Top 10 tips for choosing your flowers

1. Choose your dress before you decide on the type of bouquet you would like. The style of bouquet could be shower, over arm, hand tied, contemporary or just unique, however it should compliment your dress, your size and personal style.

2. Book your florist at least 6 months in advance, smaller florists may only take on one wedding at a time so you will need to ensure you book and pay a deposit.

3. Collect photos and colour schemes from magazines, or set up a Pinterest page and follow your florist’s Pinterest page.

4. Whilst it is possible these days to get most flowers most of the year, buying flowers out of season will increase the cost of your wedding flowers significantly. Your florist will be able to advise you on seasonal flowers.

5. Tell your florist what your budget is, a florist needs to cover her time and cost so be prepared to pay for a florists skill as well as the flowers. If budget is not an issue your florist can suggest lots of beautiful extras like arches, garlands, topiary trees and much more. If you have a small budget cheaper flowers can be used.

6. Try to avoid being too fixed in your ideas. If you talk to your florist about the look and feel you want to create and allow the florist the flexibility to create it, the results can be stunning. As fresh flowers are a living product there are occasions when a particular flower is not available or not of a quality that is acceptable, and colours may vary so trust your florist to make the decision for you.

7. Some flowers simply aren’t suited certain bouquets; your florist can advise you on this. Whilst hydrangeas for example look lovely they need to stay hydrated, they will last approximately three hours out of water less on a hot day so may not work in a wired shower bouquet.

8. Try to recycle you flowers, use the ceremony flowers to move to your reception venue. For example, a registrars table flowers can be moved to the top table. Church pedestals can be moved to entrance halls (you must check with the Church first, as some may need to stay in the church)

9. Think about the size of your venue and the tables. Is it a large room with high ceilings or a small dining room? Whilst bottles and jam jars look lovely when grouped together just one on a round table for 8 will look lost.

10. Instead of buying gifts for people who have helped with the wedding arrangements consider giving away your table centres. (you will need to ensure that you buy rather than hire your containers).

These top tips were brought to you by Kathryn Delve Florist.