Wedding Decor: The Most Common Flower Mistakes You Should Know

What's one of the first things you think of when you think of a wedding?
If you're like most people, second to the white dress, the first thing you think of is probably a beautiful bouquet and unique flower arrangements.

The right flowers can set the tone for your whole wedding. But, choosing the best flowers and arranging them properly is no simple task.

If you're feeling lost when it comes to selecting flowers for your big day, keep reading.
Listed below are some common flower mistakes people make when planning their weddings.

Not Doing Your Research

One of the biggest mistakes people make when planning their weddings is neglecting to research the flowers they're going to use in their bouquet and decorations.

It's not enough to just search "wedding flower arrangements" or "wedding bouquet" on Pinterest and choose the bouquet that looks prettiest (Although, that can be a good starting place).

Figure out which types of flowers are included in the bouquets you like. Then, do some research to find out whether or not they're in-season and how much they cost.

A little preliminary research will help you save money (And who doesn't want that when they're planning a wedding?). Your florist will also have an easier time putting together great bouquet and flower arrangements for you.

Getting Too Wrapped up in the Details

Details matter, of course. But sometimes people get so wrapped up in the minutiae when they're planning their wedding that they forget to step back and look at the big picture.

Don't get so focused on one element -- like your bouquet or your centerpieces -- that you forget to think about the whole theme of the wedding.

Sticking to One Color

Monochromatic flower arrangements aren't inherently bad. In fact, they can often look quite nice. But, there's nothing wrong with mixing colors, either. This can add variety to your arrangements and help your flowers stand out.

It's also important to avoid trying to match flowers perfectly to your bridesmaids' dresses.
Think about it. If the flowers match perfectly, they'll blend in and make your photos look a bit bland. Choose flowers in contrasting colors that will pop in pictures instead.

Choosing Strongly Scented Flowers

You might love the scent of a specific flower, but that doesn't mean your guests will.
Strongly scented flowers can cause allergies and discomfort among guests who are particularly sensitive to smell. Strong scents can also mingle with the scent of food being served and throw off people's appetites.

Keep your guests' health and comfort in mind and choose flowers that have little-to-no fragrance. If you absolutely must use a strongly scented flower, at least try to use it as sparingly as possible.

Not Hiring a Florist

In an effort to save money, some people try to handle their bouquet and flower arrangements themselves.

This might seem like a good idea initially. But, unless you or a family member has experience arranging flowers, it's likely going to end up taking a lot of time and causing you a lot of unnecessary stress.

You could also end up spending more money than you would have if you hired a florist in the first place.

Instead of trying to take on this huge task yourself, find a professional who will do it for you. If you're worried about the cost, remember that a talented florist can work with just about any budget.
You may have to make some compromises when choosing your flowers, but you'll also get to save time and money and keep your wits about you.

Choosing Cheap Flowers

Some people also try to lower the cost of their flowers by exclusively choosing inexpensive blooms.
You don't need to fill your bouquet with the Rolls Royce of roses, but it's also not a good idea to pass on expensive flowers altogether.

Adding some more expensive flowers to your bouquet can actually save you money. This is because larger flowers cover more space and reduce the need for filler flowers.

Ignoring Advice

Even if you have a very specific vision for your flowers, it's still helpful to get a second opinion. Florists are experts, and they know what will and won't work when it comes to arranging wedding flowers.

It's okay to bring in pictures or share your thoughts on what you want -- it's your wedding, after all. But, it's also important to listen and take the florist's advice into account.

Ordering Too Late

It takes time for flowers to be shipped to your florist and arranged for your wedding. They often come in from all over the world.

Be sure to order your flowers at least six weeks in advance. This will give them plenty of time to arrive, and your florist will be able to ensure that they're arranged properly for your big day.

Not Shopping Seasonally

Choosing seasonal flowers can help you save money. It's also better for the environment since your flowers don't have to be shipped from another part of the world.

Spring wedding flowers include lilacs, boronia, and tulips. Summer flowers include forget-me-nots, gerbera daisies, and lilies.

In the fall, chrysanthemums, marigolds, and zinnias are in season. Daffodils, camellias, and poinsettias are in season in the winter.

The following flowers are also available year-round:

• Baby's breath
• Calla lilies
• Carnations
• Orchids
• Roses

Keep these guidelines in mind when planning your wedding and setting your floral budget.

Choosing Flimsy Flowers

Some people also make the mistake of choosing flowers that don't do well when they're left out of water.

Flowers like dahlias, for example, are made primarily of water. They tend to wither when they're away from water for too long.

Look for sturdier flowers that can handle being out of water for long periods of time. This is especially helpful if yours is a summer or outdoor wedding.

Don't Make These Common Flower Mistakes

If you want to plan a beautiful wedding that people will talk about for years to come, be sure to avoid these common flower mistakes.

Need help creating the perfect flower arrangements for your wedding? Contact us at Peach Tree Petals today for a wedding consultation.

