At today’s Bridal Events Bridal Show, we were asked a number of times, “I want to have peonies in my wedding, but they’re out of season.  Can you suggest any alternatives?”  Peonies are interesting because despite modern cultivation and transportation practices, they are still very seasonal. 

There is nothing that looks like a peony, but you can get close.  Certain varieties of garden roses can be a very close substitute for a peony.  You can contrast the flowers below with our pink peony and rose bouquet or our pink peony, Esperance and Sweet Escimo rose bouquet.  All photos are courtesy of our friends at Transflora, a wholesaler to retail florists only.  Contact your local florist for pricing information (if you’re in the Pittsburgh/Butler/New Castle PA area, we’d love to talk to you).

Many peonies have a soft floral fragrance.  Yves Piaget and Pink Piaget both have a beautiful rosy fragrance (Yves Piaget may be the most beautifully scented flower we’ve ever found).

Yves Piaget

Pink Piaget

Antique Romantica

Carla Romantica

This is a question we get asked often.  That question is really too general to answer; a number of factors play into the pricing of a bridal bouquet.  These factors include (in no particular order):

• What flowers will be in your bouquet?  On average, daisies are cheaper than roses, which are cheaper than calla lilies, but this is not the sole factor.
• How many flowers?  A hand tied bouquet of two dozen roses is cheaper than a hand tied bouquet made from three dozen roses.
• What time of year are you getting married?  Valentine's Day and Mother's Day are peak floral holidays, and we're asked every year to do weddings at these times (the answer is always no--we're busy with the holiday).  Also, New Year's sees increased prices because of the Rose Parade.  Not much goes on in October, so flowers are usually a little cheaper then.  A red rose bouquet at Valentine's Day is going to be 2-4 times more expensive than the identical bouquet in August (or heck, even April for that matter).
• What style of bouquet?  Cascades and pomander balls take a considerable amount of time to make, and so the labor charge is usually higher.  Hand tied and arm bouquets are a little easier to make, and labor is a little less.
• Are your flowers in season?  Sure, we can sometimes get lilacs in August.  You probably don't want to pay for them, though.  Lily of the Valley is another very seasonal flower.  Roses, most lilies, pomps, gerberas and carnations have excellent availability throughout the year.
• How fragile are your flowers?  Flowers such as orchids, gardenias and stephanotis are very sensitive to environmental conditions, lilies are very fragile, but carnations are quite sturdy.  The sensitive or fragile ones require extra precautions when designing and delivering your bouquets, which also figures into the price.
• How good is the designer/shop?  Yes, we're a little more expensive than the "basement Bettys", but we're worth it.  We have a staff of trained and experienced designers, plus the coolers and vehicles to make sure your flowers arrive in perfect condition.  We stake our reputation on it almost every weekend, over 100 times a year for the past 5 years.  There are people in our area claiming to be cheaper than the retail florists, but your bouquet may share space with the milk in their fridge.

We have created bridal bouquets in the $40 range, and bouquets in the $250-$300 range.  That's why you'll see us give an approximate price or a price range in the photos we post on our blog or in our photo gallery.

If you're looking for the cheapest bouquet you can get, look into an arm bouquet or clutch of daisy pomps and/or carnations.  They are plentiful, inexpensive, and sturdy.  As for silk flowers--good silk flowers are sometimes as much or more than their real counterparts; cheap silks look cheap.

If you ordered stickr seals with your wedding invitations, you traditionally place them on the back of the envelope, so the center of the seal is right at the point of the flap.  In the days before envelopes with the glue already applied, not to mention stickers, this is the location wax was dripped and stamped with some sort of monogram or motif to hold the envelope closed.  In many cases these days, stickers have replaced wax seals, but wax seals are sometimes still used on formal wedding invitations, just for that Victorian look.

We have one source of ideas in our Creative Wedding Photo Ideas blog post.  These ideas came from Beverly Clark's "Planning A Wedding To Remember", an excellent planner packed full of information, which you can find at http://www.bloomeryweddings.com/detail.asp?product_id=15A6.

