Floral Options for Your Wedding

Start the process of choosing a florist by looking online for example works, attending bridal shows and by asking friends and family for referrals. If the flowers at a recent wedding were particularly exquisite, ask the bride which florist she used. Once a list of several has been formed, make an appointment with each to sit down and talk about options and to view photos of past arrangements and weddings. The first appointment will usually take an hour or so.Before keeping that appointment, assemble some items that will help the florist to help you. First, work out a general budget for your wedding flowers. Ask yourself questions like:

* How many bridesmaids and groomsmen will there be? * Who outside the bridal party will receive flowers to wear? * Will the florist decorate the pew ends or the altar in the church? * Will flowers be required for the wedding cake? * Will the florist decorate the reception site, including the head table and other tables?

In addition to budget information, your florist will need you to bring such helpful items as photos or magazine clippings of flower arrangements you like, a photo of your wedding dress so she can match the style of the flowers with it and a fabric swatch from your bridesmaids' dresses for color comparison.

Cost

The cost of wedding flowers can vary widely depending on several factors. Exotic out-of-season flowers will, of course, cost far more than locally-grown and easily obtained in-season flowers. Upscale, cutting-edge floral designers will most likely be more expensive than a more traditional florist. Bouquets rich in certain flowers and light on greenery will certainly make a dent in your pocketbook. Though the conveniences of having a florist decorate the church and reception site can be more costly, it is usually worth the amount of stress it will relieve and provides beautiful end results!

The average cost of wedding flowers lies somewhere in the $800 to $6,000 range for most medium size weddings. Some brides avoid some of this cost by arranging the flowers themselves, but this can be a stressful and tricky operation. If considering this option, remember that the flowers will have to be prepared either the day before or the day of the wedding and will need to be refrigerated. Someone will have to transport them to and distribute them at the church. Is the added responsibility worth the money saved? Only the bride herself can answer that question.

Bouquets & Such

Color saturation is the watchword for today's bridal bouquets, according to local florists. They say that blue is still a very trendy color for flowers, especially when paired with purple or a periwinkle color. Subdued colors such as taupe tinged with pink are edging their way into bouquets everywhere, too. These colors go well with the taupe and pewter dresses worn by today's bridesmaids. As for bouquet shapes, they say that 'simple elegance' are the first words out of every bride's mouth. Many brides today seek out a pav? arrangement, which is a tight cluster of blossoms. Such bouquets might consist of a single type of flower in the same or related colors or it might include several different varieties of flowers. These arrangements have very few, if any, greens, which can make them costly. This is a very balanced, geometric look made popular in recent years. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the European hand-tied bouquet retains its favor with brides everywhere. This arrangement has a fresh, natural appeal and can include a diverse selection of flowers. Most often, these bouquets have a casual simplicity that many brides find particularly appealing.

What flowers do brides choose to include in their bouquets? Romantic roses, as always, top the list. Brides also choose fresh lavender, sages and other herbs. Berries, Lisianthus (also known as the false rose) and hydrangeas make regular appearances, too. Silk flowers remain popular, especially top-of-the-line silks, that can hardly be differentiated from fresh. Some brides even include delicate silk fruits in their bouquets.

To set off the simple look of today's flower arrangements, whether formal or natural, florists employ different styles of rich-looking ribbon. Satin ribbon might wrap around a bouquet's stems to hide them and to ensure unstained, unpricked hands. Wide satin ribbon in silk gives a lush simplicity when tied in a simple bow. Sheer ribbons add a fairy-tale feel to a tight cluster of elegant blooms. Ribbon colors range from deep cocoas to pearly white.

Today's boutonni?res also have a new look, pared down and simple, often with a satin ribbon to accompany them. And like the pav? bouquets, boutonni?res often forego the greenery to achieve a single-minded elegance.

Floral Decor

That elegant simplicity has changed the way churches are decorated for weddings, too. A lot of brides are doing more at the reception than they used to. The church look is simpler -- the (decorating) money is spent at the reception. That means receptions have blossomed. There, topiaries and wheat sheaves decorate tables with elegance. Again, pav? clusters of single or several flowers adorn tables like jewels. Preserving the Flowers with all the effort, time and money that go into the wedding flowers, one final detail that is often overlooked is preserving them. For centuries brides have discarded or left their bouquets to dry and shrivel away. Now brides can keep their bouquets with the latest technologies in flower preservation. The process of flower preservation is incredibly involved and time consuming if done correctly. Floral preservationists know how to handle each flower to provide you with the most "life like" look possible. Keep in mind plans must be made in advance if floral preservation is desired. Consult a floral preservationist at least two months prior to the wedding to arrange to have the flowers shipped, delivered, or picked up immediately after the wedding while they are still fresh. Preserved flowers are attractive accents for any home. Special display pieces can be made using the flowers and other wedding keepsakes. Just as the wedding gown, photographs and other sentimental memorabilia can be a reminder; bridal flowers too can bring a lifetime of enjoyment!

