The Royal Wedding Bouquet

Kate’s bridal bouquet of wedding flowers is a shield-shaped wired bouquet of myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, sweet William and hyacinth.   This lovely bouquet draws upon the traditions of flowers of significance for the British Royal Family, the Middleton family and on the Language of Flowers.

Meaning of the Flowers in the Royal Wedding Bouquet   Lily-of-the-valley – Return of happiness Sweet William – Gallantry Hyacinth – Constancy of love Ivy: Fidelity; marriage; wedded love; friendship; affection Myrtle: the emblem of marriage; love.

Personal touches in the Wedding Bouquet

• The bouquet contains stems from a myrtle planted at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, by Queen Victoria in 1845, and a sprig from a plant grown from the myrtle used in The Queen’s wedding bouquet of 1947.
• The tradition of carrying myrtle begun after Queen Victoria was given a nosegay containing myrtle by Prince Albert’s grandmother during a visit to Gotha in Germany.  In the same year, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought Osborne House as a family retreat, and a sprig from the posy was planted against the terrace walls, where it continues to thrive today.
• The myrtle was first carried by Queen Victoria eldest daughter, Princess Victoria, when she married in 1858, and was used to signify the traditional innocence of a bride.

This lovely, classic and modest bouquet was designed by Shane Connolly.

Also see: Kate Middleton’s Royal Wedding Dress Design

Source: Royal site of Prince William and Kate’s wedding, officialroyalwedding2011.org

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Make a Statement With the Perfect Spring Wedding Flowers
By Shaunta Pleasant

Spring weddings are all the rage, and those planning such a celebration have many wonderful spring wedding flowers to choose from.

No matter what the style and color scheme of the wedding there are plenty of beautiful spring flowers available to make it all perfect.

When Will You Find The Best Selection

As with all other aspects of planning the perfect wedding, however, it is important to start shopping as early as possible.

Starting the shopping early will help to ensure the best selection of beautiful spring blossoms when the big day finally rolls around. Shopping early will also give you plenty of time to choose the perfect florist to supply those spring wedding flowers.

Not all florists will be equally skilled when it comes to providing wedding flowers, and it may take some time to find the perfect one.

Using A Florist That Is Up To The Job

Any florist you choose should have plenty of experience providing spring wedding flowers for other brides.

e sure to ask to see pictures of previous wedding floral arrangements – any good florist will be more than happy to show off their past work. Get references as well, and check those references carefully.

Find out what previous clients liked about the service they received, and what they feel could have been done better.

This complete picture will help you to determine whether the florist you are considering is up to the job of supplying the spring wedding flowers that will make your wedding day so special.

The Floral Arrangement Of Your Choice

After you have chosen the perfect florist, the next step is to choose the perfect floral arrangements for your wedding.

It is important, of course, to choose the colors carefully, and it may be a good idea to bring along some color swatches from the wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses as you go shopping.

Taking digital photographs of the other decorations can also help the florist choose the perfect floral hues to compliment the church and reception hall.

Getting The Best Price

Last but not least, be sure that the price you are quoted for the spring wedding flowers includes not only the major arrangements placed at the church and reception hall but the smaller items as well.

Some florists will charge extra for the bridesmaids bouquets, the floral centerpieces and other items, so it is always a good idea to ask and to get everything in writing.

By working out the details well ahead of time you will be able to relax and enjoy your beautiful spring flowers on your special day.

Shaunta Pleasant is a professional writer and editor on wedding topics. Visit my site to learn
more about planning the perfect wedding at http://www.best-wedding-plan.com/summer_wedding_flowers.html

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Spring is an amazing time of year to celebrate new beginnings, and there are many ways you can bring the wonder of springtime into your wedding. Your centerpieces are a great place to start since they will be the focal point of every table at your reception and they are your best opportunity to add color to your wedding decor. Spring centerpieces are fun and exciting, just like the season itself!

First you’ll need to narrow down the basic style you want… Are you looking for smaller arrangements that your guests can see over, ideal for smaller, more intimate tables? Or do you want the drama of tall and eye-catching decorations that are sure to get people talking?

