The Meaning of Flowers

There are many factors to consider in choosing flowers for your wedding.    Of course you have to consider your budget, your colors, how well the flowers you choose will work with the décor of your venue, and whether or not the fragrance (or lack of fragrance) is pleasing.  All those things are important, but also important is the sentiment, or meaning behind your flower of choice.

photo by bcballard

One of the most popular wedding flowers is the calla lily.  The calla lily is available year-round in the United States, and has a larger variety for bouquets, centerpieces, and venue decoration, as well as a smaller variety for nosegays and boutonnières.   Calla lilies (also known as Zantedeschia) are native to Africa, and come in many colors.  The meaning attached to the calla lily is “magnificent beauty”, or “royalty.”  Legends about lilies in general say that the lily came from Hera’s body itself, and that upon her birth Venus was so jealous of the lily’s beauty that she “caused a huge and monstrous pistil” to sully the interior of the flower.  The calla lily is a classic wedding flower, and one that looks beautiful with almost any theme.

photo by Randy Son of Robert

Another popular wedding flower is the rose.  A fragrant and beautiful flower, roses come in many different varieties.  The main type of rose used today is a Hybrid Tea Rose, which was cultivated around 1867.  Stories of roses in history, however, date back much further.  Roses are mentioned in Homer, Virgil (so back circa 2000 BC or earlier), and Nero was crazy about roses (so 202 AD).  Don’t let that give you a bad impression, as roses have been written about by brilliant poets, and have been the traditional gift of Valentines and Men Who Are In The Doghouse.  The rose is said to have different meaning depending on the color.  A red rose means “passionate love”, while a pink rose means only “friendship.”   A white rose means “purity,” while a yellow rose means “zealous.”

photo by Tony the Misfit

Daisies are a non-fragrant but very popular flower to use at weddings.  The most commonly used type of daisy is the “bellis perennis”, or common daisy.  The word daisy actually comes from the words “day’s” and “eye,” or, as Chaucer called it, “eye of the day.”  This is because it closes up completely at night and opens back up to show it’s “eye” during the day.  Daisies are a cheerful flower.  It is said that daisies mean “innocence.”

photo by ginnerobot

Daffodils are a beautiful early springtime flower with a very subtle fragrance and can have a vibrant yellow color, an orange center and white petals, and several other color combinations.  It is said that daffodils mean “chivalry,” and legend has it that the daffodil first appeared during The Last Supper.  Legends or no, the daffodil makes a striking, fresh, and happy impression on a wedding landscape, and also looks beautiful in bouquets or on lapels.

photo by Jun Acullador

Carnations are a great “filler flower,” as well as a great bouquet flower.  The legendary origins of carnations date back even further than daffodils, though not as far back as roses or lilies.  Carnations are like roses in that the color of carnation dictates the supposed meaning.  A pink carnation stands for “gratitude,” while a white carnation stands for “remembrance.”

Choosing the flowers for your wedding can be one of the most enjoyable parts of wedding planning, and seeing your venue decorated, holding your bouquet, and appreciating the fruits of your planning labors

How to Save Money on Your Wedding (Without Looking Like You Did)

Your wedding is a one in a lifetime event. It is a celebration of your commitment and an expression of who you are as a couple. And if you are like many brides, you’ve dreamed of this day for a long time and know exactly what you’d like.

But in this economy, every bride is looking for ways to trim her wedding budget. And to help, I’ve created a list some of my favorite ways to cut your wedding costs – without your guests being the wiser.

Save Money On Your Wedding

Save on the Wedding Ceremony

• Use flowers in key areas only (like the altar or place where you will say your vows). This is where all of your guests eyes will be, and where the majority of your photographs will be taken.

• Have your florist create hand-tied bouquets for you and your bridesmaids. They are less expensive than wired ones and every bit as pretty.

• Use your wedding party flowers again at your reception. Bouquets can make amazing centerpieces at your head table. And they look gorgeous surrounding your cake.

Food and Beverage Costs

• Have your wedding at an “off-peak” time (Thursdays, Fridays or Sundays, and in January – May). Because these times are less popular, the caterer’s cost per person and the required guest count will be lower.
• Butler passed hor d’oeuvres can actually be less expensive than buffet style (because guests tend to eat less of them). Ask your caterer about your options.
• Create a signature drink (made with non-premium alcohol) to save on bar costs. Give the drink a personalized name to make it unique.
• Reduce your cocktail hour by 15-20 minutes. None of your guests will notice. And your bar bill will be less.
• Skip the champagne toasts – few guests really drink it. Or if you want to include it, try Prosecco, a sparkling Italian wine that tastes like champagne – but is much less expensive.