You can also check out our online wedding portfolio to see what kinds of arrangements and bouquets we can make for you.

The Best Flowers for a Birthday: What Type of Flowers Should You Buy?

Getting flowers for a gift, whether it's a special occasion or not, is always welcome. Even men like getting flowers. In fact, unless someone suffers from allergies, flowers are a perfect gift choice.

Giving roses to your aunt Rose or lilies to your niece Lily is great fun. Everyone has a favorite flower or plant. Those make the best flowers for a birthday. It shows you've been listening.

It's nice when you put some thought into the flowers you choose, rather than just grab some when buying your lottery ticket. Let's look at a few nice ideas for giving plants and flowers.

The Best Flowers for a Birthday

You don't have to spend a fortune, as the flowers say enough on their own. Finding certain flowers off-season can be expensive and difficult. But if you look around or preorder, you and the one receiving them won't be disappointed.

Roses

Roses have a long tradition of being a popular flower for so many special occasions. Birthday, wedding, first date, but they can also represent mourning or other meanings.

White Roses

These flowers mean new beginnings, which is perfect for a birthday, as they start their new year. They also mean innocence and purity.

Red Roses

Red roses mean love. What better way of saying 'I love you' than with a gorgeous bouquet of red roses?
You can also just give one if you got a different gift. Not just for Valentine's day.

Yellow Roses

Joy, friendship and a promise of new beginnings. Nice for a spring birthday.

Pink Roses

A delicate pink rose, so perfect for representing gentleness, happiness, and grace. If you aren't sure, get a combination of roses, pick red and white, red and pink or get a mix of all that is available, for a beautiful and colorful bouquet.

Other Flowers

Not everyone will be a fan of roses. It's always nice to find something they like, or something unusual. Finding them in season or locally grown is best.

Gardenia

Gardenias symbolize mutual understanding and harmony. They are nice on their own, can be mixed with other flowers and come in a variety of colors.

Lilies

There are several types of lilies, readily available, either as bouquets on their own or in a mixed bunch. Finding ones with a scent can fill an entire room with their heady aroma. Look for Easter or Tiger Lilies.

Gladioluses

Tall and beautiful, these flowers come in many colors and represent strength, honor, and infatuation.

Sunflowers

Bright yellow and hearty, these flowers are a fun gift to give. They come in different colors other than yellow, for a variety. Sunflowers mean warmth and adoration, and they are a sign of longevity.

Tulips

Delicate, velvety, and in many colors, these can make a great gift in a bouquet or as a starter kit for the garden. They represent spring, abundance, and royalty.
If you grow flowers, you can always cut from your own garden.

Mixed Bunches

A mixed bunch of flowers makes a great gift. They can have scented flowers and a wide mix of colors. Certain flowers will last longer than others, and these bouquets can last a lot longer.

Blooming Plants

If you want to give a gift that lasts longer than the flowers, consider blooming houseplants. You can also give plants that bloom for planting outside. A plant that blooms is a gift that gives for years to come.

Orchids

Orchids are a gorgeous plant and have thousands of variations. If the person you are giving it to has a bit of a knack with plants, consider the orchid.

African Violets

African violets are easy to grow. Their delicate flowers and furry leaves don't take up much room and look great.

Christmas Cactus

These are a hearty plant that often blooms more than once a year. Easy to grow, low maintenance, and you can mix a few together for a wilder color show.

Food Plants

Not only will food plants bloom, but they are the perfect gift for the balcony gardener. A pepper or tomato plant will grow very well in a window or patio. Imagine how fun it will be when your friend can pick their own food off their plant.

Mixed Pots

A combination of plants in a pot makes a beautiful gift. There can be some that bloom, maybe some that change color in season or a nice mix of similar plants.

The best thing about these is when they start to get too big, they can be transplanted into bigger, separate pots for a whole new batch of plants. Some of these can be used as outdoor plants, depending on your area.

These can be in baskets, bowls, planters, or terrariums. An arrangement of small cacti are also nice for those with limited space or not great with plants.

Flowers and More

If you want to combine the flowers with something more, or are looking at a different type of bouquet, there are bouquets for that, too. Balloon bouquets can be fun and very colorful.

These can come with chocolates or candy, or both. Get a combination of balloons, a teddy, and flowers, all arranged professionally.

Outdoor plants that bloom are a beautiful way to say happy birthday. it's a gift that serves a purpose and gives back for many years to come.

Blooming Beauty

Don't be afraid to get creative with your flowers. Move beyond the vase for excitement and variety. The best flowers for a birthday will be the ones you choose. Make sure the person isn't allergic to certain types of flowers before you get them.

It's also a great way to say Happy Birthday when you are not there to give the flowers yourself. You can simply order them from wherever you are for a delivery. Show you remember and care with a birthday delivery.

Looking for flower arrangement ideas? We've got bouquets and arrangements for every occasion. Please check out our birthday flower arrangements here or contact us to place an order.

