The Meaning of Flowers

November 29, 2011 by  
Filed under Wedding 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

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

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

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

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

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

Vintage Flowers are Ideal for Summer Weddings

September 18, 2011 by  
Filed under Wedding Flowers, Wedding Planning

vintage-button-flowersThe economy being what it is, young couples who are planning to walk down the aisle are looking for ways to economize on their weddings. But not to worry, there are plenty of resources available on the Web that will help you keep costs within your budget. Sourcing what you need from the World Wide Web will allow you to get everything you need for much less. There is tremendous diversity in the free clip art that can be sourced from the Internet. When the perfect images reveal themselves during your web search, you’ll be able to relax and get totally creative with the rest of the planning process.

Due to the enormity of the task of finding the right clip art images, a helping hand from some of the girls in your bridal party would be a big help. It’s time to call for some reinforcments! But what should you, your friends and family look for when searching for wedding images? First think hard about your personal home decorating style. That should provide you with reminders of what pleases you visually. Which colors are the most prominent in your home? Understanding your color preferences is a terrific place to start. Additionally, assess whether your home looks warm and inviting, or whether it has a more reserved feel.

Looking at these variables will help you and your fiancé to decide exactly how you want your wedding to be designed. Once you know what hues you want to pursue, do an online search for free vintage flower clip art. Why do I recommend free vintage flower clip art instead of something more modern? antique clip art has a unique look that creates a feeling of warmth and familiarity. If you really want to make sure your wedding has a classic look, look for vintage rose images. If you use vintage roses on your invitation and favors, people will think a lot of money was spent on them. Using these lovely classic flowers will show everyone your good taste. Photo by lilfishstudios

7 Budget Saving Tips on Choosing your Wedding Flowers

August 5, 2011 by  
Filed under 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

MULBERRY PAPER FLOWER WEDDINGS

March 3, 2011 by  
Filed under Wedding Flowers, Wedding Planning

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