By Nathalie Fiset


Is it still romantic to send flowers online? The answer is always, "yes". Flowers, especially the romantic ones, are among the great ways to show your partner or your loved ones that you truly care. Girls usually love to receive flowers from their dates. So if you're the type who wants to create a good impression, then better send the one you love with a bunch of fantastic flowers.

Sending flowers online is one of the most popular and fast process of giving flowers to your loved one, even if you're far from them. So if ever your anniversary or her/his birthday slipped from your mind until the last hour, there's no need to worry because there are online florists that can help you with that. With the advent of the Internet, you don't anymore need to drop by at the flower shop in order to choose and pay for your needed flowers. Today, customized flowers are just a click away.

Benefits of sending flowers online

• You can save time. It is one of the advantages that you can get from ordering and sending flowers online. You can save lots of your time because you don't anymore need to go out of your home or your office and hop from one shop to another. Through online shops, you can easily order, pay and send flowers without leaving the comforts of your home. You can also have online tracking if you want to confirm your order. You just need to find the best shop that can send romantic flowers to your loved ones. So if paucity of time does not allow you to go to different flower shops or nursery, just visit the web and take advantage of the flower delivery services online.

• A wide range of choices is presented right in front of you. By visiting the florist's website, you can see the actual pictures of the bouquets, so you don't have to imagine what the flowers will look like. You can also easily compare the products and the deals of different companies.

• Same day delivery. There are online florists that offer same day delivery, so even if you are absentminded or neglectful, you can still catch up by sending flowers right in the day of the occasion.

• International market. Some florists online don't just offer national but also international delivery.

• Hassle-free process. Aside from being speedy, the procedure in sending flowers online is hassle-free and is spreading globally. Most online flower shops have user-friendly services. You can place your order in their online site and they will just give you a reminder call.

Of course, you have to pay the online shop for sending flowers to your loved ones. The good thing is, some florists do not put additional charge for delivering the flowers right at the door step. Also, there are some flower shops that give small gifts like canes, vases and other stuff.

Most florists don't just send flowers. If you think the usual bunch of roses isn't right for the person you will send it to, try a gourmet coffee basket or some chocolates. In the websites of most online florists, you can also find personalized greeting cards and other gift ideas. Online shops offer tremendous variety that the local shop can't surpass. Also, online florists' websites allow you to pick the best bouquet online and they can send your dear ones a romantic bunch of flower that will surely reflect your love and thoughtfulness.

Bear in mind that flowers sent right at your doorstep can bring a feeling of surprise and excitement to anyone, particularly if they are a gift sent by a dear one. Flowers are among the things that can revive a person's spirit. So pack your worries and doubts, if ever you forgot to greet your dear one on their special day - flowers will do that for you.

So during occasions when you need to send your dear one with a bunch of romantic flowers, never fret because the World Wide Web will solve your problems. All that it takes is to have confidence that you can still send magnificent flowers in his/her big day. Send flowers online, it is still romantic this time and in years to come.

By Mirriam Chansa


Weddings can be very expensive but many brides are finding creative ways to save money without compromising on quality. There's nothing to stop you from getting the wedding you've always wanted. You just have to think a little out of the box and more creatively. Here are some ideas to get your juices flowing.

1. Choose or find a venue that is already beautiful and lush with flowers and well kept lawns. There are usually parks or gardens with these characteristics.

2. Plan to use flowers that are readily available and in season. This will save you a lot of money. If you are honest with your florist and ask them to recommend the best value for money inexpensive flowers they can find, they can get you ones that are within your budget. Although it may seem like a good idea at first, holding a wedding during February is not cheap. In February, flower prices are very high due to Valentine's Day.

3. As far as possible, hold your wedding during the festive season i.e. during Christmas or Easter when most Churches are already decorated with beautiful flowers! You just have to find a church with the type of flowers that you like.

4. If you know someone else who is getting married about the same time that you are, you can save even more money by coordinating flowers and splitting the cost.

5. Use the internet to shop around for the best deals on flowers and consider buying from an online florist. Many websites have web only prices which are not available from their stores. You can use a product comparison website to locate suppliers with the cheapest prices without compromising on quality. Many online florists guarantee fresh flowers so you don't have to worry about whether or not the flowers will be fresh when they arrive.

6. Another money saving idea is to arrange your own flowers such as bouquets of simple roses tied together with a ribbon. If you're not confident enough to do it, you can find simple guides online on how to arrange flowers for weddings. You can also just ask a friend or a family member to do it for you.

7. Cheap flowers such as carnations when used in abundance so that the blooms are packed together can be quite striking. Visit some online florist websites and browse their pictures of flowers in the weddings section for some ideas.

8. Avoid imported or exotic flowers unless they are cheaper than the ones that are locally available.

9. Consider renting plants to fill up space.

10. Using very large arrangements can be very expensive so it's a good idea to use as few as possible. You can save even more by limiting the number of people in your wedding so that you don't have to buy many bouquets!

By Erin Love


Flowers play a very important part in a wedding, whether the ceremony is big or small, expensive or inexpensive, at home or at a chosen destination; so, it would be wise for a bride to put her time and energy into choosing the perfect flowers for her wedding. Think about it...have you ever been to a wedding that did not include flowers in some form? Even in a very simple and intimate ceremony, the bride will carry some sort of flower, even if it is a single stem, or she might wear a flower in her hair. And, what would a ceremony be without a boutonniere on the groom's lapel!

As a Certified Wedding Coordinator, I have worked with many florists, and they all agree that a knowledgeable bride ends up being a happy bride. The initial meeting with the florist will go much smoother if you bring with you a list of your favorite flowers and those you definitely want to include in the wedding. You and the florist can then go through the list and choose the flowers that will be available at the time you have scheduled the event. Below are a few more tips and tricks that I have learned along the way. I hope they help you as well:

* Not all flowers can be used year-round, but the most popular ones can! These include roses, orchids, lilies (calla), gerber daisies, chrysanthemums, freesia, iris, alstromeria, and stephanotis.
* Start looking at bridal magazines a year or so in advance if possible. This way you will be able to see an entire year of seasonal bouquets and arrangements. Save pictures of the ones that you are most fond of!
* Consider the place where your flowers will be displayed. For example, if your ceremony site is colorful and beautiful in its own right, you may not need to add more color with flowers. Instead, choose flowers that are more natural and will not distract from the beauty of the site.
* Save money on arrangements at the reception by interspersing tables with flowers on them and tables with candles on them. This also makes for more visual interest.
* Don't worry about having your bridesmaids bouquets match yours or each others, for that matter. Have fun with it! Mix and match! One of my favorite looks right now is having bouquets graduate in color from darkest to lightest. (The lightest being the bride's bouquet.)
* Incorporate elements of your style into the arrangements! For instance, if you love diamonds and ice...add crystals to your arrangement. If you love the outdoors, go with feathers.

The bottom line is that choosing the right flowers for your wedding can be fun! Take as much time choosing your wedding flowers as you did choosing your wedding dress and it will pay off!

By Kimberly Kissel


While the hard and fast rules for using the "right" flower types and colors have long gone by the wayside, flower selection is still key in creating the right atmosphere for a wedding. Couples are encouraged to choose flowers and foliage for their meaningfulness, rather than sticking to rules or tradition. By incorporating your favorite flowers, favorite colors, flowers and foliage that remind you of a special place or time spent together, and even the meanings of different flowers, you add something very personal and special to your wedding day. That being said, there are some varieties of flowers and foliage that create beautiful, seasonal bouquets and arrangements.

Summer offers a wide variety of whites and eye-popping, vibrant colors. Consider hyacinth, sunflowers, geraniums, calla lilies, orchids, dahlias, daisies, carnations, foxglove, chrysanthemum, bachelor buttons, and baby's breath, as well as roses, in a variety of colors. Clematis and climbing roses create dramatic archways.

