Romantic, symbolic and a key part of any wedding, take your time when you are choosing wedding flowers and consider these 4 important factors.

1. THE FLORAL FORECAST

The time of year you choose to wed will play a role in your flower selection, but keeping an eye on the trends is equally important. According to Tangerine Moolman from Pink Energy Floral Design in Joburg, brides are taking their cue from nature, opting for more foliage. ‘A big trend on the rise is the use of lush greenery and plants, combined with either neutral colours or bright pops of colour.’

Josie van Aswegen from Fabulous Flowers in Cape Town agrees. ‘Brides are now opting for more ethereal arrangements in soft colours that create a botanical look, which is particularly beautiful for summer weddings,’ she says.

And don’t be afraid to buck tradition. While pastels and brighter colours have always been go-tos, there is a refreshing move towards cooler colours, with shades of blue making an impact – a great choice for seaside celebrations.

2. ARRANGED!

Once you have decided on your flowers for the day, pay attention to the design. Centrepieces are no longer the primary focus, with brides opting for more low-key table arrangements in favour of lavish bouquets.

Speaking of bouquets: Don’t think that yours needs to match the rest of the flowers on the day. In fact, bouquets are very personal and should reflect the spirit of the bride, says Josie. ‘The bride should carry the bouquet that she wants to carry on the day – without having to worry too much about the theme, as this can be worked into the bridesmaids’ bouquets.’

Tangerine agrees that the bride’s bouquet should be special, but cautions against making it too different. ‘While the bridal bouquet needs to stand out, it shouldn’t look like it belongs to another wedding,’ she says. An easy way to differentiate your bouquet from the rest of the flowers is in design, not necessarily colour.

If you want to make a statement with your bouquet, keep the floral arrangements and centrepieces  at the ceremony and reception simpler. For those whose flowers are a big part of the decor, opt for understated, smaller bouquets or single stems.

3. BLOOMS ON A BUDGET

Choosing flowers that are in season is always a cost-saving solution. ‘Flowers that come in a great variety of colours and are available year-round include chrysanthemums, carnations, gerbera daisies, spray roses (usually smaller than a standard rose) and standard roses (not speciality roses),’ says Tangerine.

If you have your heart set on more exotic (and therefore more expensive) blooms, you can still stick to your budget with smart design choices. For instance, opt for bigger flowers such as orchids as opposed to peonies – it will take fewer of them to fill your space.

With greenery being a popular trend, consider incorporating more of it into your centrepieces and even bridal bouquet.

As a pocket-friendly centrepiece idea, Josie suggests using fewer stems in glass bottles interspersed with an abundance of greenery.

4. WASTE NOT, WANT NOT

As with most things wedding-related, it’s best to order more flowers so that you don’t come up short on the day. You may find yourself with an abundance of blooms left over, but they needn’t go to waste. ‘A nice idea is to put stickers underneath certain guests’ seats, and anyone with a sticker gets to take home a bunch of flowers,’ suggests Josie.

And bridesmaids’ bouquets are often forgotten about and left at the venue, so Tangerine recommends having a few vases placed near the head table where the bridesmaids can leave their bouquets, and hopefully remember to take them at the end of the evening. Find a way to make sure the flowers will be enjoyed the next day.