Rebecca Sherman is an editor at ModernWeddingPlanner.com

Our Free Wedding Planner and Wedding Planning Guide has sections to track guest information, RSVP's, budgets, shower and wedding gifts and More! Plus export your data to Excel

Why Choose An Online Florist?

It?s a question that many people would ask them selves, why choose an online florist rather than just go into a store? Because the chances are there is already a flower shop in your neighborhood already, right? Well here are a few good reasons why you may choose an online florist. To begin with ordering of flowers online can be done from the comfort of your very own home or work and unlike stores shopping can be done any day at any time because the internet does not close, especially during the holiday season when almost every store is crowded and packed you can avoid all of that hustle and bustle because there is never a crowd at an online shop.

An online florist would also be a big time saver, you no long have to drive over to a store you can now have the convenience of shopping from your home, work, library or any where that has a computer with internet access. And finding what you want can?t possibly be any simpler, all you do is just type in the name of the flower you want and there it is right on your screen not like in a store where you would have to wait on one of the clerks for assistance.

Especially when there is an occasion like say ?Mother?s Day? for example and lots of people want to get flowers for their mother, but as usual most of them wait for the last minute, so when you do get to the florist you find that you and about two dozen other later shoppers are trying to buy flowers. The clerks are busy because of the overwhelming amount of customers at one given time, and so tempers become a little flared, but when you finally get someone to attend to you, ?lo and behold? there are no more of the Red Roses that you wanted to order. You are getting more frustrated by the minute, now what should you do!, should you go to another florist and hope that they have the Roses you want in stock. No you should do what you should have done in the first place, get online and order your flowers, saving yourself all the hassle and frustration.

Online shopping has become the norm, so why bother getting dressed, and driving your car in all that traffic, to get to the florist, just do the sensible thing and go to your internet browser and decided which florist you would like to order your flowers from and this will make your life much simpler and less stressful. Take the time you would have spent getting to the florist doing something that you would like, like playing a game with your kids, or reading a good book, or just put your feet up and relax in front of your television set, and enjoy the movie.

For more interesting articles on flowers visit Buy Flowers Online a website offering views, opinions and resources on matters such as sending flowers online, unique flowers and gifts and even learn about flower fairies which are so popular today

Floristry As A Career

Being a florist can be a very exciting and challenging career.

Many people of all ages, from other working backgrounds are being retrained and entering the floristry industry.

If you are considering a career in floristry, you should enjoy working with flowers and be willing to learn all aspects of the floristry profession.

You will need to be able to arrange flowers in an attractive manner and be a reasonably quick worker.

As a florist is dealing closely with the public, you should have a genuine liking for people, and have a pleasant and helpful manner.

Flowers touch the emotions of other peoples' lives. Customers ordering funeral tributes are often relatives or close friends of the deceased and may be emotionally upset. As a florist, you will need to be sympathetic and understanding.

A florist has the pleasure of helping a bride-to-be select just the right flowers and type of bridal bouquet for the most important day of her life - her wedding day.

The florist shares the joy and excitment when a proud new father comes in to order flowers for his wife in hospital.

Floristry is not all glamour. There is a lot of hard work and long hours involved. The duties in a florist shop will include:-

Unpacking stock as it comes into the florist shop

Conditioning flowers and watering plants

Pricing merchandise and displaying it attractively

Attending to customers

Answering the telephone

Completing orders and making up designs for the shop

Making sure the florist shop is clean and tidy

Keeping book work up to date

Changing the shop window display

Working in a Florist Shop

You will need to be able to work efficiently. A typical day in a florist shop could include ten wreaths for an early morning funeral, several arrangements and posies. Often a posy or a sheaf of flowers will need to be made up while the customer waits.

A good employee has common sense, a positive attitude, is honest and a willing worker who sees what needs doing and does it in a cheerful and efficient manner.

An employer will appreciate a capable trustworthy employee who has the employer's interest at heart and will co-operate and help with any duties involved in the running of the floristry business.

Applying for a Position in a Florist Shop.

You should present yourself favourably, be well groomed, polite and have an enthusiastic manner.

If you have any references from previous positions, report cards or personal references, take these with you.

You may like to take samples or photographs of your floral designs with you.

Naturally, any photographs or samples should be of a high standard with the flowers arranged attractively and colours blended tastefully.

Any wiring and taping should be neatly done.

The florist may ask you to make up an arrangement, posy or a sheaf.

You will be expected to choose suitable flowers and foliage in colours which blend well together and make up a professional looking design in a reasonable amount of time (approximately 15-20 minutes for a standard arrangement).

