Life Events Life events pose a unique challenge because each is a new or infrequent occurrence for which many people have little or no prior experience. A wedding is no exception to this rule. When planning your wedding, a little dose of commonsense advice can help tremendously. Here is our advice on this topic.	/	Marriage / Wedding / Wedding Flowers
		Unless you have a talented flower arranger among your family or friends, you will need to work with a professional florist if you want to add the beauty and fragrance of flowers to your wedding. Flowers make up the bouquets for the wedding party and decorate the place of the ceremony and reception. If you use fresh flowers, they have to be arranged just hours before the wedding, during that all critical time when it seems like everything else must be done, too. Arranging is a time consuming task, so you need to work with someone who is dependable and experienced so that you can make your plans well in advance and leave the implementation of those plans entirely to them. Choose a florist who will work with the colors and style of flowers you like. The final contract should include the specific varieties, amount, price, placement, and delivery of the flowers. You will probably pay part of the total bill as a deposit, but do not pay the balance until someone has checked that everything has been properly arranged and delivered. Flowers for the wedding party include the bride's and bridesmaids' bouquets and the boutonnieres for the groom, groomsmen and/or ushers, and the fathers of the bride and groom. The bridal couples' mothers and grandmothers usually wear corsages. Boutonnieres for the couples' grandfathers are a nice touch, as are corsages and boutonnieres for any special guests or those asked to participate in special roles. If you are having a religious ceremony, check to make sure any flowers you intend to use are in accordance with the rules or regulations set. Remember that the alter or huppah is always the focus of attention, so you should probably focus your most important flowers there. Consider the size and time of the wedding. Small arrangements may be lost in a large building, while huge ones may overwhelm an intimate space. Dark colored flowers may fade into the background at night or in a dimly lighted interior. Ribbons, candles, and flowers can be used to reserve front pews for members of the family or special guests. In many locations, you are responsible for removing the flowers after the ceremony. Be sure to assign this job to one or more of the wedding party. In some cases, you may want to use the flowers from the ceremony at the reception; if so, be sure to discuss their placement with whomever designs the overall arrangement and then give specific instructions to the person moving them. If your budget does not cover elaborate flowers for both the ceremony and the reception, you will get the most for your money by concentrating on the flowers at the reception site. If guests are to be seated at tables, make sure the centerpieces are low enough to talk over. One spectacular arrangement on a buffet table is more effective than several smaller arrangements scattered throughout the room. Remember that you will save money by using flowers that are in season in your area rather than choosing varieties that need to be specially imported.
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