How to Find Flowers That Match Your Wedding Colors

By Sophia Rodriguez

Are you wondering how to find flowers that match your wedding colors? If so, this article will help you find the perfect blooms to coordinate with your wedding colors.

Many bride to be's wonder which flowers they should use to match their theme. If you have a navy theme, an ice blue theme, a chocolate brown and pink theme or a bright colors theme, which flowers should you use to match?

Whether you decide to make your flowers yourself or if you prefer to get them done by a florist, this article will attempt to answer these questions and more. Before going into individual colors and the flowers to match, I just want to give you a few tips on the choice of your wedding colors.

Make sure that the colors you choose go with the colors of your reception hall. For example, if all the chairs at your wedding are orange, you had better choose a bright floral theme for your wedding...or rent chair covers to make everything white and pure again to be able to choose a pastel or vintage theme. Usually, wedding colors and flowers reveal the bride's personality, as it should. Keep this in mind as you are selecting your colors.

Where will your wedding colors show up? In your dresses and flowers of course, plus in your linens, your tablecloths, your overlays. On the head table and guest tables, your color will be featured in your centerpieces plus in your accents if you use any such as rose petals, confetti or leaves. If you are using balloons, these should be color coded also, Other items that could be color coded are your flower girl basket, your ring bearer pillow and your pen and guest book. I'm probably even missing a few things but you get the idea..

.Your wedding colors make a Big difference in the overall look and feel of your wedding and will affect how people portray your wedding and perhaps even in how much they enjoy themselves at your wedding. OK, maybe I'm pushing it just a bit but I've been to a wedding where the colors were a dull puky green in combination with a bright red and it was just horrible. That's all i could think about the whole wedding...but then again maybe that's just me...I'm perhaps overly sensitive to color combinations!

Anyways, enough stressing you out over choosing your colors and here are some suggestions as to how to find flowers to match your wedding colors.

A Navy Blue Theme could be successfully paired with silver and other shades of blue and violet to create a vintage look. Flowers that could be used for you are hydrangeas, delphinium, bachelor's buttons, larkspur, lisianthus, roses, dyed dendrobium orchids, daisies, statice. My favorite is blue hydrangea in combination with cream roses and silver ribbon and metallic accents.

An Ice Blue Theme frosty winter theme goes well with silver, creams and whites. As for flowers to match, try light blue hydrangea, light blue delphinium, light blue bachelor's buttons in combination with white or cream roses, lilies, lisianthus and daisies. You could get light blue dyed daisies or mums for your centerpieces but avoid any dyed flower close to anything that could stain such as a dress or a suit.

A Chocolate Brown And Pink Theme could feature many beautiful flowers. Obviously there are way more pink flowers however a few standout flowers help with the brown part of this theme. Leonida roses have various shades of browns but there are also pure brown roses that you could include in this theme. Brown hypericum berries are ideal to add just an accent of brown amidst pink and cream flowers. You could use cream roses, white hydrangea, white lisianthus, pink roses, alstromeria lilies and gerberas. There is even a variety of gerbera that is now naturally grown in brown. This terra nigra gerbera is gorgeous and can be used in bouquets and centerpieces. Cream mini gerbera corsages with an accent of greens and hypericum berries would be beautiful. More pink flowers for you to choose from: peonies (available for a short period of time in spring), tulips, freesia, heather, ranunculus, mini carnations, carnations, gerberas and rice flowers.

A Bright And Colorful Theme
This is a fun one with many options. You could make it a tropical affair and include gorgeous tropical blooms such as orchids which come in many types and colors. Roses of course go well with any theme and come naturally in these fun colors: hot pink, bright orange and a natural green. You could also go with reds, yellows and oranges in your combining of wedding flowers and wedding roses. Other tropical beauties to include are gingers, birds of paradise, heliconium and pincushion proteas. Bright yellow daisies and lime green button mums also blend well with this bright assortment.

If you have questions about your wedding flowers that have not been answered here, visit my blog at http://www.howtoweddingflowers.blogspot.com

Make Wedding Flowers: My, How Times Have Changed, For The Better!