Do not worry if you are a bit nervous. Florists are usually understanding people and will make allowances for this. It is far better to be a little nervous rather than have an over confident and "know it all" manner.

A few years ago a position was advertised for a junior in a very busy florist shop in a leading shopping centre in Melbourne.

There were over forty applicants, but one of our students was successful because she could show the florist she was capable of creating attractive floral designs.

After the interview is over thank the employer for seeing you, and if the position offered appeals to you, you could say "I am very impressed with your shop" or "I would really like the opportunity of working for you".

An employer would much rather employ a person who really wants the position in preference to someone who is indifferent.

OWNING YOUR OWN FLORIST SHOP.

Many people find the idea of going into business for themselves very tempting. You may want to open your own florist shop, but you should be fully aware of all the facts before you make a decision to start up or buy into a business.

HOW TO DECIDE IF YOU ARE THE RIGHT TYPE OF PERSON TO GO INTO A FLORIST BUSINESS FOR YOURSELF.

Advantages

You will have a feeling of fulfilment of being involved in such a creative industry such as floristry.

If you run a successful florist business it can be far more rewarding financially than working for wages.

There is a feeling of security in owning your own successful florist business.

You will find running your own florist shop is never dull. You will never know what each day will bring. Working for yourself is far more exciting than going to work in an often dull routine job.

You will meet some very interesting people through dealing directly with the public. This can often develop into lasting friendships. You will be providing a real service to your customers. The skilled florist is always appreciated and will have a secure life-long career.

Disadvantages (You will find it helpful if you do this questionnaire)

As floristry is a lot of hard work and often long hours are involved, do you have the necessary health and energy to run a business? Yes / No

Do you have enough money to start a florist business? Do you have another source of borrowing money if necessary? Sometimes you will need to inject extra funds into the business Yes / No

Are you self motivated and have enough discipline to be able to organise yourself to see what the most important tasks are and to see each one is carried out? Yes / No

Are you a reasonably quick worker? Yes / No

When a problem arises, are you the type of person who can come up with a solution? Yes / No

If you have a family, do you have someone you can rely on to help with the children? Yes / No

To stand a good chance in a floristry business you should honestly be able to answer "Yes" to all the above questions.

How successful you are in Floristry, as in anything in life, will depend on how much time and effort YOU are prepared to put into it.

Floristry Diploma Course

Our floristry diploma course covers opening your own florist shop, how to find a job in a florist shop and work from home.

Fay Chamoun

Fay Chamoun Principal of Floral Art School of Australia and International Floral Design School http://www.floral-art-school.com.au/

How To Hire The Florist For Your Wedding

You have bought your bridal gown; you have reserved your reception venue, what?s next? Decorating your reception venue is an important task that you can?t start early enough. Your first step in decorating your venue is to find the right florist. It sounds simple, but it takes a lot of work.

When you interview florist make sure you don?t just take their word for it. You should see their previous work. An experienced bridal florist should have plenty of pictures in her portfolio. If the florist is unable to show you pictures of her previous work, you should walk. Decorating is too important to leave it to an inexperienced person.

The right florist is not only making sure the right flowers are delivered and arranged on your wedding day. A really good florist is an advisor about the overall decorating of the venue. Florist should have an eye for making any location look its absolute best, and it goes beyond arranging the flowers. Florist should be involved in selecting the right flowers, lights, candles, linens, decorative linens, and more. Of course, it doesn?t mean you have to agree to every suggestion. But, it certainly helps to get suggestions.

You can?t start soon enough for the right florist. It is certainly an essential part of your wedding planning project, and you should not leave it to the least minute. You should start interviewing florist as soon as you have reserved the reception venue. If possible, invite the florist to visit the venue with you to make suggestions about colors and decoration in general.

Make sure to have an idea of what you want by the time you hire the florist. Bring as many pictures, magazines, and catalogs you can to describe your requirements to the florist. It helps them too to understand exactly your likes and dislikes.

You should work within your budget. Make sure your florist understands how much you have allocated to flowers and decoration. When both you and your florist understand your budget, you don?t have to worry about surprises.

Ask for references, and check references. It is not enough to ask for them, so take the time and call the references and ask detailed questions regarding budgets, timeliness, customers service, quality, etc.

Put everything in writing, and be very specific. Make sure the name and color of the flowers, the time of delivery, the location of the delivery, and guarantees are part of the written contract. Always have a written and signed contract in place. It protects you and the vendor.

Wedding Favors Beach wedding favors, personalized wedding favors and bridal shower gifts.

Florist - a Career in Floristry

Being a florist can be a very exciting and challenging career. Many people of all ages, from other working backgrounds are being retrained and entering the floristry industry.