To answer this question as most brides want it answered, we'd have to suggest choosing your photographer carefully, and working with your photographer to plan your album.  Every wedding is so unique, even couples in the same ceremony and reception locations present different subjects, and good photographers can really bring out the uniqueness of each wedding.

A wedding photography description that is becomming popular is "photojournalism style".  Here in the Pittsburgh area we are graced with a number of outstanding photojournalism style wedding photographers.  You'll find several at most major wedding shows and in the major planning guides.  These photographers are talented, and can make the location and lighting seem as if they are part of the wedding, but their talents often come at a premium.  However, as their on-line portfolios and magazine ads display, your wedding will be photographed in a style that is very creative and unique.  For a time, Cal Landau's ad had the bride (in her dress with her bouquet) and groom (in his tux) zooming off on a motorcycle.  We were pleased to do the flowers for this wedding, and considering how the bouquet was transported, rather happy it made it to the reception.

Candid photos often capture the feelings of the day better than staged shots, so be sure to evaluate the photographer's portfolio for these.  Other considerations include the photographer's use of different angles, subtle lighting, and using formats such as black and white, color and sepia tones.

When you talk to prospective photographers, ask them about their style, candid photos, color format, etc.  It won't take more than a question or two to bring out a good photographer's passion for what he or she does.  That passion is what will make sure you have a creative wedding photo album, without you having to stage everything.  Let them know what you're looking for during the planning of your wedding, and on your wedding day, let it happen.

Looking for a wide selection of wedding accessories at great pricing?  Check out our home page at www.bloomeryweddings.com to see what's on sale this month.  You'll also find our wedding flower portfolio, with hundreds of bridal and bridesmaid bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres and centerpieces.

You've visited your favorite store, and used the scan guns to zap your wish list items, gone online to register at all your favorite stores, and have lengthy lists of gifts you're ready to welcome into your home. Now, how do you let your guests know where to find the perfect wedding gift? Many families are tempted to include registry information with the invitation, but this is absolutely not acceptable. You are inviting these guests to witness and share in your wedding ceremony and celebration -- gifts aren't even to be expected (although always great to receive!). The best way to spread the registry news is through good old word-of-mouth -- friends, family members and other wedding party members usually end up knowing and talking to other guests, and the chain of information spreads quickly. It is also acceptable to send registry information with the bridal shower invitations. After all, the intent and purpose of the event is to "shower" the bride with gifts that will help her in her new home and relationship. So, make sure your bridesmaids know where you are registered, and let them handle some of the responsibility!  

Ask a question, suggest a future topic or send a comment to us at info@bloomeryweddings.com.

After all your attendants do to help you in planning and executing your wedding, you'll want to thank them with a special gift.  It can be a memento of your wedding day, or an indulgent gift for them to enjoy.  It's usually given at the rehearsal dinner, the bridesmaids' luncheon, or at the bachelorette party.  Some ideas:

• Jewelry, either for the wedding or after
• A purse that matches or coordinates with her gown
• A striking journal to record her innermost thoughts
• Cosmetics or toiletry bags

These are just a few suggestions.  You can find more great bridesmaid gifts by clicking this link.

One of the questions we are asked frequently is whether it is considered acceptable etiquette to print invitation envelopes on the computer. My answer?  While it may be socially acceptable to print envelopes on the computer, it is not proper etiquette.  Whether you hire a calligrapher, or simply use a nice pen and address them yourself, you should address both the inner and outer envelopes by hand.  The outside envelope contains the full mailing address of the recipients, and the inner envelope contains the names of all the specific individuals invited.  Along the same lines, the outer envelope should have the sender's return address either professionally printed by the stationer, or be handwritten as well -- no computers and absolutely no labels!

If you have a burning question, please feel free to ask our experts using the e-mail link on the right.  Then, be sure to visit the Wedding Blog at BloomeryWeddings.com often for more great wedding advice and information.