Flowers are an expensive part of a wedding, but they really add another layer of beauty and elegance to your big day. Don’t forget to capture that beauty on film – have your photographer take some pictures focused on your bouquet. How? Your photographer should be able to create some great shots, but here are some things you can request:

• A close-up of you holding the bouquet
• A picture of you smelling the flowers
• A picture where everything is in black and white except the flowers
• An arrangement of your flowers, shoes, rings, etc for a still life photograph
• A picture of your bouquet surrounded by all the bouquets of your bridesmaids
• And out-of-focus shot where the only thing in focus is the bouquet

You can also get pictures of the table centerpieces, your groom’s boutonniere, and all of the other flowers used at your wedding. They’re part of the day, and should be included as options when you pick out your wedding pictures.

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When ordering flowers for your wedding, you have to consider boutonnieres along with bouquets. However, there’s no rule that says your groom has to wear a flower. Here are some things to consider:

Cost: If you’re on a budget, you might be able to cut out the boutonnieres in order to save some money. Traditionally, they aren’t super expensive, but if every penny counts, you might want to consider at least cutting out the flowers for the wedding part and instead just ordering a bouquet for you and a boutonniere for the groom.

Tradition: It is traditional for the groomsmen to wear boutonnieres. If you decide to leave them out, it might look like you just forgot them. It might even slightly offend people from your groom’s family who wonder why you get flowers and he doesn’t. For a very traditional wedding, the groom should have a flower.

Formality: If you’re planning a super formal wedding, it is important that your groom has a flower. On the other hand, at a casual wedding, you have more leeway with whether or not to have tons of flowers. Keep in mind, however, that boutonnieres are a way to make a casual wedding actually seem more ceremonial.

Groom’s Wishes: This might be your big day, but it is his wedding day too. If your groom really wants a boutonniere, then there should be no question – you should get him one. The opposite is true as well – if for some reason he would rather not wear one, you shouldn’t force him to do so.

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If you have allergies, but still want to include flowers on your wedding day, you might be concerned with your medication options. Drugs that alleviate allergies can make your drowsy and some can’t be taken if you plan to drink alcohol at the reception. Luckily, there are some non-drug options you can try to relieve your floral allergies.

Salt Water: Instead of using an over-the-counter nasal spray, which often has medication that makes you sleepy, try creating your own nasal spray with salt water. Salt water naturally washes out the pollen and breaks up mucus, so you don’t have to worry about a snuffed nose as you say you vows.

Spicy Foods: Eating foods with a kick at your reception can prevent you from getting stuffy. Ginger, pepper, onion, garlic, and more can all help you from feeling the effects of the flowers. Of course, not every guest will appreciate spicy foods, so you might want to make this just one of many options (and labeled if you have a buffet line!).

Acupuncture: Alternative treatments, like acupuncture, have helped some people with allergies. This isn’t just a one-time thing you can do the day before your wedding to find relief. If you have big allergy problems, though, this treatment option might be good for your health, and a wedding full of flowers might give you the push talk to your doctor.

In any case, that’s a very important step – talking to your doctor. You should never self-medication for any condition without the approval of a medical professional.

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Not every bride wants to carry a bouquet. While there are alternatives if you don’t want flowers, such as using seashells or feathers, you may not want to carry anything that resembles a bouquet at all. If that’s the case, here are a few alternatives so you aren’t walking down the aisle empty-handed:

Bible or Other Religious Text: If you’re having a religious-centered ceremony, this is the perfect way to show your devotion.

Candle: In many cultures, candles are traditionally used as part of the wedding ceremony. Consider carrying one down the aisle instead of a bouquet.

Picture Frame: If someone important from your life can’t be at your wedding, carrying a picture frame with a photograph may be a special way to honor that person.

You can always simply consider taking the arm of your father of another family member walking you down the aisle. There’s no rule that says you have to carry something on your big day!

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Instead of using real flowers, why not consider creating some beautiful origami roses to create your bouquet? There are many different ways to make paper roses, but this video is one of the easiest to follow:

Of course, you don’t have to just stick to roses. You can also learn to make paper lilies, lotuses, and more. These make not just beautiful bouquets, but also beautiful centerpieces, so get together with your wedding party and spend an afternoon folding flowers together for your big day.