A Brief History of Giving Flowers

You can't go wrong with giving flowers. Anyone would love to receive a big beautiful bouquet or even a humble handpicked bunch.

Flowers are perfect for the big milestones in our lives and also great "just because". It's no surprise, then, that the flower industry is worth about $105 billion globally.

There's a lot of fascinating history behind the kinds of flowers that get used in arrangements. If you want to learn something new - and find out the secret to gifting the ultimate arrangement - keep reading!

The Earliest Flower Gifts

When do you think the first flowers got used as gifts or tokens? Do you picture an advanced civilization, like the Greeks or the Egyptians?

You might be shocked to learn that some of the earliest humans used flowers in their rituals. In fact, an entire cemetery was found with bodies buried individually and decorated with flowers. These ancient graves date back almost 14,000 - 12,000 years.

Flowers are beautiful, yet temporary. It's no surprise that earliest humans were drawn to them and understood their symbolism regarding the beauty of life.

Early Civilization and the Language of Flowers

Once most early humans abandoned the life of the nomad and started settling down, their rituals were more connected to where they lived.

Of course, certain flowers only bloom in certain places. The Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, and other early advanced civilizations attached meanings to different flowers.

Flowers played an important role not only in everyday life but also in their worship of the gods. Let's take a look at how different cultures used many kinds of flowers in their lives.

Ancient Egyptians

Check out any Egyptian tomb and you'll see lots of flowers and plants pictured among the hieroglyphs. While early man used flowers in important rituals, the Egyptians used them to decorate their lives as well as for religious reasons.

Egyptians attached meaning to certain flowers. For example, lotuses were a symbol of the goddess Isis. When giving flowers or using them in their home, they were one of the first to consider what their flower arrangements meant.

Egyptians were some of the first to add arrangements to their homes and give flowers as gifts, but they weren't the last.

Greeks and Romans

Ever heard the phrase "don't rest on your laurels"? That's because accomplished people in ancient Greece and Rome received laurel crowns.

While the Egyptians went for vases, the Greeks and Romans preferred to use wreaths and garlands in their homes. They also loved to give roses, so much so that dinners became known as "the hour of the rose" for the scent of these beautiful flowers.

Beautiful flowers played an important part in everyday life and in celebrations for the Greeks and Romans. Gifting flowers, however, was not unique to only the west.

Asia

China not only used flowers for decorations, gifts, and rituals but also for their medicinal purposes. They developed a rich and meaningful language when it came to giving flowers.

For example, giving someone a bamboo symbolized longevity. Orchids were symbols of fertility.
Peonies were markers of high status and called the "king of flowers". Students still give their teachers peonies on the first day of school today.

In Japan, flowers also took on various meanings. They turned flower arrangements into a meditative art form. Plus, their carefully curated bonsai trees are highly-prized gifts.

European Traditions

Most of our modern flower-giving traditions come from Europe and got refined over many centuries. Giving flowers and understanding an intricate floral language really took off in the 1700s.

At that time, the French and English visited Turkey. They learned that the women in the harems would send secret messages to each other using flowers.

From then on, floral arrangements took on a new life. The Victorian era would see the language of flowers blossom and bloom.

The Victorian Era

Victorians were very much about having everything in its place and imbuing everyday actions with meanings. It's only natural that this fastidiousness would extend to meanings of flowers.

When giving flowers, the Victorians had many rules. Everything from the kinds of flowers you chose to which hand you gave them with had a secret code.

Many books were published in this era to help people navigate these exciting new rules. To truly be stylish and succeed in society, one had to understand the language of flowers.

Let's look at some of the things Victorians used to say with flowers.

Victorian Flower Language

The Victorians were detailed in everything that they did. You might be surprised to find that several of their ideas about the meanings of flowers still apply today. Here are a few flowers and their secret codes:

• White roses - Symbols of purity
• Carnations - A solid color meant "yes;" a spotted or striped carnation meant "no"
• Daisies - Loyalty and love
• Freesia - Friendship and trust
• Gardenia - Send this to someone to tell them they're beautiful
• Pansy - Ask someone to remember you by sending this flower
• Iris - Valor and wisdom
• Mistletoe - Victorians started the whole "kiss under the mistletoe" tradition
• Red Tulip - For when you want to declare your love
• Violets - Fidelity, faithfulness, and a true heart

As you can see, several of these ideas are still in play today. Your gifts can have a little more meaning now that you have this secret information.

Giving Flowers: From the Past to the Present

Giving flowers has a history as long as human civilization itself. Although different cultures at various times have ascribed different meanings to flowers, you can't go wrong with giving them to friends and family.

Looking for the best blooms to give as a gift? From the east coast to the west coast, we're ready to meet your needs.

Our beautiful arrangements are sure to please. No matter which flower you choose, the one message you'll clearly send is that you truly care for the recipient.

We're ready to help you find the perfect gift for the special someone in your life. Contact us today!