Autumn gives way to an exciting palette of rich, earthy tones and textures. Consider wrapping flowers and berries in rich shades of orange, rust, maroon, blue, and amber with a variety of branches, leaves and grasses in a contrasting mix of textures.

Winter weddings can include many of the same traditional flowers found throughout the seasons... roses, lilies, chrysanthemums, hydrangea, freesia, gardenias, snowball, and the like, at not much higher a cost. Christmas weddings provide the perfect opportunity to exploit the rich reds and greens of the season in a selection of berries, evergreens, poinsettias, and holly branches, as well as holiday ribbons and ornaments for accent. For non-holiday weddings, a variety of cool blues, silvers, whites and greens accented with eucalyptus, pine cones, ivy, fir branches, and wheat stalks truly speak the winter season.

Spring rings anew with soft, gentle pastels. Consider shades of pink, baby blues, peaches, soft yellows and greens. Springtime favorites include roses, tulips, hyacinth, lilac, jonquils, wisteria, sweet pea, daffodils, Gerber daisies, day lilies, and multi-colored calla lilies, as well as sprigs from Dogwood, Crabapple, and other flowering trees nestled in soft to deep shades of green.

Lighting also plays a key role in flower selection and is a detail frequently overlooked by busy brides and grooms. An atmosphere filled with soft lighting or candlelight will set off warm, pastel shades - pinks, lilacs, whites, golds - while a bright, lively atmosphere will only be enhanced by richer, more vibrant pinks, golds, oranges, blues, and reds.

Above all, choose a florist with whom you feel comfortable working, a florist who will work with you in bringing your vision to light. If you tell your florist that you imagine bouquets of hand-tied wildflowers and he presents you with a nosegay of roses and carnations, then find another florist! At the same time, listen to what your florist has to say. A good florist will have a multitude of ideas for flower selection, bouquet arrangements, and display accents, as well as what is in - both in style and in season - and will work with you to give you the most that your budget will allow. She may very well also know what the rules and regulations of your particular church or chapel may be; many churches will require only fresh-cut flowers be placed on the alter, if they are allowed at all.

Begin interviewing florists at least three months prior to your wedding, longer if your wedding will take place during a peak season or holiday. When interviewing florists, be sure to bring pictures of your dress and bridesmaids' dresses, as well as swatches of fabric from both. Don't be afraid to bring clippings from magazines, a list of the flowers you like, and any requirements you may have for individual needs. If orchids make your mother-in-law sneeze, you won't (or shouldn't) want to pin one her shoulder! You may also want to ask your florist about aisle runners, flower girl baskets, unity candles, and other available ceremony and reception accessories, as well as fees for transportation, delivery, set-up, etc... Don't be afraid to ask questions! And always get a written quote, including detailed instructions for payment terms and all associated fees.

By Delora O'Brien

Flowers can be such a beautiful part of any wedding. They adorn empty areas of a room, add a beautiful touch to the center of your guest’s table and accent the bride and her gown. Key word here is accent! One thing that a bride does not want to do is to carry flowers so colorful and unique that you see a bouquet walking a bride down the aisle!

Flowers are an accessory and accessories add, they don’t take away from. Flowers should accent the bride, bridesmaids, grooms, the banquet hall, etc. They should not upstage, but should be complimentary and help make the room feel warm and inviting. Therefore, be very careful with color schemes and types of flowers. And with a good florist, you won’t have to worry about many of the problems that can happen in this area of planning your wedding.

But, choosing a good florist can be a very tricky proposition. I know most people do not like to spend a lot of money on flowers. After all, they are here one minute and gone the next, unless you decide to go with silk flowers, and I’ll get into that in a moment. Always shop for a florist early. The ones that are excellent and not costly will be booked very early. Asking friends and relatives who have gotten married recently for their thoughts on the florist they used is always a good place to start. Ask florists to see their books of arrangements and a list of clients who they’ve done weddings for. Most of all, you have to like your florist and feel comfortable working with them.

After you’ve decided on several florists, you should bring each of them the colors of your wedding party and some pictures that you’ve found of bouquets and centerpieces that you love. Be very clear in asking them if they are able to accomplish what you want and to give you a price for each item, not for the total wedding. Hopefully, this will decide for you who you want to work with.

One last decision is whether you’re going to use fresh, dried or silk flowers. Years ago, anything other than fresh flowers was a no no! Today, anything goes and real-looking silk flowers and unique kinds of dried flowers are becoming very popular, especially if the bride/groom or anyone in your wedding party is allergic to fresh flowers. In that case, you may want to opt for silk. But please, unless you don’t mind having flowers that look fake in person and in photographs, be very careful when picking silk flowers. Choose ones that have the look and feel of the real thing. Nice thing about silk, is that you can keep them forever.

Finally, please remember that this is your day. The last thing you want is to be upstaged by flowers. And it can happen very easily if attention isn’t given to coordinating the colors and textures of your flowers with you, the bride. Keep them subtle and they will be beautiful and compliment you whether you are walking down the aisle or dancing with your future mate. Remember, sometimes less is more.

By L Hayes


Flowers are a lovely accessory in any wedding. An accessory is exactly what they should be. A bridal party should not look like a walking floral arrangement. Flowers should be in harmony with the overall feeling of your nuptials, whether it's formal or informal, traditional or contemporary, indoors or outdoors. Here are a few tips on how to make sure you are the center of attention on your wedding day, not your flowers.

How to Choose a Florist

The first rule in choosing a florist? Book early.

Get opinions from friends and relatives and visit a few bridal florists whose work you've admired. On the initial visit, just browse through the shop and through photographs of previous work. Talk with the florist to see if he or she has the expertise to do the type of designs you want, within your budget. Discuss the type of wedding you plan to have and possible locations. Select a florist you feel comfortable working with.

Once you have decided on the colors for the bridal party and have firmly set the location, time and type of wedding, bring to the florist swatches of fabric, a list of your favorite flowers and pictures of the look you want.

Be open-minded. Florists have a good idea of what will look good, what's possible and what's affordable.

Fresh, Dried or Silk

Time was when only fresh flowers were acceptable for weddings. Now, real-looking silk and fresh-looking dried flowers are becoming more and more popular with brides for a variety of reasons.

If someone in the bridal party is allergic to flowers, you should use silk.

Some brides who wear snow white dresses think they need snow white roses in their bouquets, but there aren't really any pure white roses. Natural-colored roses look more real and don't blend into the gown.

If you use silk flowers, you can use the bridal bouquet that will actually be in the wedding if you have your portrait taken ahead of time.

For some brides, nothing but the freshness of cut flowers will do. You miss the fragrance if you don't use real flowers. For many brides, the flowers seem less if they're not fresh.

Aside from the overall feeling of the wedding, the flowers should blend with not only the bride's dress but also her complexion and hair and eye colors.

Consider how the flowers will look in the photos. It's the memories and photos that will last.

It's not necessary for the bride and bridesmaids to carry the same flowers, but the flower types should coordinate. Create a connection between the bride, groom and also the parents.

Imagine standing at the back of the church on your wedding day. Describe what you see. Is it formal, pastels, daytime, bright colors? When your fiance sends you flowers, what type does he send you?

The quality of silk flowers will make the difference between a natural or fake looking bouquet. Good silk flowers look real in photographs. Quality silk flowers will hold their shape; the stems will be hand-wrapped with no plastic stems showing.

To stay within your budget, give the most attention to the bride's flowers; keep the others simple. A single long-stemmed rose, possible with sheer ribbon, is very elegant and a popular European choice for bridesmaids.

Before you start making definite decisions, check to see if your church has any regulations or restrictions regarding the use of flowers. The types of arrangements should be determined by the size and lighting of the church, the season, and the colors of your wedding.

Finally, while every bride seeks to enhance their wedding decor with flowers, keep in mind that you are the center of attention on your big day.

By George Lockett


Your senses come alive when you walk into a flower shop. You feel you are connecting to all your senses and experiencing the wonder of Nature.

