Wedding Mistakes to Avoid by The Knot.

This article comes from The Knot and brings great points to consider for anyone planning a wedding.

10 Wedding Mistakes to Avoid By Meredith Bodgas

I can ad a bit more to the first point on the list. I had weddings booked one year in advance. What I do, especially for bridal flowers, I leave some small details to be updated short before the wedding date. However, it happens that some brides are so sure about their initial choices that we do not have to make even a single update.

1. Try not to get attached to your flower choices.
When you book your florist a year before your wedding day, he can only guess which blooms will be available for your wedding. If you have to have, say, asters, you could be disappointed. Instead, choose backups to your main blooms and add them to your contract. Think in terms of colors and shapes instead of specific flowers.

2. Think twice before you send save-the-dates to everyone.
Until you mail out invitations, your guest list isn't final. And it shouldn't be: Friends you're close with when you get engaged may be mere acquaintances by the time you get hitched. Reserve save-the-dates only for those guests you know will be invited, like your families.

3. You will regret it if you skip videography.
Photos only take you so far: Videos let you hear your voice tremble as you say your vows and watch your friends tear up the dance floor. With more people documenting your wedding, you'll see things you may have missed on the day.

4. Be careful not to blow your fashion budget on your dress.
Maybe you have $1,500 set aside for your look. That doesn't mean you can buy a $1,500 gown! Tack on tax, and if you're not buying off the rack, you could get charged for shipping. You might need alterations, too. Consider your undergarments, shoes, hair accessories and jewelry when budgeting as well.

5. Avoid micromanaging your vendors.
You're choosing talented pros who understand your vision, so let them do their jobs! We know it's tempting to control every detail so you're guaranteed to love the results, but you won't have the time, and you certainly don't have the experience your vendors do. After your initial meetings, trust the pros to get it right. And, you know what? They almost always will.

6. Think hard before you pick your attendants.
Your bridesmaids should be your closest friends. Period. They can also be your sisters, cousins, aunts and even your mom, but they have to be people you'd trust to be there when you most need them. You don't know new friends well enough yet to be sure they'll support you in tough situations (every bride encounters one at some point), and picking people because a family member demands it or so you and your man will have an even number of attendants are also decisions you'll likely regret.

7. Please restrain yourself from telling everyone your plans.
It's so hard not to talk about your wedding. Try. The more you share, the more opinions you're going to get about your choices, whether or not you ask for them. Plus, part of wowing your guests is surprising them. If they already know that you're changing into a different dress for dancing or sending guests home with a batch of your grandma's cookies, they won't be quite as impressed on your wedding day. If that's not enough to deter you, talking about your plans means opening yourself up to copycats, who may actually be marrying before you do. The last thing you want is your friend stealing your idea for your surprise grand finale.

8. Seriously, stop booking your salon appointments last.
We get it: You want as much beauty sleep as possible, and you don't want your 'do to fall out or your makeup to fade before you walk down the aisle. But guess what: Busy stylists will likely get to you late if you're last in the chair. Schedule your appointments in the middle of your attendants'. It's not a big deal for a bridesmaid to switch to a less complicated (read: quick) hairstyle if she's pressed for time. That's not an option for you.

9. Don't even think about speeding through photos.
Speaking of not having enough time, any less than an hour isn't enough for a portrait session; an hour-and-a-half is closer to ideal because you'll look more relaxed in your pictures (and those first few never come out as well as you hope). Squeezing photos into the first half-hour of your cocktail hour will make you anything but at ease. If you refuse to see your groom before the ceremony, take pictures separately beforehand so the only shots left to take after the ceremony include both of you.

10. Avoid "hiring" a friend instead of a pro.
Sure, your pal was the king of the mix CD back in the day, but that doesn't mean he'll make a great wedding DJ. Same goes for your friend who won't leave home without her Flip — this doesn't make her a videographer! Even on a tight budget, you're much better off paying a vendor with experience to take care of the biggies, like the music and the food. Don't you want your friends to enjoy your wedding instead of having to work through it, anyway?


Give us a call 416-737-1070 or drop us a line at margaret@mwflowerdesign.com if you are ready to talk about your decor, even if it's a year in advance. I will be happy to brainstorm your wedding. Currently, I am working with Natasha and her wedding on March, 2012. IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY OR TOO LATE.

Margaret @ MW Flower Design
www.mwflowerdesign.com
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Sandra's Wedding Flowers with Feathers and Crystals

 

I was so exited when I met Sandra who contacted me for about flowers for her wedding that took place on May 15, 2010. She was so seet and I loved working with her. She came to me from quite far to talk about her bridal bouquets and church decor. Sandra had general idea what she wanted, but needed help to put all the details together to create the look she had imagined and ultimately loved.