If you are considering a career in floristry, you should enjoy working with flowers and be willing to learn all aspects of the floristry profession. You will need to be able to arrange flowers in an attractive manner and be a reasonably quick worker.

In our Floristry Diploma Course we teach you how to create floral designs for all types of occasions.

As a florist is dealing closely with the public, you should have a genuine liking for people, and have a pleasant and helpful manner.

Flowers touch the emotions of other peoples' lives. Customers ordering funeral tributes are often relatives or close friends of the deceased and may be emotionally upset. As a florist, you will need to be sympathetic and understanding.

A florist has the pleasure of helping a bride-to-be select just the right flowers and type of bridal bouquet for the most important day of her life - her wedding day.

The florist shares the joy and excitment when a proud new father comes in to order flowers for his wife in hospital.

Floristry is not all glamour. There is a lot of hard work and long hours involved. The duties in a florist shop will include:-

Unpacking stock as it comes into the florist shop

Conditioning flowers and watering plants

Pricing merchandise and displaying it attractively

Attending to customers

Answering the telephone

Completing orders and making up designs for the shop

Making sure the florist shop is clean and tidy

Keeping book work up to date

Changing the shop window display

Working in a Florist Shop

You will need to be able to work efficiently. A typical day in a florist shop could include ten wreaths for an early morning funeral, several arrangements and posies. Often a posy or a sheaf of flowers will need to be made up while the customer waits.

A good employee has common sense, a positive attitude, is honest and a willing worker who sees what needs doing and does it in a cheerful and efficient manner.

An employer will appreciate a capable trustworthy employee who has the employer's interest at heart and will co-operate and help with any duties involved in the running of the floristry business.

Applying for a Position in a Florist Shop.

You should present yourself favourably, be well groomed, polite and have an enthusiastic manner. If you have any references from previous positions, report cards or personal references, take these with you. You may like to take samples or photographs of your floral designs with you. Naturally, any photographs or samples should be of a high standard with the flowers arranged attractively and colours blended tastefully. Any wiring and taping should be neatly done.

The florist may ask you to make up an arrangement, posy or a sheaf. You will be expected to choose suitable flowers and foliage in colours which blend well together and make up a professional looking design in a reasonable amount of time (approximately 15-20 minutes for a standard arrangement). Do not worry if you are a bit nervous. Florists are usually understanding people and will make allowances for this. It is far better to be a little nervous rather than have an over confident and "know it all" manner.

A few years ago a position was advertised for a junior in a very busy florist shop in a leading shopping centre in Melbourne. There were over forty applicants, but one of our students was successful because she could show the florist she was capable of creating attractive floral designs.

After the interview is over thank the employer for seeing you, and if the position offered appeals to you, you could say "I am very impressed with your shop" or "I would really like the opportunity of working for you". An employer would much rather employ a person who really wants the position in preference to someone who is indifferent.

OWNING YOUR OWN FLORIST SHOP.

Many people find the idea of going into business for themselves very tempting. You may want to open your own florist shop, but you should be fully aware of all the facts before you make a decision to start up or buy into a business.

HOW TO DECIDE IF YOU ARE THE RIGHT TYPE OF PERSON TO GO INTO A FLORIST BUSINESS FOR YOURSELF.

Advantages

You will have a feeling of fulfilment of being involved in such a creative industry such as floristry.

If you run a successful florist business it can be far more rewarding financially than working for wages.

There is a feeling of security in owning your own successful florist business.

You will find running your own florist shop is never dull. You will never know what each day will bring. Working for yourself is far more exciting than going to work in an often dull routine job.

You will meet some very interesting people through dealing directly with the public. This can often develop into lasting friendships. You will be providing a real service to your customers. The skilled florist is always appreciated and will have a secure life-long career.

Disadvantages (You will find it helpful if you do this questionnaire)

As Floristry is a lot of hard work and often long hours are involved, do you have the necessary health and energy to run a business? Yes / No

Do you have enough money to start a florist business? Do you have another source of borrowing money if necessary? Sometimes you will need to inject extra funds into the business Yes / No

Are you self motivated and have enough discipline to be able to organise yourself to see what the most important tasks are and to see each one is carried out? Yes / No

Are you a reasonably quick worker? Yes / No

When a problem arises, are you the type of person who can come up with a solution? Yes / No

If you have a family, do you have someone you can rely on to help with the children? Yes / No

To stand a good chance in a floristry business you should honestly be able to answer "Yes" to all the above questions.

How successful you are in Floristry, as in anything in life, will depend on how much time and effort YOU are prepared to put into it.

Floristry Diploma Course
Our floristry diploma course covers opening your own florist shop, how to find a job in a florist shop and working from home. For full information on our floristry diploma courses please click onto http://www.floral-art-school.au/