January 19, 2006 © Janet Davis
If you haven’t yet participated in that terrifying social exercise known as “planning a wedding”, you might have missed the fact that January has become wedding convention prime time in Toronto. With the bumper crop of this year’s ceremonies just five months away, there are several big shows this month for brides and their harried mothers. While some florists have actually stopped doing weddings (the word “bridezilla” often pops up as a reason for opting out), others are full of helpful advice for making sure the flowers, at least, go off without a hitch on the big day.
First comes the free consultation. Karina Lemke of Posies Flower Shop, who’s featured this season on Life Network’s “Rich Bride/Poor Bride” and is a fave of Cher and Kate Hudson when they’re in town, suggests having two or three consults, a year in advance if possible. “See all your potential florists the same week so you know that you are accurately comparing what each can offer you.”
Lisa Priestap of Florigens Design recommends bringing in fabric swatches of dresses and photos of favourite floral arrangements. “I even love it when people bring in pictures of things they don’t like, so I get a sense of where they’re going.”
Budget is key too. Says John Schell of Garden’s Path: “An approximate budget guides me in my suggestions and advice.”
For the bridal bouquet alone, expect to pay from $145 to $200. That will buy a hand-tied arrangement of fresh flowers in season. If you’re looking for peonies in December, it’ll cost a whole lot more, since they come from Australia at outrageous prices. “I try to steer brides away from that,” says Priestap. “I find them not as big and luscious as our own flowers in season.”
Schell agrees: “What will the beauty of spring be, if we can get all the spring flowers readily available throughout the year?”
Priestap finds her brides either go for the romantic look, with blowsy peonies, scented freesias and creamy roses or they choose something more edgy, such as sophisticated calla lilies in one strong colour. If the bridesmaids’ gowns are a hot raspberry-pink, she’ll tone them down with a cool-coloured bouquet featuring gorgeous chartreuse flowers like viburnum. For late summer, Schell loves the big bold blossoms of dahlias.
While bridal magazines such as Martha Stewart Weddings are a source of inspiration, Lemke warns: “Be prepared for sticker shock when you present an apparently simple bouquet featured on one of those glossy pages, which often use obscure and pricey flowers.” For inspiration, Lemke recommends The Wedding Co. bridal show at the Carlu, Yonge and College Street. “It is the best venue to see stylish and sophisticated wedding designs.” (See www.theweddingco.ca for show details, 416-597-0143)
Expert Conditioning of Flowers is a Must for the Big Day
Florists must condition flowers perfectly, since that hand-tied arrangement is expected to last for hours without wilting. Says Priestap: “Conditioning the flowers properly, according to Dutch Auction standards, is really key. But we’ll always send the bouquets packed in an inexpensive container with a little water where they can be set between pictures, if it makes people feel more comfortable.”
For a relative’s late May wedding one extremely hot spring when everything was blooming early and wilting fast, I picked hundreds of stems of lily-of-the-valley when the buds were showing colour, crammed them into vases covered loosely with plastic bags and placed them in a basement fridge two weeks ahead . The morning before the wedding, I drove them to the bride’s house where she and her bridesmaids were having a hen party, assembling dozens of reception table centrepieces under the tutelage of a family friend. The lily-of-the-valley blossoms opened perfectly for the big day.
On that note, Lemke says “If you think you can do it yourself and save a little money, consult with a florist but be honest. We hate it when you steal all our good ideas and never call back – and then we run into you at our wholesalers! So talk to us and hire us to do the stuff you’re not entirely capable of, such as bouquets and boutonnieres. Then let us advise you on basic, easy-to-make centrepieces.”
And Schell reminds brides to let designers do their thing: “Once you have found your florist and are confident with his or her work, give them a bit of freedom in their creations. I always try to get the whole feel and colour theme from my bride, then I ask her to leave some of the smaller details to me.” When the moment arrives, he wants the bride to be blown away with the beauty of her bouquet. “It is your day, after all.”
Florigens Design, 1360 Yonge St. near Summerhill. 416-939-0139 www.florigensdesign.com
Garden’s Path Floral Studio, 327 Queen St. E. at Berkeley. 416-466-0116 www.gardenspath.com
Posies, 590 Markham St. at Lennox in Mirvish Village. 416-588-9061 www.posiesflowers.com