Meet with your florist early in the wedding planning process. You’ll need to discuss the colour theme of your bridal party, the details of your wedding dress, the season of your wedding, and the style of your wedding — whether it will be formal or informal. If possible, bring in swatches and pictures of your wedding gown and bridesmaids dresses.

As you begin finalizing your wedding details, narrow down the selection of flowers for your bridal party bouquets and table centerpieces. Many couples today also choose to have fresh flowers on their wedding cake. When selecting a flower arrangement for your flower girl, keep the size of the bouquet small enough to not overpower her.

You can save money by using the flower arrangements that decorated the church at your wedding reception as well. Make sure you either delegate the responsibility of transferring these arrangements to someone with a large car or van, or ask your florist to make arrangements for the transfer.

Your florist can also coordinate the delivery of the corsages to the bride’s home and the boutonnieres to where the groom is staying. Don’t forget to include your officiant, organist, grandparents, and special family members if your budget permits.