Many large cities have open air flower marts. That is definitely the best place to find a great selection of the freshest flowers available. If you are fortunate enough to have one in your town, start making visits well before your wedding. This way, you can get acquainted with the different vendors, and find out what types of flowers they expect to have at the time of your wedding.

Another great source for flowers is the internet. They arrived right on time, and they looked great. If you are thinking about ordering your flowers over the internet, do a trial run. Place an order for the type of flowers you plan to use for your wedding a couple of months in advance. That way, you can see the quality of their product firsthand, and if you are not pleased, you will still have enough time to locate another source.

Did you know that you can special order flowers through the florist at most grocery stores? They may not have the huge selection of a fancier floral shop, but you can certainly get a great deal on many of the classic wedding flowers, like roses, tulips, and lilies. You will usually have the option of having them create the centerpieces or just providing you the loose flowers.

For some brides, the issue with spending a lot on wedding flowers is that they do not last. Unlike something with enduring beauty, like your pearl bridal jewelry, wedding flowers are only enjoyed for one day. There are several ways that you can save money and address the impermanence of wedding flowers.

Another option is to create displays from dried or silk flowers. Not many brides go this route, but if you look around, you can find some lovely alternatives to fresh cut flowers. Some of the silk flowers that are available these days look as good as real ones, and you will end up with beautiful lasting arrangements for your new home.

Here with some tips when it comes to the five most important elements of your wedding where you’ll want to make the use of flowers – namely the wedding bouquet, the wedding flowers in your hair, the wedding ceremony flowers, the wedding reception flowers and the wedding cake flowers.

Wedding bouquet

If your dress is white or cream you won’t have a problem as any color flowers will match. But if you are going the different route and wearing a colored wedding dress, go for the same color flowers or go for a complimentary color – such as red with green, blue with orange and purple with yellow – or simply stick with white. Bridesmaids’ flowers should also follow the same theme and compliment the bridesmaids’ dresses. And the flower girl will be carrying a basket or bucket of petals, so remember to take into consideration which color petals you want as well. For the male members of the wedding party, use a single buttonhole flower that matches the main type of flower in your wedding bouquet.

Wedding flowers in your hair Most brides-to-be battle to choose a hairstyle for their big day. It’s a huge decision which is often very tough to make, because let’s face it: you want to look your very, very best! Some brides eventually decide to just keep it natural and leave their hair down – perhaps with a few loose, romantic curls. Others want to make it more formal and have a pretty updo. You could get artificial flowers to make things a whole lot easier, but at the end of the day there’s nothing like the real thing. Depending on the style you go for, you can have lost of small flowers scattered throughout a formal updo, or you could opt for one large flower. Chat to your hair stylist about what will suit you and compliment your dress, and make a decision based on that. You can always try different styles before you settle on the one you like the most.

Wedding ceremony flowers If the church where you are having your wedding ceremony is quite big it’s always nice to make a bold statement and use large pedestal arrangements placed where they will be noticed; at the entrance to the church and close to the altar. You can also place single flowers or small bouquets along the aisle on each row of seats. If you are having a small civil service, wedding ceremony flowers can brighten up an otherwise boring room to a great extent, so make use of your flower decorations to create a festive atmosphere. Stick with flowers you have chosen for your bouquet in order to keep it consistent and complimentary.

Wedding reception flowers A great tip for those trying to stick to a certain budget is to re-use the pedestal arrangements from the ceremony at the wedding reception. This means you will only have the wedding table flowers to take care of. You’ll need an arrangement for the bridal table as well as centerpieces for all the other tables. The bridal table is traditionally decorated with a large ‘long and low’ arrangement in the center in front of the bride and groom. The other table centerpieces often set the mood for the wedding reception and should not prevent guests seeing each other and talking to each other, so go for something really short or really tall – where the flower action is high up.

Wedding cake flowers When it comes to wedding cake flowers you will firstly have to decide whether you want real or artificial flowers on your cake. The edible ones are always popular, so most couples go with this. You can then decide on which style you want. And if you don’t want flowers on the cake itself, you can have flower decorations on the cake table or simply a few petals strewn around on the table.

It’s always tricky to decide what type of wedding cake you want as there are so many options available. But if you’re going the traditional route, a white cake with dainty, delicate marzipan flowers is always a winner. If you have a color scheme for all your other wedding flowers, try to stick to it. But if you feel like being different, then go for it! Whatever your choice, make sure the cake is decadent and deliciously irresistible.