As you begin your search for wedding flowers you may become overwhelmed with all the choices. Do you want the formal look of roses and orchids, or the more casual feel of wildflowers with a seasonal garden style bouquet. What colors do you want, what size and shape of bouquet for yourself and your attendants. Where do you begin? Take a trip to the local bookstore and look at books and magazines for ideas on flower styles and trends. Doing a little homework before meeting with a florist can be a great help for you and the florist.

A great place to begin your search for a florist is at a friend's wedding. Ask the bride who did the flowers, were they easy to work with, was the price reasonable, did they get what they expected? Ask around at work. You'll find that lots of people have stories about an experience with wedding flowers... both good and bad. If you already have a relationship with a florist, talk with them. They should be able to give you some information and help you decide what you may want.

If you want the garden style, wildflower look, your best choice may be locally grown flowers. Available during the growing season from spring through fall, a local flower grower will have flowers that are usually priced lower than a traditional flower shop, as well as having flowers that are not usually available at a retail florist.

Flowers such as zinnia, tall phlox, peony, foxglove, sunflowers and others will be fresher than those that have been shipped long distances to a retail florist. You may find flowers that you love, but never realized were available as a cut flower. You may find flowers that bring back childhood memories of your Grandmother's garden.

Finding a local flower grower can be easier than you think. Many areas have statewide cut flower grower organizations. There is also a national group called the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. ASCFG They can give you names of growers in your area. Local farmers markets are also a great place to locate a local flower grower. The American Farmland Trust has links to state by state lists of farmers markets.

Find a local farmers' market, stop by and talk with the grower and ask if they do wedding work. If they don't, they usually can recommend someone who does. One budget minded bride had a farmer save all his unsold flowers and she put them in pretty containers around the reception site to decorate for an outdoor wedding.

Another option for garden flowers is to find a pick-your-own farm in the area and do the flowers yourself, or with the help of your bridesmaids. There have been entire bridal parties that arrive at a flower farm and spend an hour or so picking flowers for the wedding.

Flowers are an important part of your wedding day. Flowers are one of many things that your guests will talk to their friends about. There are many options available to you. With a little planning, your experience with your wedding flowers can be a pleasant one