First you may notice the fragrances as you walk through the door. On one level within you, it may feel like an orchestra playing, as your nose becomes a way of blending the different fragrances from the flowers: their pollens and pheromones reaching out through the air to you, with their love and attention, to attract you and share their beingness with you.

Your eyes are automatically drawn to the flowers you most resonate and harmonize with, and which correspond to the predominant colours in your aura at that time. You may notice that you are drawn to different flowers each day depending on how you are feeling, your emotions and your mood at that time.

The colours bring healing and harmony, even when they are very diverse and powerful. You may find yourself automatically arranging flowers of different species, sizes, shapes, textures and colours to create a portrait in which each flower adds to the total picture and creates something greater than the individual parts.

When we create pictures through flower arranging we are sensitive to the flowers' energies, giving each one just the right amount of space, so that each flower's aura reaches out to those alongside; we create a sense of peace within the arrangement.

You may notice when you bring your selection of flowers home from the shop, the way the quality of the atmosphere in the room subtly changes. The room feels more alive just with the flowers' presence. They make the room smell nice and give off a different quality of scent than you would get from an air freshener.

When we look at flowers and are sensitive to their energies we can see the aura or energy field of the flowers. This field of energy is what the flower uses as its blueprint, so that it knows where to unfold each petal to create perfect harmony and symmetry within its form.

The colourless sap containing all the nutrients is the flower's only building material; and yet it can build a hard stem, a sharp thorn, or a soft, gentle rose petal from this one clear liquid. What marvels flowers hold for us when we take the time to really look and appreciate their beauty and wonders.

Flowers bring us close to Nature and to the cycles of the Seasons. They help to reconnect us to our Source and ground us to the Earth.

Flowers help to remind us of our own spiritual Nature as we see their yearly Life cycle of being born, growing to maturity and ripeness; reproducing, and then the gentle decline. Yet the Life force lives on to be born again and grow in future years.

Flowers remind us that we are truly Spiritual Angels looking out from our physical bodies.

Our true Nature is a part of the eternal Continuum, which exists as our Source energy like the colourless sap of the rose – That which cannot be seen or touched – just pure Spirit from which our aura and energy field arise and which helps to hold each particle, atom, molecule and cell that forms the blueprint for the organs of the body which combine to co-ordinate the whole of us.

When we are connected to our Source energy within that field of love in our heart, we feel at peace with ourselves and at peace and in harmony with the universe around us. We are like a flower in a bigger arrangement, which is Life itself, flowing and growing just like a flower following its Nature and Life cycle.

Receiving love from flowers reminds us in so many ways of what is important in Life – and that is to love our Selves, our own Nature, and to radiate our Nature to all around us. It is the diversity of Life that creates the beauty in the arrangement of the family of nations around the world and their cultural differences; just like an arrangement of flowers finding peace and harmony within the contrast of colours.

By Yolanda Nash



When you are choosing the flowers for your wedding you need to take some things into account. Choosing your flowers can be a very tedious task if you are not prepared. Below I have listed some tips to make choosing your wedding flowers a little easier.

Your asking yourself if you should choose live flowers or artificial flowers. You should first do some comparison shopping at your local florists. Live flowers can be more expensive at other times as artificial flowers usually will remain the same price year round. When you get a good idea of what each has to offer such as price, appeal and quality then figure out your budget. When you find the florist that has the flowers that fit your budget and you really like them then go with it.

Choosing the date of your wedding is critical when choosing the flowers for your wedding. The date of the wedding will determine the cost of your flowers. Such as if you have your wedding in certain seasons, holidays or near Valentine's day. So take a look at the prices around at your local florists and find the perfect date for your wedding.

Go to your local paint store and pick you up some paint cards that are similar to the colors that you are having in your wedding. This way you will have several shades and tints of your colors and you can use it as a quick reference when choosing flowers and other items.

Make sure you call and make an appointment with the florist. This will ensure that the florist will be able to focus on your needs without interruption.

Ask your florist any question you are not sure about? Make sure you have in your contract that you want to use the same flowers at the ceremony and reception. Make sure they will deliver the flowers from the ceremony to the reception. When having this in your contract you will save money because you will not have to buy double the flowers or rent them twice.

Ask your florist if you can bring a camera with you when meeting with them. If you are allowed to bring a camera you can take pictures of the different ideas, styles and you can carry these with you and ask others of their honest opinions.

Just remember what ever wedding flowers you choose remember it is you and your partners wedding day enjoy it.

By Steve Whiting



When choosing flowers for your wedding it is important to take into account the theme of your wedding and the style and colour of your dress.

The most important flowers are the brides’ bouquet and this should be the where you start in choosing the style and colour and what flowers you want. Styles vary from long and trailing to simple posies, hand ties or wired stems. Some brides may like to have a style that was similar to their mother or grandmothers or may choose a particular flower for sentimental reasons .Today there is a vast array of flowers available and even if a flower is out of season they can often be transported from abroad, but this however will increase the cost.

Collect pictures and ideas and have sample swatches of the bridal party’s dresses available for the florist to see .A florist should have portfolio of their work so that you can see for yourself what they can do. They should be able to advise you on choice of flowers, styles and weight of the bouquet and what is suitable for the bridesmaids. Some designs can be quite heavy to hold .Different bouquets suite different style of dresses and different sizes of people. Colour too is an important aspect and if the right colour is chosen it will compliment a dress.

Some brides like to keep their posies afterwards and this can sometimes influence the choice of flower as some preserve better than others .If this is not within your budget then you may wish to choose silk flowers or a combination of both .For example a bouquet that contains silk roses that you will be able to keep as a memento long after your wedding day but have fresh freesias for the perfume. Your florist should be able to suggest which to choose and also some one who can preserve flowers .These are then often arranged into a picture frame.

In Victorian times many flowers had different meanings associated with them, lilies were for purity, lily of the valley meant happiness, and roses were for love. Of this tradition only myrtle and orange blossom have really managed to survive. If a sprig of myrtle is placed in a bouquet it symbolizes a happy marriage as myrtle represented purity and fertility as it was sacred to Venus. Orange blossom was also used as an alternative to myrtle as it also represented happiness and loveliness.

Make sure the florist knows exactly your requirements. Traditionally flowers are placed at the entrance to the church /venue and the entrance to the reception. Some couples choose to have smaller arrangements around the church and on the pew ends whilst others may have the pew ends decorated with ribbons. At the reception arrangements can be place on all the guests tables with one larger one on the top table although not so large that they take up to much room and are so high that guests cannot see one another across the table! Couples often like to have a thank you posy for the mothers or for any one else who has helped them .Fresh flowers can also be used to decorate the cake.

Obviously cost is an important factor. However if on a tight budget it is often better to make sure the brides bouquet is the one of your choice and have just a few large arrangements elsewhere rather than trying to decorate everywhere. Less is more.

Check that the florists knows the venues, if not, they may wish to visit it beforehand to see where flowers can be placed and check with the church about the flower procedure. It may be they have there own containers that should be used or there may be flowers already in place from a previous service. One important thing to think about is where to keep the flowers once they have been delivered to your house. The flowers should be kept somewhere cool, shady and out of the way of inquisitive hands and pets. Cats will investigate and want to play with the foliage and dogs have been known in excitement to jump on a bouquet and flatten it!

By Andree Lapare


What is the biggest stress women face while planning their wedding?

According to a survey done last year, the biggest challenge (read stress) women face when planning their wedding is the fear of going over their budget. No matter if they are planning a small wedding, or a big bash, brides-to-be know how easy it is to get carried away adding little extras, or how last minute changes or substitutions that can break the bank.

Reports vary on the average cost of getting married today, but the amount seems to fall between $20,000 and $30,000. The typical budget allocated for flowers is approximately $1,700, a forty five percent jump from five years ago. Problems arise because of last-minute flower substitutions due to weather or transportation issues, which may be more expensive. Women find themselves making last-minute decisions about changes to their arrangements, often without seeing what the revised bouquets will look like. This adds more stress to the final preparations; for that amount of money, any suitable alternative that can provide both quality and peace of mind should be considered.

