Archive for the ‘Decoration’ Category:

Choose the Best Wedding Florist and Most Stunning Flowers for a Dream Wedding

Undoubtedly, wedding is the most awaited and revered ceremony that needs to be planned meticulously. Unlike a regular event, it can’t be taken for granted. The memories created at this occasion will linger throughout your life span. So, whenever you decide to walk down the aisle and get hitched, countdown to arrangements also starts ticking instantly. It is advisable to spare sufficient time to look after necessary arrangements because you may run out of options in the last-minute preps.

Mostly, brides are more anxious about the floral decoration in their wedding. Seeking perfection, they envisage a fairytale-like wedding decked with heavenly blooms. But this search may end at nowhere unless you opt for specialized services of wedding florists in Chicago, IL, Los Angeles or New York.These experts are always there to offer brilliant ideas for decorating your event. You just need to convey your preferences and they take care of the rest.

Here are some tips to find your ideal florist capable to enliven your dream wedding with a gorgeous setting:

Choose the Best Wedding Florist and Most Stunning Flowers for a Dream Wedding

Know Right Time for Searching for a Wedding Florist:

Amongst all arrangements, selection of a florist for your occasion should be done on priority basis. After venue, selection of floral decoration is important because usually these specialists remain booked for one year in advance. So, availability of dates from professional floral decorators is a hard task.

Wedding florists usually arrange one wedding per week as they prefer concentrating on one project at a time. That makes sense as they need to work out on comprehensive features related to flowers, their arrangement, and furnishing according to client’s desire. So, you shouldn’t miss out on your favorite florist.

Pay Attention and Find Suitable References for Wedding Florists:

It is good to track wedding ceremonies you attended previously. Recollect the floral decoration and arrangements at such event and take best possible output for your dream wedding. Ask your friends and family about references for hiring a florist. Consult them regarding the most reliable and dependable companies that can give wings to your dream. Search online, read testimonials, and prefer an experienced florist for your wedding to sort all your worries.

Discuss Your Plan Explicitly:

During the first meet with decorators, brief all your fantasies and desires in floral settings. More you express yourself; more suggestion would come from your florist. Check the availability before getting into discussion as a clash in dates will not work for you. Examine their previous work and arrangements before reaching any conclusion. They will offer different proposals, themes, ideas, and options to make you comfortable while choosing perfect decorations.

Explain About Your Inspiration and Finances:

Furnish some of the ideas or visuals with photos of flower décor you prefer along with pictures of your wedding dress. This will inspire wedding florist to choose a strong theme and color palette for your wedding. Also, you must discuss your financial goals in spending for event. This will enable them to get best out of your budget.

Once you have found the best florist for your job, it is time to find your dream flower. Selecting your flowers is one of the most difficult tasks and brides are always overwhelmed with the choices available to them. Common colors are available throughout the year but you may have to pay extra for distinctive varieties. You need to keep some points in mind before selecting flowers for your wedding ceremony.

Stay Away from Being Inflexible:

Give a free hand to the florist for listing all available varieties of flowers. Without sticking to any seasonal flower, you must keep alternative blooms in mind before sitting for selection. It is hard to remember the names of such high range of flowers, but you can keep images in mind.

Choose A Complementary Décor:

Floral arrangement should match your wedding dress, backdrop, reception, party theme, and other fixtures. Always prefer perennially blooming flowers or choose flowers according to the season in which they blossom. It is right to choose spring flowers in spring weddings and summer floral for summer events. You can select dahlias in fall while roses are perfect for early summer.

Vary with Color Theme:

In flower decoration, ask your wedding florist for options in color theme. Never stick to a single color. Determine your wedding theme early on and choose one or two colors prominently that suit your event. Other flowers should be selected in coordination with the focal shade.

This way you can process through all difficulties in selection of floral decorators and flowers for a grand wedding ceremony making it an unforgettable moment.

Five Tactics of Planning Wedding Decor with Tropical Extravaganza

Five Tactics of Planning Wedding Decor with Tropical Extravaganza

Are you passionate about celebrating your wedding reception in a tropical style? There is nothing to fret over! As you will get myriads of options to spruce up your venue with tropical themes. Usually, a tropical reception party is ideal for the summer days. Nevertheless, it can be executed if you have the plan of getting married at the end of winter. Now, how will you make arrangements for your wedding decor in Chicago?

