It’s almost impossible to contemplate a wedding without flowers.

Once all the other elements are in place – the dress, the bridesmaids, the church, the wedding breakfast – it’s the flowers that make the occasion complete.

Use them to accent the theme of your wedding, bring a room alive with colour and aroma, and add verve to the big day.

You should budget a reasonable amount of money for your flowers. And while they might seem expensive, it’s worth pausing to think about what you’re getting for your money.

For a start, there’s a world of difference between a bunch of supermarket flowers in a cellophane wrapper and what a florist delivers.

Good quality flowers, that rise to the occasion and have staying power, aren’t cheap. A talented, knowledgeable and hard-working florist who will help you select your blooms, get you the flowers you want from the other side of the world if necessary, suggest how you can use them to greatest effect, deliver and set them in place on the day and even give you tips on how to carry your bouquet is worth his or her weight in gold.

A good way to find a good florist is to visit a few. Look at the sort of flowers they have in their shops and ask to see photos of their work. Most good ones keep a portfolio of weddings they have done.

You can also get recommendations from friends and family. Discuss your ideas with each florist and see what suggestions they have to make. Base your decision on how imaginative and creative they are, whether they seem efficient and organised and whether they seem genuinely interested in you and your big day.

Once you’ve selected a florist, make an appointment to see him or her. It’s probably best to wait until after you’ve organised the venue and chosen your dress.

Take along examples of your wedding’s theme colours – table napkins, stationery, chair swags and fabric swatches. These will help you and your florist decide on the types of flowers that will complement the other elements.

Things to consider include size, colour, shape, the amount of flowers you need and where you intend placing them – church and venue, or venue only, for example.

Seasonality is also a factor – you need to think about what will be available at the time of your wedding, although it’s possible to get almost anything whatever time of year these days. Out of season flowers that have to be flown half way across the world will be more expensive so make sure you really want them.

The usual flowers are the bridal bouquet, bridesmaids’ bouquets, buttonholes, corsages, flowers for the ceremony (church or civil), flowers for the reception, table flowers and flowers for the cake.

If you want to treasure you bouquet forever, ask about the having it dried and pressed, to be framed as a keepsake.

You can even have a silk replica made, or take cuttings from some of the flowers to grow in your garden.

This standard book on flower symbolism is The Language of Flowers, first written by Mme. Charlotte de la Tour in 1818. Here are few flowers with significant meanings for brides and grooms.

• Almond – hope, lover’s charm
• Anemone – truth, sincerity
• Azalea – first love, romance
• Baby’s breath – pure heart
• Carnation – bonds of love (pink-maternal love; red – passion; white – living for love; striped – refusal)
• Gerbera – friendship
• Dogwood – faithfulness
• Fern – sincerity
• Honeysuckle – devoted affection
• Ivy – wedded love
• Jasmine – transport of joy
• Jonquil – return my affection
• Larkspur – ardent attachment
• Lavendar – devotion
• Lilac – first love
• Lily of the valley – purity
• Maple – keys to my heart
• Orange blossom – happy marriage
• Pinks – love will never die
• Rose – love (champagne – devotion; pink – friendship, crush; red – passion; white – respect; yellow – jealously, unfaithful)
• Salvia – forever yours
• Tulip – perfect lover
• Violet – faithfulness

 

Seasonal blooms

• Spring – amaryllis, azalea, chrysanthemum, lilac, lily, orchid, daisy, daffodils, tulips, jasmine, carnations, freesia, clematis, crocus
• Summer – cornflower, freesia, fuchsia, gardenia, tiger lily, peony, rose, orchid, heather, larkspur, sweet pea
• Autumn – chrysanthemum, gypsophilia, daisy, iris, dahlia, rose, orchid, hydrangea
• Winter – carnation, lily, orchid, winter jasmine, rose, holly berries, snowdrops