Buying silk flowers hasn’t been a solution, especially for women with more sophisticated tastes who haven’t been impressed by either the quality of silk flowers or the designs that they’ve seen. Today however, manufacturers -- with the help of new technology -- are producing premium, high-end silk flowers that are botanically correct and present a true alternative to fresh flowers. An ever widening selection of flowers is being produced, from traditional English roses and calla lilies, to amazing tropical orchids that feel real to the touch. The only way guests know the arrangements are silk is if they are told.

Brides can take their time to discuss their preferences, ideas (such as forwarding photos of bouquets that have caught their eye), and budget with a designer and help them create the perfect arrangements. A good designer wants their customers to be happy with their designs and offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Because they know how important flowers are to a wedding, they are happy to send pictures of the designs before shipping if requested, and provide the bride with any other information she needs. The floral arrangements can then be safely put away, and brought out for the big day with pride.

By Jeanette Shinn



Choosing a florist begins before you ever enter the florist's shop. Take a moment and consider your first impression. Remember, you are hiring a florist professional for their attention to detail and their ability to create an atmosphere that invites you in. If their shop doesn’t invite you in or seems extreme in relation to your personal style, most probably the wedding flowers they provide you won’t be satisfactory to you either. There are always exceptions, but the chances are that this rule will prove true in your case. Do you really want to gamble on your wedding flowers just because your cousin Freda insisted that you had to use this particular florist?

Show the florist the wedding flower pictures and the swatches of your wedding dress material (and any other prominent materials from your wedding i.e. bridesmaids dresses). Talk. Make sure the florist grasps the concept that you have in mind for your wedding flowers and understand your budget and any other constraints that you are operating under (i.e. facility rules, etc.), and then let them go to work. Resist the urge to micromanage. In most cases at least one of the florists you visit can make your ideas for wedding flower combinations come to life in a manner that you never dreamed of. At the same time, however, go over every detail of the proposal (including set up time and schedule – which will vary greatly depending on how much there is to set up for your wedding flowers and how many other weddings the florist has that same day) carefully before you sign the agreement to provide your wedding flowers. Get several proposals for your wedding flower needs before you decide. It’s your wedding so be sure that you are getting the best wedding flowers for your budget.

Though it can be difficult to do, try not to get your heart too set on a particular type of wedding flowers (the possible exception to this might be your basic red rose). Flowers are beautiful but being living things they can be temperamental. Some flowers, such as gardenias and lilies are famous for triggering allergic reactions. If you have someone in your wedding party with bad allergies it might be wise to steer clear of flowers like these. Likewise, hollow stemmed flowers, such as the daffodils can drip sap on your wedding dress. Yes, this is a problem that can be overcome, but you need to be aware and prepared so your wedding flowers don’t ruin your wedding dress. Other flowers, most notably the lilies will drop a yellow pollen stain on your gown if you don’t have the wedding flower professional remove the stamens before you carry them down the aisle.

Two last notes about your wedding flowers. First, remember that not all flowers fare equally well in all types of weather. Some flowers wilt quickly in warm weather while other flowers actually turn black in colder temperatures. Either way you won’t be happy with the flower’s performance if you take it into a situation for which it is not suited.

Finally, remember that despite the advances in horticulture around the world, flowers (even wedding flowers) are still seasonal. Sure, if your pockets are deep enough, you might be able to have the florist import them from the other side of the globe but that will be expensive and even at that, there are some flowers that just won’t be available to join your wedding flowers in celebrating your marriage unless it’s just the right season somewhere.

By Nadia Mikkelsen



A way to a woman’s heart is through flowers. Yes men, it can be that simple. Flowers can represent so many different emotions and it will make your special someone so very happy. It says I love you without having to say it.

Not only are emotions such as sight and smell affected, but it also shows you have a caring side, a softer side.

If you want to show your romantic side, ask your special someone what are her favorite colors, favorite flowers, and favorite plants. And most important, be sure to ask if she has allergies to any type of plant or flower.

A floral arrangement can be made special for your loved one. Visit your local florist for ideas and suggestions. A beautiful floral arrangement can be made with her favorite colors, flowers, and plants. The arrangement can be wrapped in beautiful paper, or arranged in a special vase.

Most large grocery stores are in the floral business. When shopping for that romantic dinner, stop by the floral department. You will find so many different floral arrangements. If you cannot find the perfect arrangement, you can ask the department florist to create something unique for the occasion.

Flowers can also be ordered by the click of a button. Today most people own a computer and have access to the internet. You can shop for ideas and tips before making your final selection. You can shop from the comfort of your own home or office. In fact most flower sales are made on the internet.

You will find arrangements for all sorts of occasions and price budgets. You will have pictures to choose from along with the price range.

Flowers are not only for romance, but also for making others feel good when it is needed. They can help to raise a person’s spirits when they are down. It has been proven that flowers can help the sick feel well. The colors and smell will heighten emotions in all of us.

Flowers can also make the perfect gift for any holiday. For those that have everything, it can be difficult to find the right gift. Flowers will make any holiday special.

Be sure to ask your florist how to properly care for your arrangement. Flower food is usually included in your arrangement or can be purchased separately. With the proper care, your flowers can look just as beautiful two days later as the day they were purchased.

Today it is becoming more popular for flowers to be purchased for men as well. So men do not be so surprised when you receive flowers from your special someone or even an admirer. It shows that women can be just as romantic as men if not more.

Flowers can also be used to brighten the home or office. Flowers offer so many different fragrances to make your home and office smell and feel fresh. When planning a special party, your florist can create the mood you wish to express to your guests.

In fact it is safe to say that flowers just maybe the world’s most perfect gift.

By Susan Vinci


If you are looking for exotic flowers for your garden, here are a few options to choose from:

Lobster Claw- Lobster Claw also known as Heliconia or False Bird of Paradise, are native to Pacific Ocean, tropical America and West Indonesia areas. The greatest and most distinctive feature to the flower is its beautiful, bright flowering bract, often so immense in size that flowers are hidden at times. Lobster Claw's are very popular landscape plants, growing to heights of between three to thirty feet. Heliconia's were originally named after Mount Helicon.

Orchids- Orchids are considered the most sought after of all the exotic flowers in the world and can be divided into three categories. Orchids can be grown anywhere in the world except Antarctica. Flower colors range from bright to neutral depending on orchid type. African Orchids are mainly neutral while Asian Orchids are multi-coloured.

Lotus- Lotus flowers, native to Asia and Australia, are regarded as a sacred Buddhist flower while also being the National Flower of India. Lotus flower colours are primarily white and pink. Lotus plants grow in shallow and murky waters of rivers and require plenty of sunlight to ensure large, strong blooms are produced.

Passion flowers- Passion flowers also known as Maypop, are beautiful vines with a tropical appearance, although not native to tropical regions. The name Maypop derives from the flowers' tendency to appear as soon as the month of May arrives. Passion Flowers are native to the south-eastern U. S. And are a common sight along roadsides, fields and wood areas. Passion flowers were named by missionaries, who believed parts of the plant symbolized the crucifixion of Christ.

By Jen G


As we know pressing flowers are a hobby with endless hours of pleasure as well as an opportunity to delight friends and family with your creations. It is so enjoyable and anyone can do it. It does not matter with age or season. It is easy to get started and cost very little.

Pressing flowers can be profitable for you too in addition to lots fun and joys. You can make profits by turning those delicate beautiful pressed flowers into pressed flower cards, pressed flower projects, pressed flower gifts and pressed flower jewellery, or by decorating pressed flowers into pictures, photo albums, picture frames, candles holders and etc. There is no end to the variety of ways in which you will add values for the all kinds of arts which you want to sell.

Pressing flowers is so easy and fun You will be surprised how quickly you are able to learn how to press those delicate flowers; as long as you know how, you can make all kinds of charming, lovely crafts as your imagination.

