Flowers!

So I discovered something fun this weekend: flowers!  I am SO not a flower person, but I do love the way the look in a vase.  So when I headed out to the florist this weekend to search for what flowers I was going to have in my wedding bouquet and in my table arrangements, I had a lot to learn. 

How to approach a floral bouquet:
1) Pick a starting point
I LOVE roses and lilies.  I also wanted a certain rust/orange to deep red color scheme. 

2) Bring a picture of the style of bouquet you want:
Meaning....do you want a tightly wound bouquet or a cascading one?

3) Let the florist DO HER JOB!
Florists have a job for a reason!  Now, granted, I also don't have any idea what flowers are what past the basic tulip, carnation, rose, lily, orchid, but I also know that when someone is good at what they do, let them be good at it!  I showed her my #2 and my #1 pieces and she said "HERE" and gave me a run down of what she would use.  Within 5 mintues she had a basic working bouquet and it was gorgeous!

4) Keep in mind colors and flowers are seasonal!
So.....when she showed me the bouquet, the colors were wrong, but the flowers were perfect!  Remember to be flexible and ask to come in for a sample bouquet prior to the wedding if you really want to make triple sure the bouquet is what you want!

AND lastly, ask if they rent or if you buy the centerpiece vases.  Many people think they can take the centerpieces at weddings, so you don't want to end up with a hidden fee at the end!