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ideas for Add-on Wedding Florals
by Sharon Naylor and David Coake
When a bride and groom walk in to place their wedding
order with you, they often know the basics of what they want; however,
if you leave their order at that and don’t suggest additional floral
accents, you’re depriving them of the opportunity to make their wedding
unique and even more beautiful—and you’re depriving yourself of the
extra sales.
Here are sensational ideas for floral add-ons to
suggest to the lucky brides and grooms who choose you to be their
florist.
For
the Bridal Party
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Corsages or small bouquets and boutonnieres for other special people
who may not be part of the wedding party, such as godparents, legal
guardians, foster or adoptive parents, the person or couple who
introduced the bride and groom, children from previous marriages,
assistants and helpers, etc.
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Small
bouquets or nosegays to present to the mothers of the bride and
groom during the ceremony.
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Creative, reception-friendly floral “jewelry,” such as flower rings,
earrings, necklaces, shoe adornments, and even hairpieces or wrist
corsages so that the bride and attendants can remain adorned once
veils and bouquets are cast aside.
For the
Ceremony Site
-
A
flower-covered arch at the rear of the church to “frame” the bride
as she begins her walk down the aisle.
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Tribute bouquets or wreaths dedicated to departed family members or
to accent displayed portraits of a departed mother, sibling,
grandparent, etc., using that missed loved one’s favorite flowers.
(The bride and groom can mention these tributes in their printed
wedding programs.)
For the
Reception Site
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A
separate table for just the bride and groom that is festooned with
garlands and flowers and, perhaps, situated inside a decorated
gazebo or under a decorated arch.
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Colorful wreaths, nosegays or other types of designs to attach to
doors or doorknobs of the reception room, restrooms, coat room, etc.
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Decorative arrangements or floating flowers and candles for restroom
countertops and vanity tables.
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Edible flowers to garnish punches, serving platters and even guests’
dinner or dessert plates.
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Corsages and/or boutonnieres for the bartenders, wait staff, band
members or disc jockey.
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Single flowers in bud vases at each place setting—perhaps with place
cards—in lieu of traditional centerpieces. (These become take-home
favors as well.)
-
In
addition to centerpieces, an individual flower in a water tube to be
tucked into a folded napkin at each place setting. (This is much
less work than making custom floral napkin rings.)
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Flowers and greenery to adorn a wedding gift mailbox or decorative
bird cage where guests can deposit their cash-filled gift envelopes.
For
Transportation
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A
window-attachable bud vase or small floral arrangement for inside
the newlyweds’ limousine.
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A
“Just Married” sign and floral garlands, wreaths, or sprays to
tastefully decorate the couple’s getaway car. (This is a sure sale
when you suggest that this will surely discourage pranksters with
shaving cream and toilet paper.)
-
Floral garlands and other décor to adorn horse-drawn carriages and
horses.
As Favors
and Gifts
-
Thank-you arrangements, plants, or gift baskets delivered to bridal
shower hostesses as well as the bridal consultant, event planner,
and other special helpers.
-
Small
pots of herbs, flowers, or tree or plant seedlings, as lasting,
growing wedding favors.
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Packets of seeds or individual flowers to accompany notes announcing
the couple’s donation to an environmental charity in lieu of
traditional favors.
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Floral arrangements or gourmet baskets for special guests’ hotel
rooms or bedrooms.
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Flower arrangements sent to special family members or friends who
can’t attend the nuptials because of illness or distance.
-
Arrangements from the bride and groom sent to both sets of parents
on the day following the wedding, while the couple is on their
honeymoon.
-
Privately suggest to the groom that he send the bride a dozen roses
on the morning of the wedding as well as flowers to his mother and
mother-in-law-to-be.
Sharon
Naylor is:
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the
author of more than 35 wedding books
-
the
iVillage Wedding expert and blogger
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the
host of Here Come the Moms on Wedding Podcast Network
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the
Bridal Guide budget expert with a new e-mail-a-day feature
-
a
contributing editor to Southern Bride
-
a
contributor to the top bridal magazines
-
a
frequent guest on Martha Stewart Weddings Sirius Satellite Radio
program
-
a
featured guest expert on such shows as Good Morning America, ABC
News, Get Married, I Do! with The Knot, and many more.
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a
consultant for Bed Bath & Beyond
-
a
honeymoon and destination wedding spokesperson for Caneel Bay Resort
She has
been featured in InStyle Weddings, Modern Bride, Brides, Bridal Guide,
Glamour, Redbook, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications.
Check out Ms. Naylor’s wedding book series at
www.sharonnaylor.net.
David Coake is the editorial director for Florists’ Review
magazine. |