The silver feathers used in Sandra's bouquet, boutonnieres and corsages proved to be difficult to find, but I was able to discover a place that had huge variety of different feather products.

In the church, we used flower cones accentuated with burgundy ribbon to adore the pews along with alter arrangements that added personal character to overall look. 

Sandra looked beautiful and was very happy and cheerful bride on her wedding day.

I love her wedding pictures, didn't she looked fabulous? 

 

The arrangement of white dendrobium  orchids and bells of Ireland. Grace and Beauty.

Ivory vendela roses accented with crystal pins were used in bride bouquet. At the base a layer of silver and burgundy feathers added colour and texture.

Pew Arrangements

Happy Wife!!

Guest Book

Church Arrangement

Sandra took a moment to pink boutonniere for her feather and helping her mother with the corsage, which worked perfectly with her gown. It was an emotional moment, isn't so sweet?


I absolutely loved Sandra's bouquet. Simple, yet so romantic. Trendy details added charm to the bridal bouquet and worked perfectly well with the wedding dress.






That is my favourite picture of the couple. Don't you love it?!

The fabulous wedding pictures are curtsy of www.manifestophotography.com 

If you wish to book a consultation to get help defining the flowers for your wedding or other event please call  Margaret at 416-737-1070.
www.mwflowerdesign.com
margaret@mwflowerdesign.com

Come and See Your Ideas Bloom to Life!

What are the boutonnieres and corsages?

Many times during consultations, I see confused brides about boutonnieres and corsages.
Boutonnieres are the flowers for the groom and other men. Corsages are flowers for women. There are two types of corsages; a pin on, and more and more popular, wrist type. I use pearl bracelets that adds a lot of charm and is soft for the hand, while creating wrist corsages. Typically, corsages are bigger than the boutonnieres and are made out of flowers used in the bridal party bouquets.

When it comes to wedding flowers, the bridal bouquet usually gets the most attention. While a great deal of thought needs to be given to this most important bouquet, the flowers worn by the groom and his attendants are equally significant.

A boutonniere, named after the French word for buttonhole; oh, I know a lovely English wedding planner who uses the term buttonhole and she sounds so sweet, is a single flower, or grouping of flowers worn on the lapel. The flowers often coordinate with the blooms used in the bride's bouquet and are chosen to suit the colour scheme of the wedding. A boutonniere, perhaps even more than a bouquet, must be sturdy enough to last for hours, through the ceremony, photographs, dinner, and dancing. The boutonniere doesn't have to be limited to only flowers. It can be made out of herbs, feathers or crystal flowers.

The biggest challenge, as I see it, is how to attach the boutonniere or to pin on a corsage. I supply 2 corsage pins. Some attention should be paid as to what is the front of the boutonniere. When it is delivered, with pins in it, it’s most likely that that part with pins should be worn outwards.
Also, please give some consideration to the size and think how it will look on the photographs. Once I have seen a fabulous boutonniere, however, when the bride and groom were together, the boutonniere was on the same level as the bride's face and it competed with her. So as you can see sometimes such small details play a role. Talk to your flower designer or decorator and always think how the flowers will look on the pictures.


You can find more examples in our website gallery
http://mwflowerdesign.com/MWFlowerDesign/gallery-arrangements.aspx

Butonniers by MW Flower Design and Weddingbells

MW Flower Design was asked to create boutonnieres for the spring issue of the Weddingbells magazine. We are particularly happy with the purple one. You can find the flowers on page 70 in the magazine.

Stay tuned, we are going to be featured in the summer issue again, with bridal bouquets and a centerpiece.

MW Flower Design and Wedding SOS.

We had a pleasure to work with the fantastic people from Wedding SOS. The wedding was decorated with ostrich feather centerpieces and the bride and groom were delighted with the decor.

Meet the host of the show Jane Dayus-Hinch and the decor provided by MW Flower Design. Don't they look good together!

The theme was black and white using feathers. The head table was decorated with lots of details, like mirrors, candles, and the pears draped the front of the table. The seating was flanked by two black arrangements and in the front was a cake sitting on a top of black feathers.

Here is what the producers said about the decor afterwords:

"Margaret's work elevated a basic banquet hall into a grand ballroom. It was an elegant, stunning setting that delighted the bride, groom and guests. Thanks again for everything!"

Jessica Vander Kooij
Associate Producer/Assistant Director
Wedding SOS
Nextfilm Productions Inc.

If you would like to see the sample of ostrich father arrangement and discuss different option give us a call at 416-737-1070.

www.mwflowerdesign.com

margaret@mwflowerdesign.com