A fistful of flowers

My first floral consultation is tomorrow...

I love flowers. And I would have fresh flowers in the house year round if possible However, I cannot fathom spending an arm and a leg on flowers for the wedding. Primarily because they will die within a few short days, but also, I would much rather have more money toward other aspects of the wedding, like in catering, or my dress/hair/makeup/etc.

That in mind (and strict budget in hand), I made my first consultation appointment with a popular (she already has numerous weddings booked for 2010) florist through the Kroger network, Kim over at Chinoe. Kim worked with my sister, Katie, on her wedding flowers and did a nice job. Like Katie, I want to keep it simple. Yes, I know having 16 people in our wedding party does not quite constitute simple, but I am sure going to try!

Going into this meeting, I know that I want orange flowers. Bright pops of color and soothing greenery are my idea of floral beauty. Jacob and I both love lilies, so we are thinking orange lilies may be the way to go.

I have found several photos of bridesmaid bouquets made of orange calla lilies that I absolutely love! Wouldn't these look great next to emerald green dresses?? And if we kept to the calla lily theme for all attendants, these boutonnieres are super cute! For my bouquet, I love the idea of using lilies, just not calla lilies, just to be different. And to match, Jacob's boutonniere can match whatever flowers make up my bouquet.

Also, another thought that occurred to me for the bridesmaids' bouquets: bouquet charms. This could be a really fun DIY project! And would be an outlet for a little personality and fun.

These are just initial thoughts. Once I sit down and meet with Kim tomorrow, I will see what is possible within my budget and begin to firm up what I really want. Stay tuned!