You will also enjoy your healthy outdoor time when you pick flowers, it is no stress. Furthermore, build beautiful pictures and arts with pressed flowers will make you money if you want to!

I think that it is a great idea to turn enjoyable hobby to profits. The tools for pressing flowers are cheap, not expensive at all and easy to prepare; the material of flowers can be free. Flowers can come from your backyard. And you don't need to have an office or a workshop to press flowers. You can press these flowers at your comfortable home as your own pace. All you have to do is to know how. You have to learn the basic information and steps. It is easy and fun.

First-Materials and Tools for Flower Pressing

There are only 4 items you need to start press flowers:
1.Thick catalogues
2. Plain paper
3. Large books for additional weight
4. Scissors

Second-Steps:
1. How to choose best flowers to press
2. What leaves and grasses can be pressed
3. How to press the flowers and leaves
4. How to preserve color in pressed flowers
5. How to design pressed flower to be fine arts

The press flowers' hobby are beautiful and pressed flower arts are more colourful. Want to learn how to press flowers to make extra money or just enjoy this wonderful hobby, Please get detailed information here: http://www.squidoo.com

By Adam B Motta


Are you new to the wholesale flower business and looking to use the Internet to build your flowers business? Today, not only can you sell arrangements "in house", but you can also buy and sell wholesale flowers online as a way to bring in more revenue. The Internet offers a new way to increase your sales.

Whether for a wedding, banquet, or baby shower, buying wholesale flowers offers consumers the ability to save money. When purchased online, flowers are not only shipped straight to the consumer's door, but often times can be shipped as quickly as needed. This truly is the wave of the future for do-it-yourselfers.

The first step in selling wholesale flowers online is having a storefront. Create an inexpensive website with all your products listed. Use either a free site or one that allows you to actually list products, and then be able to sell them from the website. For a low cost merchant account, use PayPal, which allows you to sell products on your website without having to have a credit card portal. PayPal is easy to use, and most people either have a PayPal account or can get one with ease.

Get quality pictures from the wholesaler, and if no photos are available use a digital camera to take pictures of your wholesale flowers. Once you have downloaded the pictures online, you can upload them to the website. Consumers prefer to see pictures of the wholesale flowers. Make sure to also give vivid descriptions of the items.

Once your website has been created you can begin marketing your wholesale flowers website. To do this, sign up at websites such as Merchant Circle, which offer free memberships. Merchant Circle is a free service which offers a free way to connect with outer businesses. Create business cards that have your business information and then begin giving them out to everyone you meet. Word of mouth is a great source of advertising that can't be forgotten.

Another option is to create a eBay storefront. You will pay fees to eBay for all products listed and sold. The advantage to using eBay is that all you have to do is list the products. eBay is proven to be an excellent way to buy and sell. One of the first steps would be to search wholesale flowers on eBay, check out the prices of competitors. Then create prices that will be competitive.

No matter how you decide to market online, the key is getting the word out about your wholesale flowers business. Consumers want to save money. Remember this when doing promotions and sales. Most of all, remember that consumers love excellent customer service.

By Nadine Visscher


How many flowers do you buy if you are going to make your own wedding flowers? Draw a map of both the ceremony and reception locations. On that map, draw where you would like the flowers to go. Then make a list of all the arrangements, bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres you will need.

If you are going to have simple arrangements on the tables at the reception, count how many of them you will need. Sit down and think of what will go in one of them. For instance, you may need 5 focal flowers, 15 transitional flowers and 1 ½ bunches of foliage. Multiply the number of flowers needed for each arrangement by the number of how many you need in total.

For your bouquets, sit down and draw them out. Looking at bouquet pictures will really help with this. Count out the flowers in your picture and write down the numbers. For example, your bouquet could have 7 roses, 9 carnations, 9 freesia, 15 miniature roses, ivy, fern, bear grass, and leather leaf.

Do the same thing for your bridesmaids bouquets. Draw them by looking at a picture, count all the flowers and write them down. For instance your bridesmaid bouquets could have 3 roses, 5 miniature roses, 5 carnations, 5 freesia, ivy, bear grass, and leather leaf. Take these numbers and multiply them by as many bridesmaids that you have.

Make a list of all the people who will need a boutonniere. Each of these will need 1 main focal flower and a sprig of foliage. Some people also like to add a small accent such as berries or tiny filler flowers. Calculate how many you will need.

Write down everyone that will need a corsage. Mother of the bride and mother of the groom corsages are usually a bit more special than the others and will therefore need a few more flowers and/or a bit more ribbon. Each corsage generally has a least 3 flowers, each a different size than the other. For example if you are using roses, you would need a tight rose bud, a partially open bud, and a fully open rose. You'll also need some sprigs of greenery and some ribbon. If you want different corsages for different people, draw them to help you write down the number and color of flowers you will need. Add up all the flowers you'll need for all your corsages.

Now add up all the flowers from all the bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres and arrangements to get your total. Be sure to hang on to the papers where you drew the pictures of the arrangements, bouquets, and corsages. You'll want these as your guide when it comes time to put them all together. You don't want to cram some arrangements full of flowers and then nearly run out and have others looking very sparse.

Always order extra flowers and foliage. It's better to have too many than to come up short. You can always use and extras to float in bowls, to make a decoration on the cake knife or to make little corsages to decorate the microphone or any solitary candles. You can always find places to fill in with little extras.

By Michael Paul Jr



Flowers express the emotions that words can't. When someone dies, there is grief, pain, and a full range of emotions. Giving flowers to the family and friends of the deceased is very comforting to them. But it is sometimes difficult to know what to do. Here are some suggestions to make choosing flowers easier:

Think about the deceased. Flower arrangements that reflect the personality of the deceased are always a good place to start. A very feminine lady that always wore pastel colors and never went anywhere without her pearls, is remembered with bouquets of soft pastel colors, or traditional designs of roses or gardenias. The gentleman that loved to hunt, fish, and be in the out of doors, should be remembered with arrangements of bold colored flowers, combined with grasses, berries, branches, and botanical textures.

Many times the flowers are representative of the relationship that existed between the sender and the deceased. If your childhood best friends mom dies, the lady that fixed pancakes for you after so many sleep-overs, your tribute to her, needs to reflect the importance of that relationship and what it meant to you. Tell the florist about the deceased and why you are sending the flowers. Designs can be created with something that represents a hobby or interest of the deceased. The use of something non floral as the focal point of the design always makes that arrangement something special. It doesn't have to be the biggest design in the funeral home or the most expensive.

Sending flowers is often required to reflect the relationship between the sender and the survivor. A business associate, who is an important part of your organization, experiences a death in their family. The sender does not know the deceased, but wants the flowers to reflect the importance of the relationship to the business associate. A traditional funeral basket or wreath that is full and colorful, communicates an important relationship.

Gifts of remembrance are appreciated. Wind chimes received in memory of a loved one, take on special meaning each time the wind blows them and makes them ring. A garden statue or stepping stone is appropriate for someone who enjoys their garden or out of doors. A woven throw is a welcome gift and can be displayed on an easel or embellished with fresh and or silk flowers. Religious statues, angels, and pictures give comfort to Christians who experience loss.

Work with a florist in the town where the flowers are going to be sent, or a local florist that belongs to a wire service that you trust. Explain the situation as much as possible. The more info the florist has, the more they understand the situation and can make appropriate suggestions.

Online websites are best used as info gathering for you. Pretty pictures do not always present as well in real life. Unless you are very experienced, you may not realize the true size of the item that you are selecting. Color will look different in the space where the design is displayed. A large funeral wreath in all white is breathtaking in a funeral home that has colored walls but totally looses visual clarity when displayed in the cathedral that is all white and gold, and not appropriate at all when sent to the home.

When sending a flower gift out of town, keeping your order less specific will be more successful. Flower shops across the country stock different items. Most flower shops carry a variety of merchandise in different categories. While they may not have the specific item you are seeing in your local flower shop or online, they can create a gift in that category. When you are very specific as to flower choice, variety, and color, you are more likely to be disappointed, for they simply may not have that item.