If flowers are preferred, there are a variety of plants that are associated with spring. The most obvious, and possibly the most colorful, are bulbs. Daffodils and tulips are the essential spring blossoms, and they are available in a variety of colors. They don’t really last well as cut flowers, but using them as potted plants with their flowers just opening can make for some stunning decorations. They can be displayed in decorative pots to match your preferences, and dressed up with some ribbon or tulle. Talk to your florist to find out what they offer well before your wedding date. Larger bunches of flowering bulbs will add more drama to your reception, but smaller bunches can add a simple, fresh look.

Other potted plant options include using lilies for weddings close to Easter, or shamrocks for events near St. Patrick’s Day.

Spring is the season of birth and growth, and seeds exemplify this theme. Some couples choose to give seeds of their favorite plants to their guests as wedding favors. One great way to do this is to incorporate them into the centerpieces. Fill a pretty glass bowl half full of decorative stones or small river rocks, then gently tuck individual packets of seeds between the stones. Your guests will know to each take a packet, and you still have the bowls to give to the lucky winners of the centerpieces. Instead of seed packets you could also do this with tree seedlings so that each of your guests can plant a tree in honor of your love.

One note of caution when using plants or flowers, make sure that the items you choose aren’t heavily scented, especially if you’re having an indoor reception. Some flowers and candles can be very heavily scented and some of your guests may have allergies to them. That’s one complication that you don’t want to worry about on your special day!

Visit us for more information on church wedding decorations, winter wedding decorations and boxes for wedding favors.

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Silk or real; what’s a bride to do? For many brides, the question is really perplexing — especially for those who want to mix a dash of “Do-It-Yourself” into their wedding flower preparations.

Obviously, silk comes with some advantages — it’s tough and shelf stable, and the petals won’t come off at the worst possible moment. On the other hand, silk flowers don’t always look real, and they aren’t always a bargain, either.

The fact is, the silk versus real dilemma is more confusing than ever, thanks in part due to the increasing sophistication — and accompanying cost — of silk and latex flowers. To navigate this new terrain, we interviewed Paul Ajao, a professional florist and cofounder of Pure Botanics (http://wedding-flowers-guide.com/), a UK-based floral designer who specializes in weddings.

You keep hearing that silk flowers have gotten “better and better.” Yet when you go to the local craft store, they look just about as artificial as ever. Where are these super-realistic flowers, and how can a bride get her hands on them?

It’s true that artificial flowers have improved. But the quality varies widely from brand to brand. In addition to craft stores, take a look at which brands your local florists are using. After all, their reputation depends on delivering a beautiful result. Also, they might be able to order in artificial flowers for you — ones that you can’t get in the craft
stores.

One brand with a great reputation that florists use regularly is Sia, which you can find in the UK, US and Australia.

Is it true that artificial flowers photograph poorly? And does that include the high-end latex type?

When you take close-ups of artificial flowers, yes, it can be pretty obvious that the flowers aren’t real. But this depends a lot on the quality of the artificial flowers you’ve used.

Remember that any shiny surfaces may cause the camera flash to “bounce,” which looks pretty unnatural for flowers. The common off-the-shelf flowers can be pretty shiny.

One argument for silk flowers is that fresh flowers are seasonal, but some florists are suggesting that season isn’t so important these days — that almost everything can be imported all year round. Are you finding this to be true?

Well, some of the most common cut flowers, such as roses, gerberas (gerber daisies) and orchids, are available all year round. So you don’t have to worry about seasonality with these flowers.

But others, like peonies, lily of the valley and ranunculus, have a definite season. Expect to pay more if you buy out of season. And the quality may not be as good.

Just to illustrate how important season can be: a florist we know planned her whole wedding around the very brief time in spring when lily of the valley was in season, so she could use fresh!

What’s your personal feelings on silk vs. artificial flowers? As a professional florist, would you mix them in arrangements — for example, use silk for the super-pricy flowers like calla lilies or orchids?

Personally, we love working with real flowers. But it’s true that silk definitely comes with some advantages. For starters:

- They won’t wilt.