Save Money on Wedding Flowers/ Centerpieces

• Use fewer, larger tables to reduce the number of centerpieces and linen rentals required. Create tables of 10 instead of 8. (Use larger tables that guests aren’t crowded).
• Consider less expensive flowers like carnations, baby’s breath or gladiolas. These blooms tend to be 1/3 the cost of roses and look very dramatic and impactful when used in large monochromatic arrangements.
• Give your florist a long list of flowers you love and those you don’t. Then give him/her flexibility to use the most cost effective/ seasonal flowers from your list. Flexibility equal savings.
• Buy your own vases from places like Pier1 or Ikea. They can be less expensive than what your florist carries. (And you’ll be able to give the centerpieces away at the end of evening if you’d like).
• Ask your florist for ideas about including non-floral items that add impact while lowering cost. A vase filled with lemons or limes can be quite striking.

Save Costs on the Wedding Cake

• Save by using a faux cake. They are absolutely beautiful and your guests won’t notice the difference (you can still cut it).
• Or order only enough cake for 75% of your guests (more guests than you think actually don’t eat the cake).
• Another option is to have a smaller cake (tall but smaller cakes have great impact) and then a second “kitchen cake” which is cut and served to your guests (who will never notice).

Saving on the Wedding Attire

• Of course, I have to mention the savings associated with a preowned wedding dress! Whether you buy a preowned dress or sell your new gown after your wedding, you can expect to save up to 50% of the retail price. That is hundreds or potentially even thousands of dollars that can be used on other wedding costs (or towards upgrading your honeymoon).
• Rent your jewelry. You can actually rent beautiful necklaces, earrings, bracelets and more for you and your wedding party – all for a very reasonable rental fee.

This is a guest blog post by Josie Daga, founder of PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com, a website she created to help brides buy and sell designer wedding dresses. You can also find her on her own blog, Facebook and Twitter.

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7 Budget Saving Tips on Choosing your Wedding Flowers

Every bride wants her wedding to be perfect. A surprisingly big part of this is the purchase of wedding flowers. There are some ideas you can use to make sure this part of the plan goes exactly as you need it to make sure your wedding day is exactly how you want. You also want to be able to pull off the day on a budget, so indulge with these money saving tips!

One: The Right Florist

You have to be able to find the florist you trust with your wedding flowers. While price is definitely your top concern, you should also keep in mind the florist who wants to serve your needs the best. A good florist will have access to many different modes of acquiring your wedding flowers and they will often offer you discounts if you buy in bulk.

Two: The Right Budget

You should determine how much money will be going to the purchase of your flowers. If you figure that 10 percent of your budget is dedicated to the flowers then you should stick with that. Go no higher and no lower. Make sure that your florist knows your budget and helps you to stick with it while serving your needs.

Three: The Right Vision

Only you and your bride/groom should be making the decisions on the wedding. While others can offer suggestions, the vision is yours. Your wedding flowers should express your vision totally and be a pinnacle of exactly what you need and desire in flowers. Seek out bridal magazines to find the right kind of flowers for you.

Four: The Right Setting

Your wedding flowers are going to be positioned somewhere as a monument to the marriage. Whether you want them at the reception as centerpieces or display them on a beautiful wood kitchen island for the guestbook attendant, or on the wedding aisle they have to look as close to perfect as possible. Your florist should be able to offer suggestions to you about where the wedding flowers should be placed and how.

Five: The Right Colors

Your flowers have to match the wedding party. Most of the groomsmen will probably be clad in black tuxedos so you mainly have to work with the bridesmaids and your mothers. The flowers should complement the dresses without outshining them or standing out too much. It’s a waste of time to pick the flowers before you get your wedding colors.

Six: The Right Dress

The florist will need to see your dress before they can properly prescribe your wedding flowers. You might think this is irrelevant, but the type of dress you wear will directly influence the types of flowers the florist will suggest. Your wedding flowers will have to complement your dress just as the colors of bouquets will complement the bride’s maids. This will also allow for you to stay within your budget, and at the same time choosing the perfect flowers.

Seven: The Right Commitment

Drafting a contract between you and your florist might not be the first thing you’ve thought of, but if you don’t, you run the risk of being left at the altar with no flowers. As well, you may end up with a bill larger than expected. Make sure the price is drafted as soon as it is decided upon so the florist cannot change the commitment.

Following these seven guidelines, will definitely keep you on budget. Flowers are the beauty of any wedding so indulge with these budget saving tip.