By Sophia Rodriguez
If you are looking to make your own wedding flowers, count your lucky stars that you live in this modern age of floral design. In the past, wedding florists had a very difficult life. They had to wire each flower individually! Every rose, every piece of foliage and every carnation had to be wired in order to compose wedding bouquets. All bouquets had to be made in vases or other containers and had to be pretty much self supporting. Can you imagine making floral arrangements, pew markers, bouquets and cake flowers with nothing but wire and tape on your side!

Luckily, in 1954, floral foam was invented! You know, those green blocks of water absorbing foam used for putting together floral arrangements. This invention has revolutionarized the way wedding flowers are made and made life much easier for the florists and for do it yourselfers like your who take the beauty of their wedding into their own hands. Not only does floral foam make life easier, it also keeps flowers fresher longer. For you, that means you can make your bouquets days in advance and still walk down the aisle with flowers that look like they were freshly picked.

Bouquet holders for fresh flowers come in many types now from straight handled holders for that modern look or slanted handle holders for the traditional look. Bouquet holders come in wet and dry foam; for fresh and artificial flowers respectively. Artificial or dry bouquet holders exist in Sahara foam for softer stems and Styrofoam for harder stems.

Making wedding flowers has never been easier due to the increasing availability of floral foam products available in most craft stores, superstores and online. From brick foam to bouquet holder foam to pew bouquet holders to floral spheres for flower girl topiaries and igloo foam for cake bouquets, there is a type of foam for every possible type of wedding floral décor. New kinds of foam are coming out all the time too...

Rainbow foam is now available for arrangements in clear containers so that you can color match the mechanics of your centerpieces with your flowers. Open heart floral foam exists so that you can insert the flowers you wish into the frame and than add in a picture of you and your groom at the center of the floral heart. The possibilities are endless and increasingly so! The more creative you are, the better you can utilize the wealth of floral foam available in today`s market.

Do you want to learn how to use your creativity in combination with the floral tools available in today`s modern age? Unleash your inner florist and learn how to make stunning wedding flowers just like the pros.

How To Wedding Flowers

If you want more information on how to make wedding flowers, click here: http://www.makeweddingflowers.com

The Most Expensive Flowers to Have in a Wedding

By Sophia Rodriguez

Are you curious about what are the most expensive flowers to have in a wedding? This article will list the priciest flowers used to create bridal bouquets and will give information about each of these lovely blooms.

Of course if you are getting married in a tropical location, this list will not apply to you. This list is relevant for North American weddings because that is what I'm familiar with, being a wedding florist in Ontario Canada.

1) Gardenias The gardenia is a delicate flower that is very susceptible to getting bruised and damaged in transit...therefore, it is very expensive. They smell amazing and are the classic ideal in traditional wedding blooms. Are they worth the trouble and the price?

That is a personal choice. Do they have a symbolic meaning for you or are you in love with their look and scent? If so, I say go for it. If you just think they are kind of pretty and it could easily be substituted with a rose or lisianthus, then never mind the extra cost for the gardenias.

2) Stephanotis In flower symbolism, the stephanotis means marital happiness. Stephanotis are tiny flowers that smell delicious as well. They grow on a vine and so they don't have individual stems. Because of this, each flower needs to be wired in a special stephanotis stems. You want to use this flower amidst other blooms for a modern look. In the olden days they used to make entire bouquets of stephanotis.

This is an artsy, statement bouquet but really not suitable for the average bride. Stephanotis are perfect amidst roses or hydrangeas. Adding jewels or other type of bling to your bouquet would complement the stephanotis well.

3)Orchids Cymbidium, Dendrobium, Vanda, Phalaenopsis and Cattleya Orchids, etc.. There is a wide variety of orchids to suit every bride's taste. These exotic blooms come in many colors and are long lasting so that they look good throughout the whole wedding day and night.

Orchids symbolize love, luxury, beauty and strength, therefore they are perfect in wedding bouquets, corsages and centerpieces if you can afford them.