- They’re a lasting memento of your big day.

- They’re easy to transport if you’re getting married abroad.

- You can prepare them long in advance.

The last point’s important if you’re preparing flowers yourself. By their nature, you have to arrange fresh flowers the day before the wedding at the earliest — and usually the morning of. This doesn’t leave you much time to switch gears if you aren’t happy with the results. On the other hand, you can experiment with and arrange silk flowers weeks in advance. That leaves you plenty of time to relax and pamper yourself in the run up to your wedding!

And yes, you can mix artificial and real flowers with great results. A friend of ours loves ranunculus and wanted them in a mixed bouquet with roses and gerberas. Unfortunately, ranunculus was out of season for her wedding date, and would have cost a lot. So she opted to tuck artificial ranunculus into a fresh bouquet. The results, and the photos, were beautiful.

Anything else you want to add?

Contrary to popular opinion, don’t think that silk flowers are always going to be cheaper than real. Many of the quality ones are as expensive as the real thing — if not more.

Blake Kritzberg is editor of FavorIdeas. Stop by for continually-updated celebrity
wedding news, remarkable beach wedding favors, exclusive hairstyling articles and gorgeous and unique wedding favors.

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

To accomplish this, to find just the right bridal bouquet for your big day, begin by going to weddings (when you can get an invitation) and pay special attention to the bouquet and how they work with the rest of the wedding flowers, looking through magazines, and doing internet searches of wedding pictures. Follow up with a consultation with your wedding planner as they might have resources that you might not have thought of.

When you do see a bouquet that you like, ask yourself what you like about it. Is it the size, shape, color, style, the way the ribbon is wrapped around the stems?

Ultimately your local florist is your biggest resource. Their experience and attention to detail can really help you refine your ideas to something that will really fit with your overall theme. But make sure you have a strong idea of what you want before you go to see your florist. You want your bridal bouquet to reflect what you want – not something that someone told you that you want.

Conventional wisdom suggests that shorter brides have smaller and more compact bouquets while taller brides have the cascading style. Generally this is good advice as it is based on what is generally believed to best compliment your body style.

Of course – ultimately, the decision is yours. It’s your wedding. That means it’s your bridal bouquet. So if you have a demonstrated eye for design and you prefer a certain style and believe you can and your florist make it work, you should go with that style. That, of course, is how styles change over the years. Don’t be afraid to be a trend setter, but do so with care.

Color is another important factor when deciding on the flowers for your bouquet. You will want flowers that compliment your wedding colors yet stand out in such a way that they draw the attention to you.

Again, your florist is really the best source for helping you to decide what style of bridal bouquet is right for you. Show your florist a picture of your wedding dress. A well chosen florist will be able to come up with just the right bouquet to compliment your wedding gown and make you the picture of beauty on your wedding day.

About the Author

by Jeanette Shinn.

Jeanette Shinn is a wedding professional with over a dozen years experience making dreams come alive. Find more helpful ideas ranging from choosing a wedding organizational system to Asian Themed Wedding Favors options at http://www.ExcitingWeddingFavors.com.

Article Source: Article North directory

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

� What kind of atmosphere do you want for your wedding? Will it be formal, casual, elegant or something in between?
� Where are you getting married? Is this a casual outdoor wedding, an elegant candlelit evening wedding in a cathedral, a simple country church wedding, or a fancy country club event?
� What is your body type? Are you short and petite? Full-figured?
� What season are you getting married in?
� What is your color scheme?
� Are there certain flowers that you simply “must have” in your wedding bouquet?

Another important thing to consider is the style of wedding gown you will be wearing.

� Romantic or fairytale gowns

With lots of lace, tulle and layers of luxurious fabric, this type of gown lends itself to the traditional cascading bridal bouquet. Keep in mind, however, that the cascading wedding bouquet does not necessary flatter a petite bride. If you’re petite, you don’t want to get lost behind a large wedding bouquet. If your gown has a lot of detail to it, be careful not to order a bridal bouquet that actually competes with the gown, rather than complementing it.

