~ Flowers of a Friend’s Wedding: While there are certain types of flowers that are commonly used at all weddings (roses, baby’s breath, etc), you’ll step on some toes if you use the exact flowers that a friend recently used at her wedding. That’s not to say that you can’t use any of the flowers she did, but if the star attraction at her ceremony was a large, beautiful sunflower centerpiece, choose smaller sunflowers or other yellow flowers at your wedding instead. Coordinate with friends and family members to ensure that your weddings look different, even with similar color choices.

~ Flowers Associated with a Funeral: If your grandmother just passed away and her funeral was filled with her favorite flower – white roses – having white roses filling your wedding could bring up those sad memories. You want your wedding to be a happy day, not one that reminds people of loss. Not every funeral is associated with a certain type of flower, but if this is the case in your life, be sensitive to those choices and go with a different flower or color.

~ Flowers with Overpowering Scent: Of course you want your wedding to smell good, but flowers can be very overpowering in enclosed areas. Something that seemed lightly scented at that large greenhouse could easily make your guests gag in a hot, enclosed chapel. You’ll also likely have at least one guest with allergies, and your ceremony can be all but ruined by constant sniffling. Choose flowers instead that have little to no scent.

Tip #1: Beware of animals. If the weather is optimal for your type of flower, storing outside is an option. However, be aware that some of the plants may not survive even in perfect weather conditions because of curious neighborhood creatures. Cats, skunks, squirrels, and other animals roaming your community could knock over containers, kill plants by urinating on them, or even nibble on the blooms at night. Beware of curious pets, too!

Tip #2: Cut the flowers as close to your ceremony as possible. If your centerpieces and decorative flowers are potted, this isn’t much of a concern, but with cut flowers, you can’t expect them to last forever. Some flowers, when cut, are more resilient than others, but in an case, it isn’t a good idea to have them cut more than a day or two before your wedding.

Tip #3: Order extra to account for death. Over the course of just a few days, some of the flowers you order could die. That’s not your fault or your gardener’s fault – that’s just a fact of life. Order 5% to 10% more than you’ll actually need in order to account for the plants that don’t make it to your wedding day. It’s better to have extra than not enough!

Tip #4: Confirm delivery location. If you’re getting your flowers delivers before the actual wedding, make sure your florist doesn’t show up to the reception hall with your plants. Confirm that they’ll be delivered to your home, and make sure that your florist understand that you’ll be storing them for a few days – he or she can give you tips on proper care.

Tip #1: You’ll need to store them before the reception. Fresh fruit can’t just sit out in the open for hours on end. Make sure that your reception hall as room in the kitchen’s cooler to keep your arrangements fresh for guests while you’re at the ceremony.

Tip #2: Be careful of allergies. Some people have very strong allergies to certain fruits, and having them out on all of the tables makes them unavoidable. If any of your guests are allergic, have some floral arrangements or candles on their table instead.

Tip #3: Make arrangements for the leftover fruit. Sure, you could just throw out the picked-at arrangements at the end of the night, but that’s a good way to waste a lot of food. Instead, make arrangement for someone in your wedding party to collect the untouched fruit at the end of the night so someone can take it home.

Tip #4: Order well in advance. Fruit arrangements take a lot longer to complete than fruit trays, so if you plan to order these arrangements from a local source that isn’t used to making them, make sure you give plenty of advanced notice.

This is often a better option than your husband’s name or your wedding date, and it’s a fun story to tell people when they ask about the significance of your tattoo. You can go with a large flower that’s very visible, or you can get just a tiny flower somewhere that’s hidden to everyone but your husband Here are some things to keep in mind when getting a tattoo:

~ Take pictures. If you just say that you want a lily or rose, the type they draw out could be different from the variety you use. Of course, you don’t have to agree to have that drawing tattooed on your body, but it saves everyone time if you just provide pictures or even bring them a live or silk flower to use as inspiration

~ Remember to budget not just for the tattoo, but also for a tip. You should tip your tattoo artist 10% to 30% or more if what you receive is exceptional. While you aren’t obligated to tip, keep in mind that most artists don’t make much money without them. You tip your hairstylist, and a tattoo is a lot more pressure than a cut and color, since it’s permanent!

