All brides have been that little girl dreaming of her future wedding day where flowers adorn the walls of the church, sweetpeas peep out from around the alter and vast arrays of bouquets filled with roses or tulips parade around the beautiful bride with loving warmth. Classical paintings and romantic films only add to the allure and desire for the most beautiful wedding day in the world.

However, unless you have the money to hire professional floral designers then you will be hard pressed to live up to your own expectations and perhaps those of others. This leaves the bride and the two families to arrange the flower designs themselves. Before the nightmares set in, here are some tips which will provide a clearer plan of action.

1. Enjoy it!

The most important thing you must do before embarking on the planning and creating, is to remember that if you enjoy what you are doing and make it fun, then the results will be that every bit more impressive. Aim for magnificence, not plain ordinary and you will inevitably provide a stunning backdrop for the special day.

2. Brainstorm

First of all you need to brainstorm. Get a large piece of paper, coloured pens, magazines, decorating books and anything that will provide you with inspiration, together in one place. Then gather with friends and family to throw out ideas about colour schemes, fashion styles, types of flowers, themes and wanted scents. Jot down all the scenarios, draw and paint the images onto the paper and cut out any pictures that stimulate your minds. Make a collage! Make many collages!

Like any good professional designer, whether Florists or Interiors Designers, you need to have a mass of possibilities which can be 'sculpted' into a solid foundation later on. Also consider visiting museums, other people's weddings and garden centres for further prompts.

3. Decide on a Theme

By now you should have a whole host of exciting ideas for themes and colour schemes. The difficult part is deciding which one to go with. Think about the season in which the wedding is to take place, the look and colour of the wedding dress and the bride's favourite tones and shades. Consider also any flowers that hold special significance to the couple and fit a theme around that.

4. Costs

This is the most frustrating but inescapable part of the proceedings. How much are you willing to spend on the floral aspects of the wedding? If you have a large budget, this naturally lends itself to more possibilities but even with a small budget you can make a beautiful set of arrangements and bouquets.

5. Choose the Flowers

You now have a theme, a colour scheme, fixed budget and a lot more energy. This is the time to choose the flowers. If you have completed the earlier steps with thoroughness and sound judgement then this part will be easier than you think. You might already have decided earlier. Will roses be the order of the day, or will irises, tulips and carnations be more suitable? What flowers go well with the holders or vases you have in mind? Once you have finished this part then venture out and indulge yourself with flower buying.

6. Make a Work Space and Gather Materials

The kitchen is probably the best area due to the facilities such as the sink and the waterproof surfaces that are easily cleaned afterwards. Depending on the floor material, you can also lay down some newspaper or sheets. Make sure you have a lot of clear space in which to place the finished pieces.
Materials wise, you will need buckets, clippers, string, wire, floral tape, preservatives, pins, vases, ribbons and anything else that you know you will need close to hand. There should also be a large bin in the vicinity for the multitude of scraps that will result from your work.

7. Practice then Proceed

Unless you are a professional florist yourself or have a lot of previous experience, you will need to make a few practice runs. Try to find some guides on the internet, in books and help from others. Many very cheap e-books can be bought on ebay at an extremely low cost.

Once you feel confident then proceed. However make sure you do not start too soon or too late. Depending on the type of flowers you have, the designs and also your storage space, you will need to make sure you do not end up with a compost heap on the wedding day itself.

Good Luck and above all, enjoy yourself!

Edward Beaman-Hodgkiss
Beaman's Bazaar