� Simple and elegant gown

Think Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn and you’ll have visions of a less fussy gown, designed to show off the beauty of the bride. These gowns are often strapless and have structured lines. Your flowers should be simple and elegant as well, as in a hand-tied bouquet of white calla lilies, a symbol of magnificence. A showy bouquet wouldn’t be your best choice with this type of gown, but a classic clutch bridal bouquet might be the answer. Pastel pink roses would be ideal in a clutch wedding bouquet, the perfect symbol of happiness, gentility and grace.

� Vintage gowns

This is a huge category that includes Bohemian gypsy-style dresses, medieval princess frocks, and Charleston swing era gowns. Match wedding bouquets with the style of dress that you choose. Some bridal bouquets simply would not work with some of the vintage dresses. Of course, these dresses are updated to reflect the styles of the early 21st century.

Make sure that you let your florist or online wedding consultant know exactly what type of gown you have chosen. It would be best for them to see a picture of the gown, preferably with you in it!
If you’re unsure of how to pick the style of bridal bouquet that’s best for you, given all of the choices that you’ve already made, rely on the advice from the experts.

And remember, you’re not restricted to fresh flowers for your wedding. Silk wedding flower packages are available at great prices from many online merchants. They can help you decide if the cascading bridal bouquet, the hand-tied wedding bouquet, or another style is best for you considering the location, the season, the atmosphere, your figure, etc. Silk wedding flowers are a wise choice for budget-minded brides, as well as for extravagant brides who only want the best!

Author Description
By Bonnie Ray. Bonnie Goodwin Ray has more than sixteen years experience in the wedding industry. She is the author of Wedding Planning Made Easier and has become a leading expert in silk wedding flower design.

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

A wedding day flower arrangement make the wedding day extremely special and set the mood for the ceremony and reception. You’ve numerous options as it pertains to the wedding blossoms. You most pricey though also your most expedient is to use a florist shop. A florist will be capable of designing the wedding ceremony flowers in the colours and blossoms of your choice.

When you use a floral professional to design your arrangement, you will need to begin planning months before the big day. Make sure that you have everything in writing to assure that everything you want, is exactly what you get, at the price you agreed on, for your wedding day.

Wedding day flower arrangements can also be made by the bride, her friends or family members. This is often a good choice if you want to save some money and would like to design the wedding day flower arrangement yourself. You will be able to find everything you need online or at a craft store. If you pay close attention you will even be able to find great sales on the flower arrangement, ribbon and other things needed to make the wedding day flower arrangement. You will want to start this project at least four months before the wedding day because it may take you longer than you expect.

The obvious choice is to use real flowers instead of man-made ones, but the quality and realism of silk flowers has improved dramatically over the years and the should not be discounted just because they are not natural. Visit a few showrooms of silk flower wholesalers to see for yourself what they have to offer. They can become a lasting memory of your wedding as well.

Lasting memories are what your wedding is all about after all!

About the Author

By JD Strato.

Visit Us For Distinct Ideas For Party Flowers Listings Of Wedding Flower Retailers

Article Source: Article North directory

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

It’s not your mother’s wedding, so stop worrying about doing everything her way. This is a time for you to express your individual taste and style. So what if she never would have dreamed of carrying “fake” flowers in her bridal bouquet. In her generation fake flowers were plastic. Of course she wouldn’t have used them!

This is a new generation and silk wedding flowers are the rage! Not only have “fake” flowers evolved in leaps and bounds, but they have also become very popular as alternatives to fresh flowers for wedding bouquets, flower girl baskets, corsages and boutonnieres. From the exquisite cascading bridal bouquet to the simplistic hand-tied wedding bouquet, silk wedding flowers lend themselves to every style imaginable!

Elegant silk calla lilies look lovely, whether cascading downward intermingled with ivy, or when in a hand-tied bridal bouquet. Silk roses in a rainbow of colors combine nicely with a variety of other flowers in a clutch bridal bouquet or in a cascading wedding bouquet. The look is so close to that of fresh flowers that most people will never even know the difference. But your checkbook will!