4) Calla lilies You are either a calla lover or not. Those that love this flower, love it a lot, enough to base their wedding theme around it. This trumpet like flower is elegant, classic and majestic. It is said to symbolize purity and marriage.

Wedding bouquets composed with this flower showcase it exclusively. For example, 6 large callas with foliage and a bow makes a simple yet classy statement. You can also feature small callas in the guys boutonnieres and even on your wedding cake.

5) Casablanca Lilies Casablanca lilies are in the oriental lily family along with stargazer lilies. They are expensive but also gorgeous for those that are attracted to them. The look is simple and elegant and they make an elegant statement, however they do smell very strongly. Make sure the smell won't give you a headache since many people are sensitive to its strong odor.

Other expensive flowers worth noting are hydrangea although you get a lot of bang for your buck if using hydrangeas in centerpieces since they are huge. In a wedding bouquets, hydrangeas are pricey because they are time consuming to work with. They need to be wired individually in bunches since the full bloom is way too big to use as is in a bouquet.

The pincushion protea is expensive since it is a tropical beauty from South Africa. Ginger, heliconium and birds of paradise are also pricey but not really suitable for wedding bouquets. In tall bouquets to decorate the church or the hall, tall birds of paradise and ginger flowers would be phenomenal, however expensive they will be!

Lisianthus is another traditional wedding flowers that can be quite pricey unless you buy them in their peak summer growing season. Certain flowers are less expensive in their peak growing season but very pricey when out of season. For example, lily of the valley and peonies have a very brief period of being in season in the spring. After that short period of time, if you insist on wanting these blooms, it's going to cost you.

To reduce the cost of expensive wedding flowers, make your own bouquets, corsages and centerpieces

. For more valuable tips on which flowers to choose and how to make your own wedding flowers, check out my book: Unleash Your Inner Florist: How to Make Your Own Wedding and Special Event Flowers. Http://howtoweddingflowers.com

Tips For Giving Flowers To Your Girlfriend

Are you looking for tips for giving flowers to your girlfriend? If so, as a retired florist, I think I can help. Guys used to come into our flower shop often asking what types of flowers are appropriate for giving to their girlfriend. But first of all, I congratulate you for thinking of sending flowers to a lucky girl in the first place.

The first consideration in selecting which flowers to buy for your girlfriend is the stage you are at in your relationship. Is this your first date or have you been going out for a few months or a few years? Are you buying flowers for a special occasion or just to say I love you or I'm thinking of you? Let me attempt to answer all these questions...

If you want to bring flowers or get flowers delivered to your girl before your first date, the best idea is to send a small mixed bouquet of seasonal flowers, nothing extravagant, just a pretty little bouquet. If you have been going out for a while, a medium or large mixed bouquet would be well appreciated. This bouquet could be wrapped in cello or in a vase depending on where you are bringing the flowers.

If you are sending the bouquet to her house or apartment you could bring or get a vase bouquet or a wrapped bouquet. If however you are bringing flowers on a date at a restaurant, you may want to bring an easy to carry bouquet in a vase or an arrangement in a keepsake cup or other type of container that she can keep to be reminded of you every time she sees it even after the flowers are dead.

If your date will have you going to many places and you don't want her to have the hassle of dragging the flowers all across town, you can bring her a single rose or a corsage. For the rose, whatever you do, don't bring her a red rose on a first date! This is way too heavy for a first encounter!

Roses are the most symbolic of flowers. Every rose has a different meaning and you can definitely look into that to send the proper message. If you have been going out for a while and you do want to tell her you love her with flowers, by all means give her red roses.

At the beginning of a relationship if you go with yellow roses for friendship or pink roses for joyfulness and appreciation, you will be safe. Make sure to get a water pick so the rose stays healthy all night. A corsage, specifically a wristlet corsage would be perfect if you are taking her at a dance or club. Again, don't make it too big as to scare her off if this is your first date.

Whether you want to send flowers to your girlfriend to celebrate a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary you have a choice of sending a seasonal mixed bouquet in a vase or a bouquet of roses.