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Not sure what types of flowers to feature at your wedding? Take a cue from some of these traditions from around the world:

~ In Greece, it is traditional for brides to carry ivy, which symbolizes a love that will never end.

~ The tradition in England, at least in the Tudor times, was for the bride to carry marigolds. After the wedding she ate them because they were thought to be aphrodisiacs.

~ One of the most common traditions in the Middle East is to incorporate artemisia into the bouquet. This herb is bitter and using it is said to ensure that the marriage can last through life’s bitter moments.

~ In many countries in Asia, red is the color used for weddings, since white is worn to funerals. Red flowers like roses are traditional, and they are never bunched in groups of three, since the word used for “three” sounds similar to the word used for “death.”

~ It is tradition in Sweden for the wedding party to carry fragrant herbs to ward off trolls and evil spirits.

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If you’re planning a spring wedding, you might want to consider some of the following trends for 2010. This season, the focus is on making the biggest impact with the smallest budget.

DIY Bouquets are becoming more and more popular. With the Internet making it easier to buy flowers in bulk, as well as providing videos for DIY brides, your homemade flowers can look just as beautiful as bouquets from florists.

Simple flowers in bright colors are also hot for the Spring 2010 bridal season. Over the last few years, we’ve seen colors trending toward bright jewel tones, but with shrinking budgets, brides are getting away from the huge displays filled with beads and feathers. Instead, a single, elegant tiger lily or small bunches of bright wildflowers are creating impact with color and simplicity.

Organic, live flowers are also popular for 2010. Not only are the flowers grown in an eco-friendly way, but instead of being cut for arrangements, brides are ordering potted plants that double as wedding favors. It’s another step forward in the “go green” revolution in wedding planning.

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Instead of flowers for your bouquet, many brides are turning to such alternatives as bouquets made from buttons, feathers, led lights, and even Christmas ornaments. One company in Ohio specializes in creating wedding bouquets from seashells.

These gorgeous and delicate bouquets consist of a cluster of white or ivory shells with white or colored ribbons flowing down from the base. They also can include a few accent shells that match your bridesmaids’ dresses.

If you choose to go with a seashell theme, Seaside Weddings from Sherry can also create starfish boutonnaires for your groomsmen, kissing balls for your flower girl, and all kinds of shell accessories and party favors.

One item that they have is a seashell cake topper. This is a giant clam shaped white shell filled with other shells and pearls that looks kind of like an open treasure chest. This topper can be placed directly on your cake to give it a beach feel. You can also order a topper that has figures of the couple inside the shell, or even a boat.

Favors for the beach themed weddding from Seaside Weddings also included shell topped toothpicks, seashell wine glass charms, and seashell placecard holders. You can even get a shell decorated guest book to remember your beach themed wedding.

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When preparing for a wedding, one of the big items to take care of is ordering the flowers. Of course, besides deciding what kind and color to buy, one also must decide where to buy them and what exactly to order.

First of all, even if you aren’t ready to order the actual flowers yet, it is a good idea to choose a florist and reserve your wedding date with them between six months to a year in advance of your wedding. That way, you can be sure that they will keep your date open and that they can begin to discuss your needs and make sure they have the proper inventory and prep time for all of your needs.

Another thing you need to know is exactly WHAT to order. Your florist can help with that, but here is a quick guide to let you know what you might need to consider when making your flower purchase.

Now that you know what you can order, you just have to decide on the colors and types.  Be sure to discuss this with your florist, because they will probably have some great suggestions. Just get references for any florist to ensure their reliability and expertise.

Photo by Cherry Pi

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If you are bride interested in having roses for you wedding, you might be interested to know what all the color choices that are available to you. Of course we all know that different colors represent different meanings, but if you are getting married it seems like they all really mean love in the end, due to their context and use. If you are interested in various meanings such as friendship, passion, committment, etc… then you can search for your roses that way.

However, many brides today just want their flowers to match their bridesmaids dresses based purely on their own likes and what they think will look best on their big day. If that is the case, then what might really help would be the color wheel of rose colors that we found on RoseFile.com.

RoseFile.com is a site that is all about roses-breeding them, growing them, purchasing them, etc… This site also has a gallery of roses and a great variety of articles on the subject.

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