By Anya Richfield



Digital photography is one of the most loved hobbies that is now in existence and millions of people enjoy it either casually or as a more serious hobby. Although there are a number of different subjects that you can use in photography, the art of photographing flowers is one that many people enjoy. Because there are always going to be a variety of different flowers for you to choose from as your subject, it is an aspect of photography that you will not tire of quickly. Here are some things to keep in mind whenever you are photographing flowers.

A Good Camera Helps
The real key to the photographing flowers has a lot to do with the equipment that you are using. Although it certainly is possible for you to use a point-and-shoot camera to capture flowers quite nicely, it is always better if you have additional options available to you. You should also do a lot of experimenting with focus and lighting.

Other Useful Gear
One of the most important aspects of photographing flowers is making sure that you have all of your equipment together. This would not only include the camera, but also a various lenses that may be necessary in order to capture the subtleties that these flowers contain. You would also want a tripod with you in order to keep the camera as steady as possible, although it is possible that you won't be using this all of the time.

Tips for Photographing Roses
One of the most popular flowers that is photographed is the rose. Of course, there are a number of different types of roses and each one is going to have its own personality when it is captured digitally. Although you can find lots of good advice about photographing roses, the best tips simply tell you what to avoid if you want to get good picture.

* Avoid direct sunlight on the flowers.
* Make sure that the background isn't too busy or distracting.
* Don't make the focus of the photograph directly in the center of the image.
* Take your pictures without flash to bring out the true colors of the rose.

This may sound like a lot of negative advice, but experienced photographers try to follow these rules whenever they take any kind of pictures outdoors.

Photographing flowers, especially roses, is something that many people spend a lifetime learning about and doing. By taking part in this hobby yourself, you will not only feel closer to nature but you'll be surrounding yourself with beauty.

By Patrick Simons



One would think a photographer with over six hundred flower pictures in his catalog would actually know something about flowers. Alas, this is not the case with me. I recognize common blooms, but I'm completely lost when it comes to anything exotic. I've thought a great deal about what it is that keeps me photographing flowers. After researching this article, I concluded people are attracted to flowers for many of the same reasons birds, butterflies, and moths are. It's all about seduction.

Just as in the animal kingdom, seduction is part of reproduction. Every species, whether plant or animal, tries to perpetuate its own kind. This is the most fundamental aspect of nature. Every species has the inherent right to exist. The endless cycle of birth, seduction, reproduction, and death provide we humans with our own survival. Without flowers, there is no food.

In addition to things like apples that begin as blooms, we eat actual flowers. Although you may not realize it, cauliflower, broccoli, and artichokes are all edible flowers. Flowers have been used as medicine for as long as there have been people. Even today, some flowers, roots, and leaves have pharmaceutical applications. Flowers have long been used to create perfumes, paints, dyes, and inks.

Flowers seduce, using a variety of methods. Each flower has a specific design that encourages the transfer of pollen. Form, color, scent, mimicry, and high calorie nectar are examples. Entomophilous flowers commonly have glands called nectaries that attract insects, bats, birds or other animals to transfer pollen from one flower to the next. Anemophilous flowers spread polen via the wind. Anyone who has seen a maple tree casting 'helicopters' to the wind, has seen this happen. Cleistogamous flowers are self pollinating. Self pollination increases the chance of producing seeds, but has a limiting effect on genetic variation.

Flowers have been used as decoration for thousands of years, as gestures of love or friendship, and served as the inspiration for artists and writers. Flowers are a common theme in romantic poetry, and the visual arts abound with flower images. The impressionists took flower pictures to an entirely new level. Flowers have great symbolic meaning in many cultures, often being identified with the feminine. Western culture associates flowers with weddings, funerals, and other special occasions.

The effect of flowers on people is well documented. Flowers can impact happiness in ways that are both dramatic and immediate. Flowers have long-term positive effects on mood and tend to make people fell less depressed, anxious and agitated. The presence of flowers can trigger happy emotions and have an effect on social behavior that goes far beyond what was once believed.

The preceding paragraphs delve into the 'why' of flowers. Lets turn our attention to taking good flower photos. Although its not always true, certain aspects of a particular bloom tend to stand out. Your eye will be automatically drawn to it. This is that seduction thing at work. This is where the focal point of your photo belongs. If it's a nice calm day, and the flower isn't bobbing and weaving, I like to go with maximum depth of field. Maximum depth usually means longer exposure times, so movement must be considered.

Some blooms look better very close. In this case, you may wish to use the micro setting on your lens if you have one. If the micro setting isn't an option, use a short zoom lens. This will allow you to get in tight on an individual bloom. The 28-85mm zoom is my personal favorite, but I have tried every lens in the bag. I've even used my 500mm on a tripod. The effects will differ with every lens. Years ago, I often used a 200mm telephoto mounted on a bellows. This unusal arrangement allowed me to get in tight on a flower, while standing a few feet away. This effect can also be achieved by using an extension tube with a longer lens, and it's a great way to photograph butterfly's.

Regardless of what you're photographing, remember there are no absolute rules. Go with what works. It's almost always a good idea to avoid subjects that are strongly back lit. Some back lighting may be acceptable or even desirable. Too much back light will give a washed out look to the shot. Take shots at different distances, using different depth of field settings. Walk around the subject and look at it from all angles. I have a theory that nearly anything can make a good picture given the right perspective and lighting. This is especially true for flowers.

Strong back lighting can be overcome, by inserting a backdrop. A backdrop can be just about anything that will look good in the picture. A piece of matte black paper, or matting material, can produce dramatic results. A black background can effectively separate a particular flower from it's surroundings. A translucent white backdrop can soften and diffuse the light. Experiment with different combinations, that's how you learn.

If the subject is only slightly, and acceptably backlit, try using a flash to fill in the center. The built in flash on most SLR's is adjustable and nearly all detachable flashes can be adjusted. Add just enough light to fill in the middle. Bracketing is still a good idea. First, take a shot using the setting you think is correct.

Take at least two more shots using both more and less depth of field. I like to go up and down a full f-stop, in one half f-stop increments. If you have the option of shooting in the RAW format, I strongly encourage you to do so. With RAW, parameters are not fixed as they are with the more common JPEG format. The range of adjustment possible in RAW is far greater than with JPEG. Convert your finished result to JPEG for posterity.

The soft diffused light of a cloudy day, is a great for photographing flowers. Shadows are softer, and some colors become more vivid. After a rain, with the blooms dripping wet, is even better. Using the flash when it's cloudy can produce great results. The opposite condition is around noon on the longest days of the year. In my experience, this is the worst time for about any kind of outdoor photography. At mid-day the sun is at it's most vertical, and natural light is at its harshest. This is an especially bad problem when trying to capture subtle hues of a flower. Under exposure helps, and using an overhead screen works. In early summer or late spring, it's best to shoot just after sunrise, and just before sunset.

Watch the insects. Butterfly's and bees know exactly what they want. Let them be your guide. Let your eye be drawn where the flower wants it to go and remember the three basic rules - composition, composition and composition.

By Ashley Moran



As you plan your wedding, you should remember that the flowers can be the first impression that you make on your guest. Your flowers should be a representation of your personal taste and represent the style of you wedding.

Bouquets are no longer just the traditional white rose nosegay ties with white streamers. Today's market provides you with an unending variety of color and style. What was once considered "seasonal" flowers are oftentimes available year round. Today's bride may choose to have a hand-tied bouquet of wildflowers or a cascading bouquet for the longer, more elegant line.

Choosing a florist will be one of the biggest decisions you will make in planning for your wedding. If you are using a wedding coordinator, perhaps he/she could offer suggestions of florists that they have worked with in the past. The final decision will, of course, belong to you and your fiancé. Your flowers will be an integral part of your wedding budget, so shop wisely. Make notes and jot down questions that you will present to each florist so that you can compare them once you are ready to make your final decision. Compare the same number of flowers at each florist. Remember that creativity and years of experience are not always the defining factor in the price quoted. You will want to see pictures of their work and references from former clients. Reputation is a very important criterion in selecting a florist.