However, the most important part of the flower gift giving process is the sentiment card you will attach to the bouquet. Try to write more than Happy Birthday with love, John or something of the kind. Something more like: You mean so much to me, thanks for being such a wonderful girlfriend or Looking forward to getting to know you better, I love spending time with you will be a much better hit.

If you want to learn everything about preparing bouquets yourself, check out my book called Unleash Your Inner Florist http://www.howtoweddingflowers.com

If you live in Timmins Ontario and want to send flowers to your girlfriend, click: http://www.thelovebug.ca

Top 11 Wedding Flower Tips

Excellent collection of wedding floral advice from the professionals over at The Knot's website. Check out this link for a wealth of information: http://www.theknot.com

You want your wedding flowers to be beautiful -- and so does your florist. Here are a few expert tips for making that happen.

Be open-minded about flower types

"There is nothing more disheartening for the bride and myself than when she comes in with her heart set on yellow peonies for an August wedding, only to find out that yellow peonies are just not naturally available in August. There are a ton of flowers available year-round, like roses, hydrangeas, carnations, alstroemeria, callas and orchids, just to name a few. Knowing just this one piece of information can make your flower plan go much more smoothly." -- Shelly Chaffee, Crystal Springs Florist, Benton Harbor, Mich. . . .

And color "Flower colors are never exact. Rely on your florist to help you understand the undertones of different varieties; for example, red ranunculus have orange undertones that stand out when paired with cool colors. Also remember that many of the photographs you see online or in magazines can be misleading; when the photographer is color-correcting for skin tone and lighting, it may adjust flower colors beyond what is realistic." -- Brittany Bailey Frost, Blossom Basket Florist, Champaign, Ill.

Personalize your wedding flowers "Incorporate something special into your wedding flowers. Wrap your bouquet with a loved one's handkerchief or include snippets from your mom's wedding dress. Or if you and your fiance have something that is special to you, find a way to reflect that in your flowers. We had a couple that met on a train, so we tied a small train charm onto her bouquet to symbolize where they met and fell in love." -- Dawn Clark, A Garden Party LLC, Elmer, N.J.

Make your wedding bouquet a priority "Never skimp on your bridal bouquet. It is the one floral design that will be on your mantel, your bedside table, at your mother's house, your in-laws' house and on your desk at work in photos for the next 50 to 60 years -- you had better like it!" -- Katie Martin, Elegance and Simplicity, Washington, D.C.

Stick to a single hue "If you are on a limited budget, go monochromatic for a bigger impact. A monochromatic color scheme looks more organized and really gives your ceremony and reception a pop of color that is sure to wow even in the smallest amounts." -- Amanda Apple, Anthomanic Florist, Stafford, Va.

Find a florist you really love "Your initial florist meeting is about having fun, seeing if you connect and figuring out your dream flower idea. You should feel that your florist is as excited as you are to help you arrive at your vision of what you would like for your day." -- Jacob Moss, Jacob Moss Designs, Hamden, Conn.

If you want to preserve, have a plan "Some flowers preserve better than others. You should ask your florist for recommendations about which flowers press well and best hold their live color. Then, when the reception ends, your flowers should be kept in water (and ideally a fridge) until they can be dropped off for preservation." -- Mary Beth Lopresti, All Seasons Floral Preservation, Sterline and Charlottesville, Calif.

Know your budget "The most difficult and least productive meetings are the ones where no budget is given. You wouldn't go to buy a car without telling the salesman in advance if you are in the market for a Lexus, Volvo or a Focus. We request in our very first phone conversation that a budget be provided at the meeting." -- Russ Griffin, Griffin's Floral Designs, Columbus, OH

Find your inspiration "Pick one thing you love -- whether it's grandma's antique brooch or a swatch of fabric -- to give you and your florist a starting point." -- Georgia, Boise at Its Best Flowers, Boise, ID

Break tradition
"If you aren't planning a traditional wedding, then your flowers certainly don't have to be traditional either. And there's no need to limit yourself to roses and calla lilies. I personally love succulents and work with them whenever possible. I also pull in fruit and vegetables like pomegranates, kale, apples -- whatever speaks to the wedding and a bride's vision.