Romona Weston and her family lives in the beautiful Amish countryside of Lancaster County, PA. She loves everything about weddings and have helped many brides on their special day! She is a mom to 7 beautiful children and is married to a very patient and loving man. Romona loves to organize, write and hike and started a review blog where she uses her love for writing to give thorough and in-depth reviews, of all models and kinds of portable and stationary  kitchen carts and kitchen islands and rolling kitchen carts on wheels. As a researcher she presents an unbiased view of products. Explore her reviews at http://www.kitchencarts360.com.  If you are a retailer or manufacturer and would like her to review your product you can contact her via her website.

Image: http://www.weddingfloweridea.com

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MULBERRY PAPER FLOWER WEDDINGS

Have you heard of the latest and newest trend? Mulberry paper flowers that you can use for any occasion. They are beautiful flowers that are great for weddings, proms, baby showers, bridal showers, holidays, and home décor.

Paper flowers from mulberry let you style and design your own where you can choose the flowers and colors you want because they come in many colors and types. Plus you can even spruce them up by adding beads, sparkles, ribbon, or wherever your imagination takes you.
 
Weddings especially, because everyone wants something different then anyone else’s or just to wow your friends and family. Mulberry paper flowers can be used for anyone that is special in your wedding that you desire to have a flower for on your special wedding day, also for mothers and grandmothers corsages, groomsmen boutonnieres, bridesmaid bouquets, the groom boutonnieres, and your bridal bouquet.  You can do your church decorations like an arch way or the pews or even a center piece for the church alter, plus your reception decorations like the tables or entry way, or around your cake table, or even maybe on your cake.

The mulberry paper flowers you won’t have to worry about them ever wilting and they keep their shape so they can be put together well ahead of time and designed any way you want. It will take some of the pressure off you so you can focus on other important things for your wedding.

The mulberry paper flowers you can repurpose them, reuse them, or redesign them, by putting them in your home decor, or for someone else’s special occasion, they are also great keepsakes for everyone invoved.

 Mulberry paper flowers will last for a very long time, they will even outlast you if they are stored and put up properly so they can be past down through the generations.

 These flowers are eco-friendly due to the fact that they come from a plant called a mulberry tree, which are not harmed because these trees are not cut down. Mulberry trees are only stripped of their bark to make the paper and the bark reproduces. So this way the tree continues to grow and the trees are never harmed which makes the paper very eco-friendly.

To check out these beautiful eco-friendly flowers and learn more check out our website at http://www.paperflowerweddings.com

Wedding Flower Ideas

Your wedding day really is one of the most important days of your life. Making everything perfect for this day is a daunting task. Finding the correct venue, selecting the perfect wedding dress, picking the most beautiful invitations, and choosing wedding flowers, are just some of the things you have to contend with.

Let’s see if we can’t make these tasks simpler. Today we will go over everything involved in getting the right flowers for your wedding. Finding the perfect flowers starts long before your wedding day. Here are some things you should consider beforehand.

• What colors are you using in the wedding? This is a very important factor affecting the whole wedding. Flowers are available in almost every color these days. You wouldn’t want to fall in love with a certain flower and then find that it doesn’t work with your color scheme at all.
• Decide if you want sophisticated or simple flowers. Roses are the flower of choice for traditional wedding services. If you want something different, a little more modern, go with orchids or tulips.
• The budget is a big consideration when choosing wedding flowers. Flowers such as carnations are less expensive than roses, and roses cost less than orchids. Know your budget before going to the florist to pick the flowers. If your flower budget is small, use artificial flowers. There are some really good options out these days in the artificial flower line. Your wedding won’t suffer if you have to use them.
• How many people in your wedding party need flowers? Make sure you know the number of attendants before getting flowers for your wedding. Your wedding bouquet is the most important. Some brides have one bouquet that they keep and another to throw at the reception, so decide if this is something you wish to do. All of the bridesmaids need flowers, as does the maid of honor. The flower girl if you have one and the Mother of the bride will need flowers. You’ll also want boutonnières for the groom and his attendants.
• Another thing to remember when choosing wedding flowers is decorating the church and reception hall. Some places flowers are used in the church are at the altar, on the end of pews, and the front door. If you want to go all out, throwing rose petals along the isle is nice. For the reception hall, you’ll need centerpieces for each table, a larger centerpiece for the bride and grooms table, and flowers around the wedding cake. Remember to take the colors used on your wedding cake into account when picking flowers. You wouldn’t want anything to clash.

As you can see, there are quite a few things to consider when choosing wedding flowers. You want the wedding to be beautiful, and picking the perfect flowers will go a long way in achieving this goal. A little organization and planning is all it takes to have the perfect wedding.

Photo by Whimsical Chris

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