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Every bride has one element of the wedding that she’s really into. For me, it was the flowers. I love flowers to begin with, and to be presented with the opportunity of spending some decent money on arrangements for all our loved ones to see was like heaven for me.

We met with two florists in order to compare ideas and, more importantly, prices. I found that their prices were, for all intents and purposes, the same. They also both had some great ideas, and I had a difficult time choosing between them. In the end, I went with the second one, mostly because our personalities just really clicked, and also, I must admit, because of the snobbery factor: he was a sort of "florist to the stars." He’d done flowers for some of the celebrities in the area of New Jersey in which we lived, including Jackie Kennedy and Malcolm Forbes. I figured if he was good enough for them, he was good enough for me, too.

For months, I scanned the pages of wedding magazines, looking for the perfect bouquet, the ideal centerpiece. I clipped photos and put them in a picture album to bring with me when I met with Lee, the florist. Everytime we met, I forgot to bring it.

Still, it was helpful to have all my ideas in one place, because I was able to zero-in on my likes and dislikes. The options for brides are endless, and flowers are a perfect way for her to express her style and personality without having to compromise. For instance, with the wedding dress, one is limited by their figure; with the bridesmaids dresses, by their respective and collective tastes. But the opportunities for flowers, which stand independent of these other factors, are boundless.

I looked at pictures from previous weddings Lee had done, and the styles were as diverse--if not more so--than the brides themselves. I learned that the traditional bridal bouquet--which almost no one adheres to exactly anymore--is all white: phalaenopsis orchids, roses, and stephanotis, along with various greenery. (I also discovered that my mother carried this bouquet at her own wedding).

These days, however, some brides carried cascading bouquets of deep red roses; others carried small, dainty nosegays of pink tea roses and greenery. One bride opted for an stark but elegant arm-length bouquet of calla lilies, while another carried a country-looking spray of hand-held daises.

I think the thing about flowers that excited me so much was that it was the perfect opportunity to define the overall tone of the wedding, which to me was very important. Did I want it to have a romantic feel, with a bit of Victoriania? Or perhaps a more country-ish tone, with daisies in clay pots or wicker baskets for centerpieces?

In the end, I discovered that my tastes leaned towards the traditional, the elegant. I chose to carry a hand-held nosegay (meaning, holding the stems, which were left long) of white and blush roses, gardenias, and the traditional bridal bouquet flower, the stephanotis. (Note: it is said that stephanotis brings good-luck to all brides). Although gardenias aren’t the most practical option--they die when touched and wither easily--I wanted them somewhere in the wedding, because they’re my favorite flower. In the end, they looked gorgeous in the bouquet, and everyone marveled at their incredible fragrance.

I decided that the bridesmaids would carry hand-held nosegays of white roses. I asked the florist about distinguishing the Maid of Honor from the other bridesmaids by putting blush colored roses in her bouquet, but he tactfully informed me that tradition had long since passed. Oh well!

The ceremony room was lined with ferns and white lilies, as was the Huppah we were married under. But it was the reception centerpieces I was truly proud of. They’d turned out just like I pictured: three foot high glass vases, topped with a huge bouquet of white and champagne stock, white roses, and various greens, including ivy.

One thing I learned when designing the centerpieces is that you have to either go high or go low, but there is no in between. Literally. They should either lie nearly flat on the table (raised no higher than six inches) or else stand three feet or above. This is because anything in the middle stands at eye-level and blocks your guests from seeing one another. Since I wanted a sense of drama in the room, I opted for the "high" option; most brides, however, don’t. Keeping the flowers closer to the table also means keeping the cost down, and since flowers don’t matter as much to everyone as they did to me, this is often the preferred option.
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