The color of your bridesmaids' dresses will greatly influence the color scheme of your wedding. Take a color swatch of the material with you to assure that the flowers you choose will be a complement to your color scheme. You also want to keep in mind that your flowers will be a great way to make your wedding photos pop! However, it is still perfectly acceptable to choose the pure white flowers if this is what you want.

If you will use fresh flowers, remember to ask the florist for instructions on handling the bouquet. You want to make sure that delicate flowers are not bruised before the ceremony. Also ask if they need to be kept in a cooler or refrigerator until time for pictures. You might also want to ask about preserving your bouquet after your wedding. Your florist should be able to guide you in the process that would best prepare your bouquet to be preserved. Remember that the fresher the flowers are to begin with, the better the finished bouquet will be.

After you have chosen your florist, ask about the requirements to reserve your date and time. With such a large decision made, you will have more time to relax and enjoy the days leading up to your big event.

By Soren Breiting



When you have got a digital camera it is very cheap to take pictures. In fact it costs you nearly nothing. That's good because you can take hundreds of pictures without worrying for the costs, and just keep a few of them.

When we take pictures we try to make the best out of the situation. We see friends in a nice or interesting situation and we snap some pictures. We visit different places and we take pictures of what we find interesting or fun, and we take pictures to have something we can show our family and friends when we come back from the visit. Nowadays more and more take pictures to put them online to make them visible to the whole world or at least to their selected friends and their family.

On vacation the pictures will be a sum of our memories to keep for decades to make the vacation even more valuable for us. You meet new people and conserve the memories on the digital files.

Some people develop a keen eye in seeing the opportunity for a picture and become good photographers by catching that special moment that will be a true pearl of their collection of photography. This is a very good talent and some of the most celebrated photographers in the world have had that ability to catch the special moment, in some cases to catch an action in a split-second of time.

On the other hand some of the best pictures aren't just been snapped, they have been created by the photographer. Here are some ideas for creating your own super-shots.

Put things together to create a picture

Let's say that you are having a wonderful meal and want to take a picture of the meal. The food is delicious, the decoration at the table looks terrific and you are together with a nice person. In such a situation you will often get the most interesting picture by taking the picture vertical. Organise some food in the foreground, make sure that a limited part of the table decoration is in sight and place your nice company in the picture. To make all this happen you just need a few minutes to take a look of the possibilities at the table and to make sure everything is in your frame of your picture. If you have to use the flash of the camera you might get the trouble that the foreground becomes very light and your nice person behind becomes too dark. With a white tablecloth this problem might even be exaggerated. To avoid the problem reduce the distance between the foreground and the person behind.

Include a colourful foreground when taking a picture of a place

Just one single colour added the right place in a picture might make it much more outstanding. Are you taking pictures in a garden there might be many colourful flowers. But without having one of the flowers in the foreground the picture might look very banal. You might have the option to move a pot or jar with a colourful flower in front to include it in the picture. Don't place this flower in the centre of the picture frame but arrange it to the left in such a way that it is around 1/3 in the picture from the left. That will often add substantial appeal to the final picture. Many artefacts can be used with a similar effect in other situations.

Let people do something

When you take pictures of friends and family let them do something. When people are active the picture will be more interesting to see. Many pictures of friends show the friends shouting hallo or drinking or showing faces. That isn't what I mean with letting people do something. No, let people do something more unique to each person. Let them do something related to their work or hobby or other special interest. A trick could be to let them dress themselves in a special way, With a little practise you might be able to create really outstanding and interesting pictures, you will be happy with yourself and improve your esteem as a photographer among your friends.

These small tricks are useful whatever kind of apparatus you are taking picture with. Are you taking your pictures with a mobile phone you will still be able to improve your pictures by making use of the above photo tips. As you start giving your picture taking more attention you will see the potential of starting creating pictures and not just taking pictures.

By Ken Bolt



When it comes to flowers, Weddings are one of the largest events. More flowers are used on a single wedding day than any other day of the year. Weddings are big occasions for everyone involved; from the bride all the way down to the caterer - and the flowers are no exception. The flowers are an important part of the wedding. Without the flowers a wedding would be a very drab affair. The flowers add decoration to the wedding location, but they also give the wedding energy and life.

Many times the flowers of a wedding are made up from the favorite blooms of the bride-to-be along with other flowers for the color of the bloom, which will fit in with the dress colors chosen by the bride-to-be. The flowers and the colors of the wedding theme will go hand in hand. It has been said that many look at the wedding flower arrangements online, but most never buy their wedding flower arrangement from the web.

Many brides-to-be don't really have a clue as to the type of arrangement or how they want their bouquet arranged, so they must look at pictures. Because weddings take so much time to plan, and in almost all parts of the planning the bride-to-be must be present, so it stands to reason the bride-to-be does not have a lot of free time when the wedding is in the planning stages.

In order for them to have some ideas regarding the wedding arrangements, the bride needs to look at pictures. Her options there would be to visit the florist and look at the pictures they have in books, or they can look on the web. The web can be accessed at all hours of the day or night. Many smaller florists close by 5 or 6pm and don't open again until 9 or 10am the following day. The bride-to-be will find it easier to find time to look on the web. She will be able to look at the pictures several times before making her final decision. She can then print out the pictures to take to the local florist or to give to her wedding planner.

It is unclear why more brides-to-be don't order their wedding flowers online. Maybe they are not aware of how an FTD florist works. Maybe she believes the UPS or the FedEx driver will be the ones who will deliver her wedding arrangements to the chapel. However, if she lives in the Burlington, Ontario area of Canada, the florist on the web she is looking at could also be the local florist she chooses for her wedding arrangements. Brant Florist in Ontario has an extensive web site, which includes wedding arrangement as well as a location close by in Burlington.

About: Brant Florist has been owned and operated by The Bolt family since 1977. Doyle, Tim, Elaine and Ken Bolt treat every customer the way they would like to be treated. Staff are well trained, have years of experience and are always professional. The shop has been processing internet orders since 1996 with a computerized network to manage and record all orders. The shop was originally established in 1961 by Mr. and Mrs. Jones. That is over 45 years of successfully serving customers like you.

By Sarah Bogle


Following a period of strikingly matched wedding flowers, modern brides have began incorporating the concept of more variety. As more members of the bridal party wear more individualized attire, so the trend has followed with specific blooms to coordinate. Thus, the newest trend in wedding flowers varies their design in favor of a mixed, not matched, feeling.

But how how do you pull off the trend without your bridal flowers looking less than dazzling? Place your faith in your florist or wedding consultant to help guide you through the selection process. The key is to keep one aspect of all floral pieces -- bouquets, centerpieces, boutonnieres, etc. -- uniform with one central element. Your unifying element could be a color, texture, shape, or specific type of flower. Then you can start building variety by adding an assortment of different flowers, colors, or accents (bows, ribbons, embellishments).

For inspiration, look through home and style magazines with party tables capes. Notice that all the serving pieces, utensils, glasses, plates, flowers, and fabrics may not be the same. But they do have one unifying key element that harmonizes with everything else. Bookmark the styles you like and show copies to your wedding planner and florist. They will key in to your preferred mix-not-match style, and help you incorporate it into dazzling wedding flowers. Also show your team pictures of what you do not like. The more clues provided to your team about your personal style, the more the likelihood for a successful floral concept for your wedding.

