Be inspired!

This is the maid of honor bouquet and I put light pink and dark pink roses in hers.

Many brides choose to purchase and design their own floral arrangements, rather than hiring a floral designer. This is a great way to save money and ensure that what you want is what you really do get.

Although being in charge of your own flowers can add an extra amount of stress to your wedding day, careful planning and a lot of help can allow it to go smoothly. The most important things to remember when you are planning on purchasing and designing your own wedding flowers is to have a back-up plan in case something goes wrong, and be sure to allow plenty of time for putting the arrangements together.

One of the best places to buy your flowers is at a wholesale market. Many larger cities have these, but purchases are often restricted to authorized buyers. Check this out ahead of time, as you don’t want to turn up at the flower market the day before your wedding and find that you can’t buy anything! If you are planning on making the flower arrangements the day of the wedding, you will need to get to the flower market well before sunrise.

Smaller towns often have farmers’ markets that are open one or two days per week. By visiting a farmers’ market and talking with growers, you can pre-arrange a delivery or pick-up for the morning of the wedding. Farmers’ markets are considerably cheaper than buying flowers from established florists, but not as inexpensive as the wholesale market.

Large grocery stores are another option for buying both un-arranged flowers and foliage, as well as complete flower arrangements. These stores often have young, talented flower arrangers who are eager to work on wedding arrangements. They are often more dependable than working with farmers’ markets or wholesalers, and their prices are usually cheaper than traditional wedding florists. Once you have your flowers you should purchase this great guide called “Create Your Own Wedding Flowers” it has step by step instructions on how to create beautiful bouquets and arrangements.

If you are considering purchasing your own flowers, be aware that things might not go as planned. Have a “Plan B”, just in case things don’t work out. You don’t need the flowers to add more stress to your wedding day!

Posted by Wedding Flowers Guru-Syvella Brantley

At the top of the list are the lilies. Calla Lilies and Casablanca Lilies are both large and impressive flowers, often arranged as solo stems. Hydrangeas and Gardenias are next on the list of popular wedding flowers. These small flowers grow as flower heads, making them perfect for small bouquets.

White Calla Lilly Bouquet

Purple Hydrangea

Purple lilacs, symbolizing first love, and white lilacs, symbolizing innocence are also popular wedding flowers. Along with Lily of the Valley (also known as Our Lady’s Tears), lilacs have a long history of references in literature and the Bible.

Lilly of the Valley Bouquet

Purple Lilac Bouquet

One of the oldest known flowers, the orchid, is also popular among brides. Pollen from a previously unknown orchid, Meliorchis caribea, was found trapped in a piece of amber that is believed to be over 15 million years old. Orchids vary tremendously in how they look and how they smell – in fact, vanilla is one of just many types of orchids.

Purple Orchid Bouquet

Stephanotis, which is commonly known as Jasmine, is one of the most popular flowers for wedding bouquets. Known for both its delicate beauty and incredible perfume, jasmine has always been a favorite.

Red Rose Bouquet & Stephanotis

Rounding out the list of the top 10 wedding flowers is, of course, the tulip and the rose. Few weddings would be complete without at least one of these beautiful flowers in sight. Many bridegrooms choose to wear a single rose, and many brides choose to create a bouquet completely out of blooming roses. Tulips, the pride of Holland, are often used in dinner table arrangements.

Whatever type of wedding flower you choose for your arrangements and bouquets, importance must be placed first and foremost on freshness. It is vital that all flowers are cut as close to the actual ceremony as possible, and many brides choose to have the flower arrangements created the morning of the ceremony.

Pictures compliments of Simply Creative Wedding Flowers 2006