Five Tactics of Planning Wedding Decor with Tropical ExtravaganzaLet’s check out some of the brilliant ways of decorating your special event with tropical extravaganza:

i.  Arranging the Outdoor Area

If you are planning to have a tropical theme on your wedding reception, focus on your outdoor place. Arrange a luau to evoke a tropical sensation to your guests. You can also ask your wedding decorator to bring leis at your reception party and give them to your guests upon their arrival at your reception. Bedeck trees in the outdoor space with white lights. Moreover, you can include floral decorations made with bright red, yellow and pink colors. Make your guests feel refreshed with fruit drinks along with a dish of meats and seafood starters. Let them feel stimulated with live music and fresh fruits. Adding these simple decorations will let them feel that they have been transported to a tropical isle.

ii.  Bedecking the Indoor Space

You may have the plans of getting married in winter when the weather is severe. In this regard, planning an outdoor wedding can never be a good option for you. As a result, you have to bring the tropics at your indoor space. So what would you do for adorning your indoor space? Just lay palm leaves on the buffet or dessert table and serve fruits with refreshing drinks bedecked with umbrella straws. If you want, you can also place artificial palm trees around the rooms. As a fun appetizer, you may serve scooped out pineapples with fruit skewers to delight your loved ones. Coconuts can also be added as bread baskets. In addition, choose bright flowers like orchids as the table centerpiece to attract your guests with a tropical charm.

iii.  Planning the Reception with Exclusivity

Make an elegant reception decoration with bright orchids. Choose pink orchid as your accent color and alternate them with white ones. Adorn your guest’s tables in white table cloth with pink napkins. Besides, you can place small palm trees on the water glass. Offer cocktail to your guests with palm tree on your wedding day. Moreover, you can gift them seashells in small jars. Chocolates can also be presented to them in a box bedecked with a silk bow. Your guests will simply treasure these small souvenirs.

iv.  Placing Stunning Tropical Centerpieces

You may place a stunning tropical centerpiece with a lush backdrop for your wedding day. Make use of readily available fruits, flowers and potted plants for creating stunning centerpieces that will attract your guests. You could use a rustic grapevine basket with evergreen leaves on round mat and fill the basket with tropical fruits like pineapple as the main focal point.  Along with pineapple, you may use bright fruits like oranges, lemons, kiwis and lemons to fill up the basket. Don’t forget to place small plates, trimming knives and napkins to let your guests relish the fruits served at the table.

v.  Creating a tropical ambience with garden flowers

Collect fresh flowers from the garden like bird of paradise, daylilies, hibiscus and rhododendrons to use them for your wedding decorations. However, if you don’t have a garden of flowers, you can purchase harvest bouquets from the market and use them as centerpieces to create a tropical ambience. It would also be great if you use a branch of evergreen leaves with lush flowers in a cylindrical vase for offering a tropical feel to each table. Moreover, you could scatter votive candles or tea lights around your tropical centerpiece. If you can get exotic orchids, you can nestle the orchids in a bowl or flowerpot stuffed with marbles, white pebbles or tumbled glass. Select your bowl as per the color theme of your wedding and place it on the center table. Besides, you may line your centerpiece with candles and scatter rose petals of mixed colors on the table to evoke a tropical sensation. Float flowers like magnolia and gardenia to the water with small floating candles. All these arrangements are sure to bring a tropical feel to your wedding.

Follow these tips and make a remarkable wedding decoration. You may also consult a wedding decorator who has the expertise of decorating a tropical wedding.  Opt the best decorator in your town and captivate your guests in an unforgettable fashion.

Choosing Wedding Flowers – Steps for Choosing the Right Flowers for Your Wedding

Selecting floral arrangements for weddings isn’t about picking your favorite flowers and putting together a bunch of them. As a bride, when you look forward to setting the decoration for your wedding day, there are few things about wedding flowers to pay attention to. Choosing the right floral decorations involves consideration of a lot of factors including budgets, seasonal availability, décor themes, and venue constraints and so on. However, picking your wedding flowers can be made simpler with the following steps.