Here are my top four tips for exquisite mix-not-match wedding flowers:

1. Choose the bulk of your flowers (if not all) from blooms that will be in season. If your key unifying element is delayed or unavailable, your whole theme could be affected. By picking flowers that are in season, there won't be any mad scrambling for replacements at the last minute. This is especially crucial in smaller markets, where vendors can be less eager to fly in out of season blooms from other countries.
2. Too much variety can spoil the effect. If all the bridal bouquet flowers are different, keep hand tied ribbons the same. If all boutonniere flowers are different, keep the same ribbons or greenery (or vice versa). Work with your florist and wedding consultant to find the unifying element in each aspect of your wedding flower selections.
3. Take clues from your wedding party apparel. If your bridesmaids are all wearing the same color (all aqua, all yellow, or all pink), play with multicolored bouquets or hand tied ribbons. If they are wearing different colored pastels (one in green, one in blue, one in pink, etc.), keep the bouquet flowers in a monochromatic color palette for a unifying element. Then kick up the variety with different accent flowers (no more than 20% of the bouquet), hand tied ribbons, or jewel embellishments.
4. Contrast is your friend, not your foe. Contrast can be a very useful element. If too many items (backdrops, linens, dresses, flowers, etc.) are the same color or saturation, they cannot be individually appreciated. This is especially important to consider if you will be photographing your wedding in black and white. Without contrast, your pictures will appear dull and flat. With contrast, your photographs will showcase depth and detail.

By Al Sanez


When you take pictures, patterns can be used very effectively in making your shots much more interesting. This article will show you how to use them favorably.

Patterns are everywhere. They are all over the place in the room I'm tying in right now and I can guarantee that they're all over the place where you're at as well.

Using these patterns in your photos is really quite simple. Simply point your camera and take the picture. Of course, it is not as simple as that, but you get what I mean.

When you find a really good pattern, ask yourself what the best possible way could be to capture that pattern. For example, if you see hundreds of flowers that make a noticeable pattern, how would you capture it? Would you go from eye level, would you try to get high to have an overhead shot? Brainstorm how these different perspectives will have an effect on the pattern and maybe even sketch a quick visual in your mind of how it will look.

Lines

Patterns a lot of the time have lines and shapes in them. These shapes and lines usually can be used as leading lines to lead to a specific point of interest. I once took a picture with a bunch of flowers that formed a pattern. I arranged the shot so the flowers lead to a large rock and made it look as if the flowers were all praising a rock.

Using Patterns to Show Uniqueness

You can also use patterns to show the uniqueness of a particular object. For example, a picture of hundreds of black cars with one white truck in the middle will immediately draw interest towards the white truck.

By Cassandra Mallett


Using silk flowers for your wedding is one idea that you will be glad that you went with. Thought of as a social faux pas in the past, silk flowers are now becoming the choice of many brides not just those worried about cost. Many brides are choosing to use silk flowers in their weddings because it cuts back on the stress and worry before the final days. This is especially true if you are doing your flowers yourself.

When you are thinking of silk flowers on your wedding day, do not think of the ratty flowers at the dollar stores with the misshapen petals or the thread coming undone. Think about high quality silk flowers that truly mimic the look of fresh flowers. These silk flowers have been put together with the care and the study of the real flower to make them look as realistic as possible. Silk wedding flowers give you the beauty of flowers on your wedding day without the fuss.

Where to Find Quality Silk Flowers

The DIYers already know that one of the best places to find beautiful silk flowers is at your local craft or hobby story. Because there are those who dabble in flower arranging, these stores offer a variety of flowers. Some stores even offer classes on arranging flowers or have someone who can make custom arrangements for you. Also, if you are like me, you want to feel and touch the flowers to actually see the quality of what you are getting. You can study them to see how well they can go with your look.

Your local florist is another place where you can get beautiful silk wedding flowers. Many people may want arrangements done for a number of events or their personal space where they don't want the flowers to die in a few days. Because the florist has the best connections and the expertise on flower arrangements, they are a great resource in finding fabulous silk flowers for your wedding day.

Last but not least is the internet. The internet has many sites that not only offer silks, but packages with them arranged as well. You can get the flowers you want arranged at quite a reasonable price. Silk wedding flowers can even be found on eBay. However, always make sure you find a reputable company that has a reputation of providing quality service. Many sites do show pictures of their arrangements and offer testimonials. If this does not assure you, buy a test bouquet to see if the quality is what you are looking for.

The Advantages of Silk Wedding Flowers

1. They can be done in advance. Although real flowers are very beautiful and breathtaking, they must be done right before the wedding in order to not wilt. If you are a bride on a budget and taking this task on yourself, you may find yourself overwhelmed and stressed during a time that should be fun and relaxing. With silk arrangements, you can arrange them ahead of time which can reduce the stress of the last few days leading up to your wedding. On the day of your wedding, they will still be even more beautiful than the day you bought them.

2. Submerged, they look real. One of the big trends in weddings now is the submerged flower. What is so good about this trend is that you can submerge a silk flower in water and no one will be able to tell if it is real or not. If the flower is submerged in water, all people will see is a beautiful arrangement. No one will actually put their hand in the water to see if the flower is real. Also, being that you need less flowers when doing submerged or floating centerpieces, this saves on money.

3. Allergies are not aggravated. You, your hubby to be, or any of your guests may have certain allergies when it comes to flowers. To avoid the inevitable sneezing, runny noses, or red eyes, silk wedding flowers are a great way to have that floral beauty and happy guests. This is also a plus if you are having an outdoor wedding and are afraid of attracting insects.

4. Life-lasting keepsake. The fabulous thing about using silk flowers for your wedding is that you can have a keepsake. You can bring a centerpiece home as well as your bouquet and save on floral preservation costs. They can become a decoration for your home and a reminder of the start of your married life.

5. Great as favors. Many of your guests may fall in love with the wedding centerpieces that you have on the tables. A great favor would be to send the centerpieces home with those flower-loving guests. Your guests get great arrangements to beautify their space as well as a reminder of your wedding day.

6. Sturdy flowers. Because real flowers are more delicate, cold or heat can cause them to wilt quickly. If you are having an outdoor ceremony, the flowers may not be able to stand the heat. What if you forget to put them in water to keep them looking fresh? Well, with silks, this is not a problem. They don't need water and can stand any weather conditions.

7. Less expensive. Now this is always argued because quality silk flowers can cost as much as live ones. This is true; however, if you need a particular flower in December that can only be found in France, the cost can rise. You can use silk flowers instead and have incredible savings. Also, when submerging flowers, because you generally use less, you can use silks instead of the real ones which can run cheaper. You can also save money with silks by checking out sales on the internet and in stores.

How to Spice Up Your Silk Wedding Flowers

If you are using silk flowers for your wedding day, there are many ways that you can spice them up to make them even more unique which gives a personal touch to your day.

Scent. We love the smell of real flowers, so how can we replicate a fragrant smell with silks. Spraying the perfume of your choice on the flowers is a great way. This way, the flowers have a wonderful smell that can add spice to your reception. Although, you want to make sure the smell is something that will not aggravate guests. I would suggest a real clean, light scent.

Jewels. Instead of having a plain bouquet of flowers, add jewels to liven it up. You can get crystals glued to the petals of the flowers. This adds more pizzazz and personality to an already beautiful arrangement. Plus, you don't have to worry about damaging the flowers because they are sturdy enough to be handled.

Feathers. Feathers can add flavor to any floral arrangement. Adding feathers to a silk bridal bouquet gives an extra flair that makes it stand out. Beautiful peacock feathers in a silk centerpiece arrangement helps add a certain level of exquisiteness.

How to Care for Silks

Although one of the advantages of silk flowers is that they need little tending and care, here are a few tips to make sure your silk flowers for your wedding day are in perfect condition.

• To clean silk flowers you can wash them or clean them by hand, but this is not the most recommended way because it can become a bit messy and time consuming.

• A great way to keep silks looking their best is to use an ozone safe aerosol spray. This can keep them looking clean and fresh.

• If any of the greenery is wrinkled, you can steam iron the leaves. Just make sure the temperature is on the lowest steam setting. Test a corner before steaming out the wrinkles.

• Many stores that carry silk flowers also carry silk flower cleaners that can keep silk flowers looking great.