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Laurel A. Rockefeller

Selecting A Florist
By Laurel A. Rockefeller
From FAQ section of whitejade.com, 1998-2002

Flowers... they are a costly part of your wedding--as anyone who has tried to buy fresh flowers for a birthday, date, or party knows. Flowers are expensive. So choosing a good florist is vital. Flowers can make the look or break it. So here are some guidelines and helpful hints to guide you.

• IF IN DOUBT, GO SIMPLE - The Chinese Daoist/Buddhist aesthetic principle, "less is more" applies with a vengeance. Too often people select huge cascades for the bride's bouquet and spend over $600 for ONE bouquet thinking that that is traditional and MUST be done. Well if you get right down to traditional, most brides through time just had a small tied bouquet of wild flowers or maybe whatever was available in their gardens at the time--roses being the all time favorite and my personal favorite. It seems odd to think that half a dozen roses tied together nicely can look better than that $600 cascade, but it does, especially on gowns that have more detail on them like bodice overlays featuring sequins. During my first fashion show in Ottawa I had to carry a huge silk cascade that hid about half the hoop-skirted gown! Plus it was hard to manage all that weight--in SILK which weighs less than fresh because there's no water.
  
  So on all flowers, remember: less is more--it often looks better to spend less than $100 per arrangement than to spend more to put dozens of flowers in one. A good rule of thumb is no more than 2 dozen blooms in anything. Your budget and aesthetic is sure to agree.

• DON'T BE AFRAID TO GO BASIC - If you like roses, don't think you have to limit them just because some magazine says that some flower you cannot even pronounce is the hot thing to go with. If you like simple and inexpensive, BE SIMPLE. Carnations, roses, daisies, and lilies are popular for a reason; don't be afraid to use those. A good artist can do something really cool and different yet keep the flower type and shape very classic and sophisticated.

• USE SWATCHES TO MATCH COLORS - Sometimes you must match colors. Swatches are the best way to do that. The same color may be labeled as two different colors, depending on the variety of the flower. For example, "blue" flowers are often purple in appearance and vice versa. What you call "ivory" and what your florist thinks is ivory could be very different. The only way to get a real match is to give her or him a sample of the fabric. If you cannot do that, bring in whatever it is you want matched and often times the florist can match to it on the spot. Professional florists know their flowers. They know what is available in what and can look up the precise name of the variety you want.

• IF VARIETY NAME IS IN DOUBT, USE LATIN - This seems an odd tip, but if you know you like one specific variety of something, the only sure way to get it is to use the botanical name in Latin. For instance, Cherokee Rose, the state flower of Georgia, is called Rosa Laevigata in Latin. Sometimes that information will not be available. In that case, ask to see one of the actual flowers of the variety you are requesting, maybe purchasing a few stems of different ones you are thinking about, then use that same florist when requesting that variety. Remember that different wholesalers might have a different flower under the same name as the one you're using. One shop's Queen Anne Rose might be just enough different at another shop that you decide you like one over the other.

• NO NEED TO MATCH - The flowers don't have to match the gowns. You can have great results with burgundy dresses and pale pink flowers--much better than trying to spray or tip flowers burgundy. Flowers are an accessory item, after all. Sometimes blending creates a less interesting look than if you just went for what you think is lovely. That doesn't mean anything goes, but don't feel restricted by color--let the wedding colors guide but not confine you. Follow your instincts to something with the right mix of unity and variety. Matching doesn't matter if the end result does not look good.

• SELECT FLORAL VARIETIES THAT NATURALLY COME IN YOUR COLORS - If you feel you want or need to match somewhat, ask your florist what flowers naturally come in what colors. Remember that altering the natural color of any flower is likely to look somewhat fake or at least diminish the results you would have had with a different floral choice. This is one reason that silk flowers often look fake: they come in colors that do not exist in nature. Likewise fresh flowers are usually available in more colors than you are accustomed to seeing...so bring your ideas to your florist and ASK. You might be surprised what interesting choices are out there.

• IF IN DOUBT, TRY A ROSE - Roses come in more colors and combinations than people realize. There are whites, ivories, pinks, reds, blues, purples, yellows, and oranges in just about every tint and shade imaginable. There are also dual colored roses like Fire and Ice (red and white) and Queen Anne's Rose which is cream body tipped in another color. With creative use of roses, you not only have something that looks classic and elegant, but you have something far more eye catching and elegant than dozens of hard to pronounce flowers.

• LIGHTER FERNS LOOK BETTER - Tree ferns and other similar light, airy ferns look better than the leather-leaf ferns used in what seems to be most floral shops. Ask about it and ask to see ALL the options for fillers. You'll be surprised at what's out there to choose from.

• FRESH LOOKS BETTER THAN SILK - If you have the budget, the fresh flowers look the best--but they are costly. Save your fresh flowers for the key bouquets where they are most needed such as the walking flowers. There are pros and cons to fresh and silk which I will discuss in later articles.

• RESEARCH YOUR FLORIST CANDIDATES - Go to several florists, and look carefully at their stock. Is a lot of it bruised or ratty around the edges (You may not like their quality if that's the case.)? Do they have a good selection in the shop, or just the basics (roses, carnations, daisy mums)?
  
  Go more than once to get an impression of the place. Try to do it different days of the week. If you can, go on a Saturday morning, and you'll get a peek at they flowers they've prepared for that day's weddings. Ask which days they receive their main shipments. Can they special order and receive shipments other days of the week?

• CHOOSE SOMEONE YOU CAN WORK WITH - As with all vendors, perfect results comes from a collaboration between yourself and your professional. Flowers are no different. Do you get along with the designer? Is s/he willing to show examples of their work? Do they do original designs, or work only from pictures in their own books? Will they let you watch while they make an arrangement for the cooler?

• ASK TO SEE YOUR FLORIST'S PORTFOLIO! - Make sure you like what you see. If you hate what they did for others, you probably won't like what they do for you. Of course don't let the portfolio decide everything...you need to combine all the tips together in making a good decision.
  

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