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to the venue before and after the wedding and what other rentals (chairs, tables and table coverings) are included in the price or need to be arranged. The best way to find and choose a floral designer is word of mouth. “If you attended a wedding or were in a wedding party and loved the details and flowers from the day, receiving positive feedback from experienced brides and mothers of brides can be your best source for choosing your designer,” says Jenny. A key factor in choosing a floral designer is whether or not the designer will be working multiple weddings that day, and if so, will they have a qualified team of support. Some brides would prefer for her wedding to be her flower designer’s only focus which allows for a more personalized experience. These are conversations and agreements that need to be ironed out before contracting a designer. Once a floral designer is chosen it is important to begin imme- diately to create a vision for the special day. Pinterest boards are an essential part of wedding planning for the modern bride and can be useful in helping a bride communicate her desires. And ac- cording to Jenny, an experienced floral designer can get a good feel for what a bride likes and dislikes by looking at a Pinterest board. However, she cautions: “Use Pinterest strictly for inspiration and not to copy. This is your special day and you don’t want it to look like all the other weddings! Give your designer some freedom to be creative. Pinterest can be very deceiving to a young bride who wants everything to be picture perfect.” Jenny also encourages brides to embrace the season. “Most every flower is available at any time, but, flowers that are not in season will often be more expensive and not as big and beautiful as they are when they grow naturally with the seasons.” For this reason Jenny says brides should consider tulips as an option for a Spring wedding or peonies in May and June. “Hy- drangeas are an excellent choice for the summer time and think about cedar and other evergreens in Winter.” No matter the season, states Jenny, interesting sticks and branches help give movement to an arrangement while differing textures create even more impact. “I let the shapes of the plant material dictate where it goes in an arrangement. Different textures — I like to use four or five — such as foliage, berries, fruits and the quantity and shape of a flowers’ petals will also add interest. Additionally, I love to use several shades in the same color family like a pink, deeper pink and salmon to add depth to an arrangement or blush roses that fade into shades of creamy white to buttery white and light green.” Jenny offers one bit of final advice for brides to be: “Since a good portion of your budget will be spent on your wedding flowers, be sure and talk to your photographer about capturing images of the flowers! After the party is over, the photographs will be all you have to remember the day!” There’s no more important time than a wedding day to focus on beauty. As Jenny observes, “I consider flowers to have great value when considering the effects they have on human life and happiness. We must have beauty around us.” n Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter WEDDING ISSUE 2021 21 This mantle becomes the perfect “wow factor” and backdrop for beautiful pictures. Photography courtesy of Elenor Stenner.