Many brides love flowers and delight in planning the flowers for their wedding ceremony and reception. Fresh and healthy flowers really create a beautiful and polished atmosphere both for the wedding ceremony and reception. All those brides and grooms who have gardening and horticultural knowledge will be able to utilize their experiences when it comes to deciding upon which flowers and floral designs you would like for your special day.

I myself have been gardening for fifteen years and have experience working in a flower shop, so I will share my own tips for selecting bridal flowers.

1) Consider the bride and the groom’s favorite flowers and colors.

2) Consider the appearance, size, shape, color and fragrance of the flowers.

3) Consider buying flowers in season and locally grown, as this is cheaper and better for the environment as the flowers don’t have to be imported from another country or state.

4) It is recommended that the bride and groom make a consultation with florists at two or three different flower shops. Come prepared with your questions, your price range, and a list of your favorite flowers.

5) Select flowers with shapes and colors that compliment the bride’s complexion, hair color, overall appearance and wedding gown.

6) Choose flowers that flatter bridesmaids and their dresses, and the groom, groomsmen and their tuxedos.

7) Think about the style your want to achieve:

a) traditional
b) contemporary/modern

8) Think about the time of day of wedding ceremony, wedding photographs and wedding reception. The goal is to have the flowers remain fresh and healthy for the ceremony, photographs and reception. Flowers like roses need water picks to hold water and Gerbera daisies require a lot of water to remain healthy.

9) Keep in mind the location of your ceremony and purchase flowers to decorate that flatter the colors and lighting of the church or hall.

10) Think about the location of your reception and purchase flowers to decorate that flatter the colors, furniture and lighting of the reception site.

11) Get recommendations from family and friends on the flowers that they had at their own weddings.

12) Discover ideas for floral designs in wedding magazines and on bridal websites.

13) Remember to keep in mind the cost of each flower. Flowers that are readily available are cheaper than more exotic and hard-to-find flowers.

14) Reflect on all of your wedding floral needs:

• for ceremony; flowers for church pews, altar, registry table, front platform, outside church doors, church foyer
• for reception; floral centerpiece for each dinner table, special centerpieces for wedding party’s table
• bridal bouquet
• bridesmaids bouquets
• groom’s boutonniere
• mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom corsages
• groomsmen’s boutonniere
• boutonniere for father-of-the-bride and father-of-the-groom
• bride’s bouquet for bouquet toss
• flower girl’s flowers
• ring bearer’s boutonniere

Enjoy planning your wedding. Take time to smell the roses!

You have finally discovered the woman that fills your heart’s desires and you are planning your romantic proposal. A man often has various questions, concerns and insecurities when it comes to presenting his girlfriend with her engagement ring.

Let’s first offer you some basic education about shopping for engagement rings. Consider the following decisions:

1) Select the metal of the ring:

• platinum – strongest, most pure metal – more expensive
• white/yellow gold – most common for engagement rings – less expensive

2) Decide on the setting style:

• Solitaire Settings – most popular for engagement rings
• Settings with Side Stones – diamonds or gems along the sides of the ring to add more sparkle and color
• Three Stone Settings – ring carries diamond to represent the past, diamond to represent the present and diamond to represent the future

3) Select the diamond shape:

• Round
• Princess
• Emerald
• Asscher
• Marquise
• Oval
• Pear
• Radiant
• Heart
• Cushion

4) Decide on your diamond size. Remember, quality matters more than quantity!

• 0.25 carat
• 0.5 carat
• 0.75 carat
• 1.0 carat
• 1.5 carat

5) Remember the Four C’s.

• CUT
• COLOR
• CLARITY
• CARAT WEIGHT

Tips for selecting the special ring that girlfriend will love and making it a surprise:

1) Consider her lifestyle and her personal tastes.

2) Carefully examine the colors of the jewelry your lady wears. Does she wear platinum or white gold or yellow gold?

3) Ask your girlfriend’s mother or friends if she talked about liking a specific type or style of ring.

4) The other option is shopping for an engagement ring together with your girlfriend. Then she can show you the exact rings that she likes and you can find the style that flatters her the most.
Remember to focus on making your relationship with your girlfriend as loving, strong and mutually-fulfilling as possible so that she will be so happy to accept your wedding proposal and she will not be envious of other women’s engagement rings because she is marrying you, the man of her dreams.