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Wedding Guide: Flowers

As wedding season approaches, KYW Newsradio's Michelle Durham spoke to local experts to get advice for couples who just got engaged. She asked questions about catering, wedding trends, lighting, photography and flowers, and they had some words of wisdom to share.

FLOWERS

Darlene Owens Walls, Owner
Precious Petals
Consultations available in Huntingdon Valley, PA or Martlon, NJ
(215) 357-7110
http://www.preciouspetals.net

Florist Darlene Owens Walls, owner of Precious Petals, has some great tips for any bride-to-be looking to create a memorable experience.  She says most importantly, your flowers should reflect your personal style.

Darlene also suggests you think about these things before you visit a florist:

  • Make sure you have your dresses and you have an idea of a color palette
  • The time of the year you are getting married and the season
  • What you want incorporated into the details (Are you paying tribute to someone who passed away? Are you doing something special during the ceremony to link the two families?)
  • The decor of the actual ceremony. Do you want an arch or a Chuppah?
  • The reception decor

The ideal timetable to visit a florist is six months to a year before, but a comfortable window is as close as three months before.

As for budgeting--$15,000 to $30,000 is considered a large budget for the flowers, lighting, candles, draping and lounge furniture that will be imported to the reception site.

"If you have a smaller budget," Owens Walls says, "you can incorporate many candles and smaller blooms around the centerpiece of candles. A piece of glass holding a floating bloom, or a bowl the bride provides to hold crystals or river rocks...it adds to the room ambiance and helps to keep the cost down."

Trendy right now are low centerpieces accented with strategically placed elevated pieces that provide balance and make the room seem fuller.

Brides are also asking for glass and want to see the vessel the flowers are placed in.

For winter weddings, birch branches and curly willow are popular, and now, blooming branches are in season. Crystals, candles or miniature balls of flowers can be attached to the branches, or orchids can be strung on them.

Recently, lots of purple tone and rich jewel tones have been popular for the bride's and bridesmaids' flowers, Owens Walls says. Not too many brides are opting for a monochromatic look anymore, and bridesmaids today are carrying a smaller version of the bride's bouquet.

Finally, some advice: make sure to choose flowers that will last in the venue you've chosen. Hydrangea and tulips wilt in the heat of an outdoor tent, while roses, peonies and orchids are hardier. Understand that if you have an outdoor venue, your florist is going to wait until later to deliver your flowers so that they look great throughout your reception. If your reception is indoors, the florist can deliver earlier because of air conditioning.

By Michelle Durham, KYW Newsradio

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