Purchasing silk wedding flower packages is what many smart brides are doing. Eliminating the stress of last-minute florist mix-ups, ordering your silk wedding flower sets from one of the online merchants is convenient and cost-effective. With packages starting under $300, silks have made wedding flowers affordable.

Beware of low-quality silks, however. Make sure that you’re getting top-of-the-line silk flowers if you want to fool everyone that they’re real. Quality silk wedding flowers are so realistic that people will want to smell your bridal bouquet! To fool them, try spritzing your wedding bouquets with rose oil or another floral fragrance.

Flower girl baskets can carry a stationary arrangement or an assortment of silk rose petals to be scattered down the aisle for the bride to walk upon. Walking on rose petals is symbolic of both beauty and of the bride walking down the path of a new life that is about to begin. Another alternative for the flower girl is for her to carry a silk floral pomander. The flowers can match those in the bridal bouquet and your little flower girl will look adorable swinging her beautiful pomander to and fro as she heads down the aisle. This is especially conducive to very young flower girls.

The ring bearer’s pillow has an alternative as well. A fabric covered ring box can be carried down the aisle by your young attendant. This is a more contemporary look for the ring bearer, who often balks at carrying a lacy pillow.

In lieu of traditional corsages, consider giving the special women at the wedding small hand-tied bouquets for them to carry. With today’s flimsier fabrics, pin on corsages are sometimes too bulky to wear. However, by using silk flowers, the weight of the corsages is dramatically decreased. Maybe you could point that out as a benefit to your mother as you gently remind her — this isn’t her wedding after all.”

Author Description
Bonnie Goodwin Ray has more than sixteen years experience in the wedding industry. She is the author of Wedding Planning Made Easier and has become a leading expert in silk wedding flower design.

In a perfect world the task of choosing wedding colors would be as simple as choosing your favorite combination and leaving it at that. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world. Neither do we live in a vacuum. And the practice of choosing our favorite combination forgets that our wedding colors have to work in our wedding venue… as many brides have discovered after it was too late to do anything to remedy the situation.

Let me illustrate with the story of some friends of ours who were looking to redecorate the interior of their house (stick with me; this is incredibly relevant to your choice of wedding colors). They started off where everyone says you should start, by dreaming about what they wanted. After much discussion the settled on a color scheme, but there was just something that still did not feel quite right so they found a local company that provided free access to a design consultant.

The meeting with the design consultant was a real eye opener. The colors they had chosen went beautifully together – but not in their house! If they were building a new house or renewing absolutely everything in the house the combination could be stunning – but those colors would not work with the red oak flooring of their house, or the tile work, or….

Likewise, you can choose an incredible combination for your wedding colors but if you have not taken into consideration the colors already present in your wedding venue then you run the risk of creating a look that you would not wish on your worst enemy’s wedding, much less your wedding day.

Remedy for This Wedding Color Dilemma

As illustrated above, the process of choosing your wedding colors begins with incorporating the colors, tones, and shades already present in your wedding venue. This can be accomplished in one of three ways:

Choose your wedding colors before you choose your wedding venue and then search until you find a venue that will accommodate your choice of wedding colors. Unfortunately, unless you have years to dream and search this is often not very practical.

Take as many pictures of your wedding venue as possible so you have a record of the specific shades and tones of everything that will be in the venue when you are getting married. Of course, if the venue provides a sample kit of painted or stained woods, fabric swatches, etc it is worth your while to make full use of it in choosing your wedding color scheme.

Build your own wedding venue. That way you can control the color scheme for your wedding from the start.

You want your wedding to be stunning. Something you are going to look back on with fondness for years to come. You do not want something as simple as your choice of the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses to make your wedding visually unattractive. So prevent that wedding stress by choosing your wedding colors is relatively easy – as long as you consider all of the colors that will be present.”

Author Description
Jeanette Shinn is a wedding professional with over a dozen years experience making dreams come alive. Find tips and accessories from favor packaging to suggestions for Cinderella Themed Wedding Favors options at http://www.ExcitingWeddingFavors.com.