by: Mary Jane Holmes

No matter what type of wedding you are planning, whether it is going to be a big fancy formal affair or a simple informal one, it will almost certainly involve flowers. When you combine the beauty and fragrance of flowers with natural light, candles and soft, tinted electric lighting, the effect can be breath taking. To set a romantic scene for the wedding match the ribbons, flowers and lights in warm or pastel shades to complement or match your color scheme.

If you are going to need a lot of flowers give your florist plenty of notice so that he can free up time to get your order ready .How do you decide the amount of flowers that you will need? Make yet another list. Who needs flowers? The Bride, Maid of Honor, Bridesmaid, Flower Girl, mothers of the bride and groom, boutonnieres for the Groom, ushers, Fathers of the bride and Groom, grandparents of both the bride and groom. That's a lot of flowers, but wait there are more> You will want flowers for the church, and for the tables at the reception.

When you visit the florist for the first time bring pictures of your dress, the bridesmaids dresses, and the dresses both mothers will be wearing. Also bring the grooms tux if it is any other color but black or white, so that the colors of flowers and ribbons wont clash with anyone's clothes. A good florist will help you choose the perfect flowers to go with your styles and colors.

You may want to ask him to make you a small additional bouquet to throw, so you can have your bouquet preserved. Bring pictures of bouquets and arrangements, from magazines that you like so that he can understand your preferences and style. You will save money if you stick with seasonal flowers because it can cost a lot of money and time if the florist has to special order your flowers. There will also be an extra charge for shipping.

Sometimes, when a parent, sibling or grandparent of either the bride or groom, has passed away within the past year, the couple will stop at the cemetery on the way to the reception and place a single flower on the grave. Do this only if it will not be too stressful for you or your new husband. If a member of the immediate family is in a local hospital, brides and grooms often stop there on the way to the reception to let the patient know they are loved and missed.

Before ordering flowers for the ceremony, check with the church and see if there are size restrictions. Flowers for the reception should complement or match the flowers you and the bridesmaids will be carrying. What do you do with all of the beautiful arrangements on the tables, after the wedding. Some couples have a drawings for each table, to decide who gets to take the arrangements home. Others donate them to a nursing home., or women's shelter to share their happiness, in a small way, with others. Did you know that in ancient times brides carried fresh flowers to mask the smell of people who didn't bathe on a regular basis.