Know your preference

Weddings are every bride’s dream occasions and it is only natural that you want your favorite flowers to be used on your wedding day. You may like roses or find them commonplace. You may want to use expensive flowers or completely replace flowers with greens and succulents if you like making statements. Before you start hunting for your florist, it is important to first create this idea of what you want, what your expectations are, and how willing you are to compromise on them.

Set the budget

Once you create a fair idea of the kind of wedding flowers you need, decide on the amount you are willing to spend for the entire arrangement. Create a budget that is practical and which factors in different expenses including unforeseen or last minute ones. Also know that different flowers come in different prices. Gardenias, Casablanca lilies, hydrangeas, lily of the valley, and peonies are the most expensive while stock roses and freesias are the most affordable. Choosing rare flowers may burn a hole in your pocket, while picking seasonal flowers will help bring down the expenses incurred, and also ensure that your flowers remain fresh for a longer time.

Decide the theme and color

Floral arrangements for your big day should go well with the theme and the venue of the wedding. It should also complement your wedding dress and those of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Be it in person on in a photograph, these flowers should create a lasting appeal. Do your research on the web or take the help of a professional florist, and select wedding flowers in Chicago that go with the rest of the wedding décor. Pay attention to the color of the flowers and that of the venue and the costumes. Ensure that they blend in well and do not look awkward.

Choosing Wedding Flowers - Steps for Choosing the Right Flowers for Your Wedding

Determine the quantity and placement

Wedding flowers include different kinds of floral arrangements like bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, and centerpieces etc. Also, present day weddings use flowers in a lot more creative ways –  in table runners, ceiling drapes, pomanders, floral fountains, botanical walls, chandeliers, crowns, frames and arches, and so on. Determine which of these arrangements you would need for your wedding and how many. Also pay attention to where these arrangements would be placed so that you are also able to decide on the size and quantity needed. Flowers used for the wedding ceremony can also double up as décor in the reception venue. This not only reduces expenses, but also ensures that the floral arrangements are used for a longer span of time, without being wasted.

Pick your florist

When choosing floral arrangements for your wedding, consult with more than one vendor. Take the help of wedding planners or your friends/family members who exchanged vows recently, to select a good wedding florist. Once you select the florist, discuss your budgets, preferences, and personal tastes with them. Clarify details like price, payment terms, delivery deadlines, contingency plans, and policies for cancellation, so that you are in for no surprise in the last moment. Sign the contract and follow up at regular intervals to ensure that everything proceeds as planned. Finally, on your special day, walk into the wedding venue of your dreams and let floral wonders take your breath away.

Seven Unique and Creative Ideas for Wedding Centerpieces

Wedding is one of the biggest days in your life and also probably the happiest. While you are all excited to buy gorgeous wedding dress and get ready for your special day, it is arranging the reception that actually takes loads of your time and efforts. You can get burdened by numerous decisions that have to be taken and arrangements that need to be planned. But one of the most vital decisions that can transform the entire look and feel of your reception is picking up the right wedding centerpieces.

There are numerous factors you must consider before selecting centerpieces for weddings. First and foremost consideration is the budget. Ascertain the number of centerpieces required. This will be equal to the number of tables at the reception. Divide this number with your total budget and you will get the amount you should spend per centerpiece. Next you should determine the space available for each centerpiece. It is important that it should not obstruct the vision of your guests and make conversation difficult from across the table. It must not be too big or get in the way of the comfort of those seated at the table. Another essential thing is that the centerpiece should match with the general décor and theme of the reception. You can coordinate the colors of flowers with the color of the bridesmaid dresses.

However, one thing you should always be careful about is finding out from the venue managers, if there are certain things that are prohibited. Some sites do not allow fire or breakable items at their location; therefore you should be aware of these banned items and let your decorator know about them so they are not used in any centerpieces. If you are low on budget, you can economize on the cost by using the seasonal blooms. You can also consider reusing the aisle flowers and bridal bouquets for general décor and centerpieces.

Seven Unique and Creative Ideas for Wedding CenterpiecesWhen your guests are not busy dancing, they will probably be busy chatting or eating at their tables and one thing that will be in front of their vision all through will be the centerpieces. That is the reason why you should be careful while selecting these decorations and give it a proper thought. These days centerpieces for weddings come in different styles and are created with unique components such as fruits, chocolates, cupcakes, mirrors, candles and balloons. Here are seven of the most creative wedding centerpieces that you can use at your reception:

1.  Beach Themed Centerpiece

You can bring in a feel of the beach and the sea at your wedding with beautiful seashell centerpieces. You can use fishbowls or flower vases and fill them with some sand. Top them with some beautiful seashells and use blue silk runner on the table for that serene aqua feel.

