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Show .Vernal Express, Have You Arranged for the Flowers? By Sarah Koch Wedding flowers are, so to speak, the icing on the cake. : And I'm not just talking about the wedding itself, with all the boutonnieres, corsages, aisle and altar trimmings and flower girls, not to mention the bouquets bou-quets for the bridesmaids and maid (or matron) of honor, and, of course, the bride's bouquet. Depending on your budget, you may also want flowers for the rehearsal dinner beforehand as well as for the reception afterwards. after-wards. Some couples will have family or friends who can supply sup-ply the needed blossoms. But even such lucky folks will have to answer a few questions ques-tions first. Among them: Does your chosen site come with flowers (as a hotel ballroom might)? If so, great! But first, talk to the person in charge about choices and color schemes to see if their taste matches yours. If the answer to the above question is no, then what tone or theme do you want to achieve? Sophisticated, historical, or countrified? Research, aided by the right florist, can help you pick flowers not only for their beauty, but also for their suitability suit-ability or significance. (If you're interested, there are plenty of books, as well as Web sites, on flower lore. And remember that flowers can do double-duty from wedding to reception.) Colors: not only should the colors be attractive on the day, but they should also photograph well. Be daring! Pastel flowers against a pastel background have no impact. And keep in mind the effect of your chosen lighting scheme. How many flowers and plants can your wedding site (reception hall, whatever) han- Creating wedding By Amanda Knoles Florists and wedding planners plan-ners are experts at decorating wedding and reception areas, but their services can be quite expensive. If you're creative and a little bit crafty, it's fun to make your own decorations. Flowers are the most important impor-tant accents at any wedding, but you don't have to spend a fortune for-tune on them. Take some time to research flower types and visit flower markets and florists for ideas. Floral arrangements can pick up elements from the bridal bouquet but they don't have to match exactly. For decorations deco-rations in the church or at the reception, it's okay to mix fresh and dried flowers. Study crafts, bridal and women's magazines for creative ideas combining natural materials like tree branches and leaves with flowers flow-ers and ribbons. If you're having a small wedding, wed-ding, consider making your own invitations. Hand-made paper or paper stock from a specialty spe-cialty paper store looks elegant trimmed with ribbons or lace. A friend with experience creating cards on a computer can also help you design a handsome wedding invitation, place cards, etc. The advantage is that you die? Resist the temptation to go overboard, especially for the wedding: the last thing the couple cou-ple wants is to be overwhelmed by a floral jungle, however fragrant. fra-grant. The size of the place will largely dictate how many flowers flow-ers you'll want, as well as the size and type of arrangements that would be desirable. What's in season? These flowers will not only be less expensive, ex-pensive, could seem more natural natu-ral and may hold up better than more exotic blooms, depending on the weather and location of the wedding site. OK, I need one. So how do I pick a florist? While you want to choose a florist early on (at least six months in advance, if possible), you need to prepare yourself first to answer certain questions, ques-tions, like one through three listed above. Next, how much do you want to spend? Then look at bridal books, magazines and Web sites for inspiration. Also, talk to others about their experiences. ex-periences. This way, when you finally select the florist (or floral flo-ral designer), you'll be able to give them a working idea of the setup and what you want. Now it's your turn to listen to the experts. The right professional can help you get what you want, while doing it as economically as possible. You mentioned a "floral designer"? de-signer"? The right florist can provide all the flowers and flower arrangements ar-rangements for a traditional wedding. But if you're planning plan-ning something less usual, say a themed wedding or an ethnic wedding, then you'll need the more advanced skills of a designer. de-signer. You might want one, too, if you think your wedding site is bland in itself, and needs drama tizing. Rula Bullock of Vernal Floral suggests using a variety of fresh and silk flower center pieces, corsages, back drops, cake top flowers and bridal bouquets. bou-quets. "We can pretty much do whatever the bride requests when it comes to flowers," says Rula. She has worked with all types of flowers, arrangements, color combinations, and feels very comfortable working with wedding decorators and planners. plan-ners. Be prepared to interview a few florists before choosing, unless you already know what you're looking for. Be aware that many florists do weddings differently dif-ferently You already know the basics about the event in question, ques-tion, where, when, tone, color