You also don't have to limit your containers to clear glass vases -- if it will hold water it can hold your flowers." -- Amanda Johnson, Butterfly Petals, Phoenix, Ariz.

Simplify your bridesmaid bouquets "If you are on a tight budget, remember, it's your day -- not your bridesmaids'. Make your bouquet perfect. Theirs can be smaller and simpler -- and therefore less expensive. And if you're on a tight budget, don't ask 20 girls to be in your wedding. Twenty times anything is a lot!" -- Scott Jones, American Floral Signature Weddings, Irmo, S.C.

© 2011 The Knot Inc. All rights reserved. -- Justine Lorelle Blanchard

Should You Use Real or Fake Flowers For Your Wedding?

By Sophia Rodriguez

There are many reasons choose artificial flowers over live flowers. On the other hand, those that choose live blooms wouldn't be caught dead with fakes for their wedding. When I was a wedding florist, the most popular reason I heard for brides picking artificial blooms was that they wanted to keep their bouquet as a souvenir. Another reason for fake flowers is that they can be made way ahead of time.The most popular reason for choosing live blooms was for the traditional beauty and elegance of real florals. Real ones last forever in photos, smell delicious and make the bride feel extra special on her wedding day.

Should You Choose Fake or Real Flowers For Your Wedding?

1. You have visions of a traditional wedding with an abundance of real blooms. True False

2. You believe that some silks can look classy and real. Yes or No

3. You love the smell of real blooms. True False

4. You can't picture your bouquet being anything but fresh florals. Yes No

5. Cost is the most important factor when selecting your wedding bouquets and corsages. T or F

6. You are the type to worry and stress out a lot. T or F

7. You would like to have your wedding flowers ready before your wedding. Yes or No

8. Real blooms are luxurious. On my most wedding day, I deserve that luxury. True False

9. I would love to keep my wedding bouquet for years to come. Yes or No

10. You absolutely love fresh flowers. T or F

If you answered True to more of Questions # 2-5-6-7-9, you are a good candidate for artificial flowers at your wedding. Just make sure to pick real looking artificial flowers to make your bouquets with. If you choose fake flowers for your wedding you will need to follow through for all your flowers: from bouquets to corsages to centerpieces. Don't pick real flowers for your bouquets then fake blooms for your centerpieces. That would be tacky! If done properly, a wedding composed of artificial flowers can be elegant and practical all the the same time.

If you answered True to more of Questions #1-3-4-8-10, nothing can compare to real fresh flowers for you. Do not even try replacing fresh flowers with artificial flowers. If done properly, you can make your own fresh floral bouquets 4-5 days ahead of the wedding, eliminate the stress and save lots of money by composing your own. Of course, you will need proper instructions to accomplish this feat unless you are already a florist.

If you are thinking of making your own wedding bouquets, you can follow along step by step and make your own corsages, bouquets, centerpieces and church flowers.

Save hundreds of dollars by making your own. All you have to do is follow the instructions and the images and you will end up with gorgeous wedding flowers. Everyone will be complimenting your flowers and you can proudly say that you made them yourself. Their reaction will be priceless. How To Wedding Flowers http://www.howtoweddingflowers.com

Learn How To Make Wedding Flowers: Can You Really Pull It Off For Your Wedding?

By Sophia Rodriguez

If you want to learn how to make wedding flowers in time to pull it off for your wedding, you will need a plan of action. Much of the work that goes into wedding flowers is all about the organization. If you can plan the flowers you will need, make lists of what you will need and a plan of action in a calendar, odds are, you are well on your way to making wedding flowers for a wedding; whether it is your wedding of a friend or family member or for yourself.

Craftiness and resourcefulness are also good qualities to have when you learn how to make wedding flowers. You don`t have to have a degree in floristry to be able to follow good instructions and make beautiful wedding bouquets. If you can make a bow and a reasonably enjoyable bouquet in a vase when you get cello wrapped flowers, then you can make your own wedding flowers.