2.  Classic Gold

Use golden twigs with classic white flowers to give your wedding centerpieces a sophisticated look. Gold color is the symbol of royalty and prosperity and looks stunning at any reception décor.

3.  Bubbly Extravaganza

You can raise a toast to your new beginnings with champagne themed wedding centerpieces. You can put glass ball ornaments in champagne flute glasses to resemble bubbling champagne along with some white orchids or lilies.

4.  Harvest Look

If you are having a rustic wedding, then you can consider a harvest themed centerpiece with wheat and dried leaves gathered in a bouquet form with a beautiful satin bow for that comfort feel of fall bounty.

5.  Sweet Touch

As an alternative to the usual flower centerpieces, you can think about trying a centerpiece made with sweets like doughnuts, cupcakes, chocolates and muffins. Just make sure that the weather is not too warm or it could cause the edibles to spoil.

6.  Balloon Love

Using huge balloon bouquets as wedding centerpieces (http://www.ehow.com/how_4855037_make-wedding-centerpieces.html) can give your reception a romantic and fairytale feel. Use balloons filled with helium and tie some rocks at the end of the string to keep them in place. You can also coordinate the color of the balloons with the dress of the bride.

7.  Victorian Tea Party

Add a piece of England at your reception with tea cup inspired centerpieces. You can creatively stack tea cups and place tea light candles in them to create a cozy and dimly-lit ambience.
So, go ahead and choose interesting centerpieces for your wedding or your reception and make your guests gape at the décor with both appreciation and amazement!

Flower Arrangements for Weddings – What You Should Know

One of the most stunning aspects of a wedding ceremony is the beautiful flower arrangements. Flower arches, bridal bouquet, aisle décor and table centerpieces all help create that festive ambience. Be it exotic flowers or the seasonal ones, if chosen appropriately can create a mesmerizing effect. Beautiful blooms will not only act as decorative element but will also fill the air with subtle fragrance and result in a romantic ambience all through the ceremony.

However, the problem is that sometimes couples tend to go overboard and have a propensity to make some mistakes. Here are a few things you must know while picking the flower arrangements for your wedding:

Flower Arrangements for Weddings - What You Should Know1.  Do not see the centerpieces individually while taking a pick. Instead, imagine them in harmony with the table setting and as a part of the entire reception room filled with guests. For instance, you may be having your reception in a hall with beautiful surroundings and scenery, but choosing large centerpieces for the table will block the view of the guests and will leave the scenic ambience ineffectual.

2.  Make sure you tell your florist about your vision for an ideal reception. Tell them your preferences and dislikes but keep a little room for flexibility and trust the professionals in case they suggest a substitute. The biggest blunder is being stubborn about particular flowers. You should just let your florist know about the ambience, look and feel you want and let them work on it independently. They are experienced in the field of organizing floral arrangements for weddings and know what they are doing.

3.  You can save money by reusing your wedding ceremony flowers for reception. This is because the actual ceremony only lasts for around an hour and wasting those flowers will be imprudent. You can consider using aisle flowers for table centerpieces and altar décor for the buffet table.

4.  Always begin your booking process after speaking to some vendors. This will help you estimate what various things actually cost and let you budget effectively.

5.  Do not be stubborn about avoiding costly blooms. Certain flowers like peonies and cattleya orchids tend to be on the expensive side but they also leave a bigger impression and take more space. You can replace a single orchid with a whole bunch of roses and you will still not be able to achieve that effect, even after spending more.

6.  Keep collecting pictures of the type of décor you like. Conveying your thoughts about your reception with images will let your florist grasp your needs in a much better way than words can.

7.  Never try to coordinate flowers with bridesmaid dresses. Instead use contrasting colors for more striking photography. For instance, purple flowers will look great with off-white dresses.

8.  Make sure you never choose flowers with strong smells. The problem is, excessively aromatic blooms in centerpieces can make your guests uncomfortable and be risky for people with allergies.

