Before you meet your floral designer...
By David Hahn
Photo by www.willem-aidan.com
UP HIGH OR DOWN LOW
High centerpieces are great to add drama to a table. But because of a pesky phenomenon called gravity, flowers can’t magically suspend overhead. Going high requires some sort of obstruction in the middle of the table to support the centerpiece. If this is a concern, a low centerpiece can be equally beautiful, creative and luxurious while leaving the middle of the table free for conversation.CHARLOTTE OR CARRIE
The style of floral design is a huge factor in determining the personality of your wedding, and that personality is all you. The first step of several in finding that personality is deciding between traditional and modern design or something in between. Whether it is a lush, time-honored mixture of roses and peonies right off the table of Marie Antoinette or some clean bunches of buddleia in glass trays filled with crushed glass, it should reflect who you are. Your floral designer should have a clear idea of who that is by the end of the consultation. Are you a Charlotte or a Carrie?AUTUMN TULIPS
It sounds like a contradiction in terms. But in fact, tulips are readily available year round these days. Unlike as recently as 10 years ago, the way flowers are grown around the world has advanced to the point that many “seasonal” flowers are available throughout the year. Before you write off a flower that you love because you think it might not be in season, ask your floral designer first. You just may be surprised with a fabulous carpet of tulips at your August wedding.A HEAD FOR KNOWIN’
If there were one piece of advice I would give brides as they are meeting with a floral designer, or any vendor for that matter, it would be to be open to the professional’s expertise and experience. That is, after all, why you are hiring an expert. Definitely share that white binder Bridal Book filled with photos and clippings that has not left your side in months (and remember, your designer needs to know not only what you like but also what you don’t!). It is a good idea to rely as much as you can on us wedding geeks. We eat, breathe and dream weddings, weddings, weddings, and we like to be challenged to come up with innovative ideas. If you tell your designer exactly what to do, then there might be an unrealized idea in your designer’s imagination that might never see the light of day. It could be the one ingredient that gives you what every bride wants—a wedding that everybody talks about the next day.David Hahn is the man behind Willem-Aidan, a luxury flower company based in Los Angeles. See his work at http://www.willem-aidan.com/