scheme, lighting setup (though a professional may have suggestions sugges-tions to make). And now there are questions you need to ask the pro, including: includ-ing: Do you have photographs of your work? Do you have any events coming up that I might visit? How about references? (Despite the fact that any references ref-erences will surely be positive, it's still worth it to contact these people and compare their statements.) state-ments.) Do you already know the site(s), and if not, will you visit it (or them) with me? Can you work within my budget? (If you feel they're pushing you to spend more than you can afford, don't be afraid to say so, and leave if necessary.) When would the flowers be delivered? (Which brings to mind: always know your contact con-tact person.) What's the last day I can alter, al-ter, cancel or postpone my order for a full refund? Other considerations: your own decorations can choose a more personalized personal-ized design and dress it up with hand-made embellishments. Local stores like Wal-Mart, True Value and various craft stores around the Basin, or stores on the Wasatch Front such as Pier One, IKEA, and Michaels are good places to search for simple bowls, baskets, bas-kets, candles and dried flowers. You'll also find miniature bird's nests, tiny galvanized buckets and clear candleholders that can be transformed into table decorations and favors. If you're having an outdoor wedding, try cutting lengths of lace or tulle to drape around trees and shrubs. The fabric can be fastened together with wire and trimmed with big ribbon bows. Statuary, columns and large container plants can also be adorned with ribbon streamers, stream-ers, bows or fabric. A wreath for the reception hall or church looks festive accented with fresh daisies, sunflowers or zinnias. Choose sunny colors and large blooms for an eye-catching wall hanging hang-ing or dramatic centerpiece. Floral supply and crafts stores offer forms, wire and templates for creating beautiful arrangements. arrange-ments. Table settings take on an el egant look when plain white napkins are accented with fresh flowers tied together with ribbon. rib-bon. Keep the flowers fresh by slipping the stems into little vials vi-als of water (available at floral and craft shops). If you'd like to hand out favors fa-vors that your guests can take home, put together small baskets bas-kets or boxes filled with soaps, a wash cloth, bath gel and candles. can-dles. Make your own soap cubes using glycerin, food coloring, your microwave and ice cube trays in a variety of shapes. Glycerin is available in large blocks from crafts stores. Cut it to a smaller size that will fit into a measuring cup or microwave-able microwave-able bowl. Use a cotton swab to add food coloring. (Choose different dif-ferent colors for other batches). Heat the glycerin on high in a microwave, stirring every 15 seconds until it is completely melted. Use another cotton swab to coat the inside of an ice cube tray with petroleum jelly. Pour the melted glycerin into the tray and fill to the top. Allow to cool for two hours or more, and then gently remove the soaps. Finish off your gift baskets with colorful bath oil balls and ribbon trim. Flower girl baskets and ring bearer pillows are easy to make. Photo courtesy Martinez Photography Wedding flowers are the icing on the cake. Be prepared to interview a few florists beofre choosing. Should another couple schedule themselves to be wed on the same day as you at the same site, you might want to coordinate flower choices and so split the cost. Consider also mixing silk or satin flowers in with the real thing; they make lovely mementos for the female attendants. Artificial trees can also be used as decor. And, for the bride who'd like to keep her fresh flower bouquet intact, she can have it freeze-dried and preserved pre-served under glass. While very attractive in itself, it can also be passed on from generation to generation as a treasured heirloom. heir-loom. There are many different floral flo-ral designers in the Basin Area, Garden Gate Floral, Vernal Floral Flo-ral and Keepsake Floral are just a few. For more information contact con-tact the florists in your area. Photo courtesy Martinez Photography Flowers are an important part of a wedding. I 'SS? Creating your own wedding decorations can be fun. You'll find dozens of ideas at stores like Wal-Mart, Michaels and JoAnn Crafts, or use your own imagination for unique designs. de-signs. Crafts stores and fabric stores offer lace garter patterns that can be embellished with beads, satin, tiny flowers, etc. You'll also get ideas for making handbags, dyed silk shoes and other accessories. Headpieces, veils, floral wreaths and bar-rettes bar-rettes are also fun projects for the bride and bridesmaids. Making your own decorations decora-tions allows you to be more creative cre-ative and adds a personal touch to your wedding, but it can be very time consuming. Plan your projects far enough in advance so you won't get too stressed out. Enlist family members and friends to help and your decorations decora-tions will be finished twice as fast. f 0 Celehratinvx years of making your wedding dreams come true. 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