9.  Avoid flowers that have lesser shelf life. For example, blooms like hydrangeas can only survive for three to four hours if not hydrated and may start decaying even before the ceremony is over.

10.  Never try to DIY your wedding flowers. Leave it to professionals. They know what flowers to pick and how to time them into bouquets so that they keep looking fresh throughout the event.

11.  Always inform the professionals who organize floral arrangement for weddings about the bloom choices at least six-weeks in advance.  Sometimes flowers need to be flown in from various parts of the world like Holland, South America and more. With more time, you will not only get flowers well in time but also a lot cheaper.

12.  Being a bride, you should never carry a huge bouquet as that might cover your wedding dress and undermine your bridal beauty. Bridal bouquet should always be comfortable to carry and easy to hold.

13.  Flowers in the centerpieces are not more important than other components. Be it the vases or the linen, runners or the overlays, all complement the overall look and feel of the centerpiece. So make sure that you pay full attention to every aspect of the décor.

Keep the above tips in mind and choose gorgeous flower arrangements to decorate your wedding reception and make your wedding beautifully memorable!

Wedding Flowers & Centerpieces – Six Hints and Ideas for Every Season

Among all the things that you need to decide in the course of your wedding planning, one of the most important things is to decide the sort of centerpiece you will have for your guests’ tables. It is a crucial visual element that you will need to consider as your guests are going to be seated at their tables for a considerable amount of time. Making sure that your guests love your centerpiece is based on a few key elements, the first being the beauty of the centerpieces. Secondly, you also need to consider the practicality of the arrangement as elaborate arrangements may fail to entertain guests for long if it blocks their visibility.

Wedding Flowers & Centerpieces - 6 Hints and Ideas for Every Season

6 Super tips to help you get started

Keeping in mind the elements that go into planning the centerpieces for your wedding, here are 6 tips to help you get on your way towards having the wedding of your dreams, with the perfect centerpieces.

Do your research

Make sure that you have done your research before you go to meet your florist. Try wedding magazines and online websites to help you through this part of your journey. Keep an eye out for interesting centerpieces at other weddings you attend. Having a rough idea of what you want, even if you are not sure exactly can really help to speed things up with your florist.

Does size matter?

You might be tempted to go with a large and elaborate design but keeping them at tables where guests will be seated will cause a decreased visibility. Why did you agonize over the seating plans if they weren’t going to be able to talk to each other? Make sure that any large floral arrangements that you use are placed on unused tables like the buffet table or along the sides of the hall.

Seasons change

Choosing seasonal flowers can help to reduce the cost of your floral arrangements as the flowers that are commonly available at a time will cost less. If some of the wedding flowers in Chicago that you want are out of season or much too expensive for your budget find substitutes that look similar. Also, make sure that you pay attention to the season in which you choose to wed, if you are getting married in the hot summer you will need flowers that will last through the ceremony.

Pick your wedding theme

Bouquets can reflect your wedding theme in a much unexpected way. Traditional flowers like roses or peonies give off a traditional vibe whereas more loosely designed arrays of bigger blooms give off an elegant, romantic look. Depending on the theme that you are going for, the floral centerpieces that is ideal for your dream wedding changes and so make sure that you keep that in mind while picking a centerpieces.

Determine your floral budget

Before you start describing the wedding of your dreams to your florist, plan out how much you are willing to spend on flowers and floral arrangements for your wedding. This is essential because you need to be able to give your florist a budget estimate early on so that you don’t have unpleasant surprises later on. If you really want to get flowers that are out of season at the time you plan to get married, be prepared to cut expenses somewhere else.

Venue and seating arrangements

Floral arrangements need to match the venue of choice and the tables and not just your likes. If you plan on having an outdoor wedding, you can choose to have small centerpieces as they will be just as effective. Elaborate clusters of wildflowers may look awkward if placed in an otherwise traditional setting. Pay attention to whether your venue places restrictions as well as some do on having breakable glass centerpieces and other specifications that might cause accidents such as open flames.

On your special day, your wedding flowers (http://weddings.about.com/od/weddingflowers/) are a reflection of the love that you and your partner share and choosing the right centerpieces is a key factor to getting your décor just right. Keeping in mind the seasonal availability, budget and venue related restrictions, the perfect floral arrangements can be chosen for the wedding of your dreams.