~ Shop around. It goes without saying that you should get prices from a number of shops in your area, but you should also shop around for the cleanest shop and friendliest artist. Don’t be afraid to ask to see their tattoo rooms before you commit and ask about their sterilization process.

Photo by ashleytheartist2002

~ Your bouquet may not be built for throwing. The bouquet you carry down the aisle isn’t made to be flung into a crowd of single women; it’s made to look beautiful. So, if you toss your bouquet, be prepared for flowers to fly.

~ An extra bouquet comes with extra costs. You aren’t going to get a tossing bouquet for free. So, if you haven’t budgeted for the extra flowers, you might want to stick to throwing your initial bouquet and skip the added expense.

~ Your florist can add some weight to the bouquet for the toss. If you’re using small, light flowers, it might not work to toss your bouquet, no matter how hard you throw it. If your florist makes a bouquet specifically to toss, he os she can add some weight, making it easier to toss.

~ The bouquet can be a gift, while you preserve your own bouquet. Whomever catches the bouquet should get to keep it, but if you didn’t buy and extra one, that means you won’t have your own flowers to preserve.

As you can see, the biggest negative to purchasing an extra bouquet for tossing is that you actually have to purchase it! If the extra cost isn’t doable for you, then skip the tossing bouquet. Otherwise, add this type of bouquet to your order!

~ Make sure the flowers aren’t so large that they overwhelm your hairstyle. You want the attention to be on your face, not on a huge flower in your hair. If the flowers are in the back, you can get away with larger blooms, since they won’t compete with your face during the wedding.

~ Choose flowers that work well against your hair color. If you’re going to pay for extra flowers for your hair, you want them to stand out. It could be difficult to see light-colored flowers against yellow hair or roses against red hair.

~ Make sure you choose flowers that don’t wilt quickly. They’ll have to be cut fairly close to the blossom, and they can’t be in water if they’re in your hair. They’ll also be warm, since they’ll be close to your body, which means the flowers will wilt faster. So, pick flowers that stand up well over time.

• Daisies
• Carnations
• Baby’s Breath
• Chrysanthemums
• Sunflowers

Once you start pricing flowers, you might be surprised to find that roses are fairly inexpensive as well, as long as it isn’t Valentine’s Day. Bouquets made with roses are often much less expensive than bouquets made with lilies or other tropical flowers. You can mix in some of flowers from the list above to cut costs even more, and buying flowers that are in-season is a sure way to save money.

~ Plantable favors provide a lasting memory of your wedding that people are happy to display. Other than close family members, the guests at your wedding probably don’t want to display a glass stamped with your names and wedding date. A plant or flower is a great reminder of your wedding, but in a less intrusive way.

~ You can plant leftover favors yourself or easily give extras to friends and family members. Not everyone will remember to take their favor, if you buy in bulk, you’ll likely have many extra favors. What do you do with 20 picture frames with your wedding date on stamped on them?

~ This is a great, green option for your wedding. Having something that your guests can plant is great for the environment, and often companies that offer these products use recycled materials for packaging.

• Hot glue gun
• Floral tape
• Scotch tape
• Safety pins
• Bobby pins
• Straight pins
• Tissue paper
• Scissors
• Ribbon
• String

Are you missing one of your boutonnieres? Cut a few flowers from one of the decorations in an inconspicuous location and attach it with a straight pin.

Do your arrangements look a little wilted or empty? Use some tissue paper to prop up the flowers.

Is your bouquet tie coming undone? Prevent a problem during the ceremony by securing with some string or ribbon.

With a floral repair kit, you and your wedding party can deal with any flower-related problem that happens on your big day.

Don’t worry – you don’t have to choose one of their Disney-themed options for your wedding, though many couples love to add a few hidden Micky Mouses to their weddings. They have a number of floating floral options, including the following:

Floating Cymbidium

Floating Flowers Cocktail

Floating Alstroemeria