whites to creamy ivories, the classic elegance of netural so far seems to be the choice of many of the discerning brides that I have had the opportunity to meet.

Kind of neat. Never a dull moment and that’s the way I like it.

Creamy White Floral Arrangement | Floret.ca

When we hear the words “destination wedding”, it usually evokes images of sunset weddings on a sandy beach or a romantic wedding in an old in chapel in the Italian countryside.

It might surprise many of you planning a wedding in the Toronto Area to know, that Toronto is sought after destination for weddings.

I know this because every few weeks I get a call or an email from California, Calgary or London (England) from couples who are planning to get married here.

Planning is done over the phone and email to discuss and determine what the look will be and sometimes I don’t meet the couple until the wedding if at all.

And after it’s all said and done the planning concludes the way the planning began with an email or a call  thanking me for my work.

The “WOW” factor of a wedding is that sometimes element that seems illusive.

It appears possible only for the weddings with the unlimited budgets that allow for flower arrangements that attempt to reach the tops of the ceilings in a banquet hall and are so full that they seem unattainable by most planning a wedding.

Yet if you look at all of flowers in these weddings they all contain a crucial ingredient that without it would take away that wonderful element of intimacy and warmth.

It is the simple candle and it comes in many forms.

• Votives
• Floating
• Pillared
• Novetly

They are made in an endless array of colours, sizes and shapes.

When combined thoughtfully into clusters or scattered naturally throughout an open space.  Candlelight makes the simplest spaces come to life with shimmering glow.

It’s one of the most commonly asked questions when I meet with a couple.

“Will the flowers last?” And it’s usually asked along with a recounting of how the flowers of someone they knew wilted before the ceremony.

Under normal circumstances, the short answer is they absolutely should. The longer answer is that it depends on some many factors.

1. The weather - There is nothing that will save the most well prepared and hydrated a flower on an extremely hot or sub-zero degree day. This will be especially true of the flowers that are out of water, such as the boutonnieres and corsages. To give the flowers the best chance of looking their best, they should be in refrigeration until they are worn.
2. How the flowers are grown and cut before the florist takes them - A florist’s choice of grower and supplier are critical as the process to grow, harvest and prepare flowers for their sometimes long journey to their ultimate destination.
3. The florist’s process for caring for the flowers - Like people, flowers require certain types of food and require a particular kind of environment for them to be in their best condition. The time and effort that it requires is a large part of the service associated with the purchase of your flowers.

If well prepared and with good weather on your side, your flowers should not only look beautiful on your wedding day, they can be enjoyed in the days after by those who get to take them home!

I walked by the magazine aisle this week and I noticed that there was yet another edition of Martha Stewart Weddings and it reminded me all over again of the love/hate sentiment I have with Martha Stewart.

You might wonder why the strong feeling considering I have been buying her magazines since the beginning (when I thought the ideas were truly elegant and timeless) and when they were published only twice a year as opposed to the quarterly and special edition issues that are available now.

Martha Stewart has become synonymous with personal, pretty and visually memorable weddings.  She (or rather her stylists) can make an all white wedding look ethereal and a fall wedding feel earthy and soulful.

But from the perspective of a florist, her ideas have become the source of more “Sorry, that flower is not readily available commercially or that table design just the way it looks is $1000 dollars” than any other place that I know.

Whether it’s lily of the valley in a rare shade of pink, or table setting designed from top to bottom with chivari chairs, silk organza linens, napkins and antique porcelain vessels holding the loveliest and most delicate of garden grown blooms, it’s generally a lot of having to break bad news and then go about the work of coming up with great substitutes.

Her magazine is a great source of inspiration and her approach to weddings  has changed forever how everyone looks at weddings. Not just as something to be enjoyed in the moment, but to be able to look back in time and feel that it was the most beautiful and personal of all days. 

Not bad for the work of one person and something  I with my weddings always strive to accomplish.

A new year always brings with it thoughts of starting again or beginning fresh.

When it comes to wedding flowers, the discussion almost always begins with the bridal bouquet.

While this is not always the case, it can be the design to inspire all the other choices of colours and flowers since it is the most important and most personal design to be carried and photographed on the wedding day.

The style and shape of choice for the moment is still the hand-tied look.

Created and tied with the stems of the flower, it is the most natural of all bouquets because the technique considers the shape of the flower which isn’t always round. A rose hand-tie will come out more round and a calla hand-tie will come out more long.

Whether you are wanting a bouquet that appears rustic and hand-picked or a clean formal look, a hand-tied bouquet is lovely choice.

An added bonus is that unlike other types of shapes, the stems of the flowers can take water directly for a vase which means a longer and fresher life for your wedding flowers.

Hand-tied bouquet of callas and roses

In my last post,  I wrote that one way to celebrate a wedding during the fall or winter season was with rich warm colours.

Another classic way to celebrate a winter wedding with flowers is to consider all the elements visible in nature now and take the whiteness of snow and the pine trees wrapped with twinkle lights as inspiration for a wedding flower palette.

From hydrangeas and roses, to orchids and lilies, there is a plethora of flowers that come in beautiful shades of cream and white and incorporating winter greens such as cedar or pine, creates a texture that is elegant and classic look for a seasonal arrangement.

This combination can be used everywhere from boutonnieres for the groom and his groomsmen with small sprigs of cedar to accent a single white bloom to coordinate with the bouquet of the bride and that of her bridesmaids to large arrangements for ceremony and head tables and the matching centerpieces.

Beautiful arrangement of white hydrangea and roses and winter greens