The first step in learning how to make wedding flowers is to make a list of all the people who will need flowers at your wedding. The ladies will include the bride, the maid of honor, the bridesmaids, the flower girl, the mothers and grandmothers. The gentlemen will include the groom, the best man, the ushers, the ring bearer, the fathers and the grandfathers.

Find pictures of the bouquets you would like for the bride and her attendants. Every other flower at a wedding should revolve around the bride`s bouquet. For example, if the bride holds a handheld bouquet of calla lilies and roses, her bridesmaids should also be carrying a bouquet of either callas or roses. The mothers and grandmothers should ideally have a corsage of roses.

For the men, the groom should have a mini calla and the ushers could either have mini callas or roses. The fathers should have boutonnieres created with roses in the same shade as the bride`s.

Once you have determined and written out what everyone will be wearing or holding for flowers at the wedding, it`s time to make a shopping list.

Make a list of the flowers and amounts of flowers you will need to accomplish all these flowers for the wedding. Then, make a separate list of the floral supplies you will need to put them together. For example, ribbon, corsage pins, wristlets, floral tape, etc...

On your calendar, write out when you will shop or order what to make sure you get everything in good time to not stress out when it comes down to making the flowers. As for techniques for making the actual bouquets and boutonnieres, there is a book called: Unleash Your Inner Florist: How To Make Wedding And Special Event Flowers that teaches step by step how to make wedding flowers. This book also tells you when to make what so that everything is still fresh for your wedding and has charts displaying how long each flower lasts, when they are in season and which flowers come in which colors. It also covers silk flowers as well as fresh flowers. It is a wealth of information for the price. This book sells as a make your own flowers ebook for only $19.99. You can also order it as a paper book at your local book store or on Amazon. If you want to read more about how to make your own wedding flowers, read my blog HERE: How to make wedding flowers.

Make Your Own Wedding Flowers: Top 5 Things To Avoid

By Sophia Rodriguez
http://ezinearticles.com/?Make-Your-Own-Wedding-Flowers:-Top-5-Things-To-Avoid&id=5836353

When you lay out plans to make your own wedding flowers, there are certain things you should definitely avoid if you wish to have modern looking bouquets that will coordinate well with your wedding colors and your wedding decor.

1) Avoid colors and color combinations that are out of season or out of style. Never choose more than 2 colors as your wedding scheme. If you choose 2 colors, make sure they actually match well together. Choose colors that coordinate with the month or season you are getting married in. If possible, choose color combinations that are in style that year. You will have better luck matching dresses, flowers and accessories if you select colors that are current and modern.

2) Choose a bouquet style that matches with your body type, your weight and your style. Don`t choose an extra large cascading bouquet if you are a 100 pound bride. On the opposite side, don`t choose a small hand held bouquet of 6 roses if you are a 300 pound bride; it will look out of proportion!

3) Don`t choose super smelly flowers that will give you and your entire bridal party a killer headache on your most special day. Sure, you may enjoy the look of a Casablanca or a Stargazer lily but are you aware of your body`s reaction to this flower`s scent. Make sure to test yourself before making any final decisions.

4) Select flowers that won`t stain your dress or your men`s tuxes. Certain dyed flowers are beautiful and coordinate well with certain color schemes when natural flowers just don`t compare. For example, blue roses come in a dark cobalt blue but leak die as soon as any kind of moisture reaches the petals. Watch out for lilies too! The pistils at the center of the flowers give off a dark brown/yellow powder that stains clothes, hands, and anything else they come in contact with.

5) Choose flowers that give you a warm fuzzy feeling and that you totally love. Don`t just pick flowers for the sake of matching with the bridesmaids dresses. It should be the other way around. Research online and in bridal magazines until you find the bouquet and the flowers that really turn you on. This way, you will be sure to enjoy every minute spent with your wedding flowers and you will be extra proud of the flowers you made.

Do you want to make sure your wedding flowers look professional and well coordinated? If you are not sure how to go about it and want a step by step guide that will take you by the hand and unleash your inner florist, click here: Http://howtoweddingflowers.com