My goodness! There seems to be so much discrepancies around the cost of wedding flowers. How many times have you heard and read  comments such as:
"as soon as you mention wedding the price doubles"
"negotiate with the florist on the price of your wedding flowers",
"this is how to d.i.y your wedding bouquet and cut the cost of your arrangements"

The impression we are left with is that wedding florist tend to rip you off and you can really get what you want for so much less or even do it yourself for a fraction of the cost.

So as you consider ordering  flowers for your wedding, I suggest you ask yourself the following:

1 WHY DO I WANT THAT BOUQUET?

• People are going to notice two things, your wedding dress and your bridal bouquet. You want them to make you look fantastic. You have seen a bouquet or have imagined just what it looks like.
• Does the shape compliment the style of your dress or your stature?
• Do you know how much a fifty rose bouquet actually weighs?
• Do you realise that those orchids will need to be imported from Japan and they are not in season?

2 WHY DO I WANT THOSE ARRANGEMENTS?

• Your venue holds twenty tables and you want two tall arrangements and chandeliers covered in flowers with candles per table. They looked spectacular when you attended a wedding at the same venue.
• Did you realise that you could cut the cost by reducing the number of tall arrangements to one per table and alternating tall and low arrangements?
• Similarly, tea lights along the tables could give a beautiful, magical effect, creating the ambience that you think only a central chandelier can achieve.

3 WHY DO I WANT THOSE FLOWERS?

• The bouquets and arrangements in the photos use specific flowers and those are the same ones you have set you mind on using.
• Do you know that some flowers look very similar but don't cost the same?
• If a particular flower is out of season, it may be unavailable or have to be imported.
• Some foliage, such as Dusty Miller, which appear in a lot of bouquets on Pinterest, are far more expensive than flowers.

4 WHY DO I WANT THAT PROP?

• A temporary wooden archway covered in flowers has become associated with many outdoor wedding ceremonies. Large urns flanking the entrance to the church overflowing with large hydrangea heads and garden roses is another popular floral display for many weddings.
• Does the floral props you want to use fit your theme?
• Can the same props be transported and use to decorate the entrance to your reception venue?
• Will those props be able to withstand adverse weather such as strong wind or snow?

5 WHY DO I WANT TO D.I.Y?

• The bridal magazine and blogs have some great tips and easy to follow photos for creating a wedding bouquet, boutonniere and jam jar table arrangements.
• Do you have the time and access to a flower market to get the best price?
• When will you prepare them?
• Do you have a team to help or do you plan to do the job with your mum the day before the wedding?

6 WHY DO I WANT THOSE PLACE SETTINGS?

• The wedding table scape looks gorgeous with an orchid on each plate and the menu completed in calligraphy.
• How will you keep the flowers looking fresh till the reception?
• Are there flowers that last longer out of water than others?
• Would it be better to use foliage rather than fresh flowers?

7 WHY DO I WANT FRESH FLOWERS?

• For some brides the attitude to flowers is similar to Marmite. Some would never use silk flowers and others view fresh flowers as unnecessary drain on their wedding budget.
• Flowers are a wonderful accessory to your wedding. They create ambience, add beauty and compliments the regalia of the wedding party.
• No one can take away the beauty of fresh flowers.
• Neither can the advantage of faux flowers be dismissed, especially where the weather plays an important role.

8 WHY DO I THINK MY WEDDING FLOWERS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE?

• Your wedding flowers like all the other elements of your wedding are negotiable.
• You both decide on the necessity and budget.
• If you have followed your commitment to a wedding theme or overall vision, then you will know whether you want flowers, if you prefer fresh, faux or a mix of both and if employing a professional florist is among your choice of vendors.
• Let your florist offer advice and guidance in regards to flower choice, seasonal variations, getting the best from different types of arrangements and displays.
• Aim to come up with a cohesive vision and clear plan to achieve a wedding decorated beautifully with flowers.
• Staying open-minded and flexible will enable you to find  the best solution and alternatives where you have budget and other constraints.
  
• Remember the choice between fresh and faux is not primarily cost but preference and the pros and cons of each type.
  

As with most things, there are no hard and fast rules and by keeping the end result in mind, you can achieve your vision.

Deciding who to invite to your wedding is almost of United Nations proportions in the mind of some people, regarding  the need for diplomacy.

Have some perimeters and hopefully make the culling of your guest list a non-brainer instead of sleepless nights and traumatised nerves.

WHO?

• Your wedding is an official announcement of your lifelong commitment to each other.
• Your guests are those people in your lives that you want to share in this momentous decision.
• People who love you, are part of your lives now and your future as a couple.
• People who celebrate you as a couple.
• These should be at the top of your guest list.

WHAT?

• The theme and style of your wedding will influence your attitude to inviting guests.
• Relaxed, family and informal reception in your parents garden or a three course formal table settings at a stately home, gives you a different mind set and factors as to how guests will be catered for and welcomed.

WHERE?

• Location is very inter-related to the theme of your wedding.
• If your wedding is in your local village/home town, it's likely more people will know about it and expect an invitation.
• Getting married in another city or international location immediately reduces the number of people who will be able to afford the time and money to attend.
• Some may only hear about it after the event.

WHEN?

• Getting married on a weekday will exclude some people who cannot get the time off work or a suitable babysitter for their pre-school and school age children.
• Winter weddings could affect travel to your wedding venue if there's heavy snow storms. 
• Also not everyone find tropical heat enjoyable for a wedding in the Caribbean.

WALLET?

• Remember guests cost money.
• In fact there is a price per head formula used by caterers, whatever style of catering and menu you plan to have for your wedding reception.
• An extra person a friend, boyfriend or cousin translate to extra money out of your budget.
• If your cost per head is a modest £50, then just eight extra guests will add £400 to your catering costs. Multiply that by twenty and the point is made.
• This could also extend to providing transportation and hotel accommodation for out of town guests.

WARRING?

• There's no perfect family and if you have family members that are in any type of dispute with each other, don't let your wedding become a battlefield.
• This also applies to "ex's". Ex-spouses of your parents, ex-girlfriends or boyfriends, ex-school friends.
• There's a reason that these individuals are no longer central to your lives.
• Unless you're both confident that past hurts and grievances will not re-surface at your wedding, be careful about inviting such individuals.

WEARY?

• Don't let your guest list stress you out.
• If you have taken on board the above considerations, then you would have cut your list drastically, depending on what factors apply to your situation.
• Make your list and prioritise.
• Beyond those in your inner circle, everyone else has to earn their right to an invite.
• Whoever you think "should be invited because... "(fill in the gap. eg distant cousins, your mum's hairdresser friend, you work in the same department...)... probably don't need to be there.

WISHLIST?
There will be those you wish you could invite or wish they could make it, but can't.

• You could still make them feel included in a number of ways.
• The former could be sent an evening invitation so they're involved in the post ceremony celebrations.
• Have a post wedding party at a later date for those who couldn't travel to your location wedding.
• Sending a special gift commemorating your wedding day, a wedding favour, a table arrangement or slice of wedding cake can be enough to make others feel part of your day.
• You could have a special viewing of your wedding video and invite those who were unable to be with you on the day. Provide drinks, snacks and some wedding cake to make it even more special.

Below is a link to an article regarding Pippa Middleton's wedding list. Even though this is a high profile and wealthy couple, the guest list cull has to be applied and not everyone will be happy about it.

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/wedding/pippa-middletons-relatives-reveal-disappointment-over-not-receiving-an-invitation-to-her-wedding/ar-BBB9ao0?li=BBoPOOm&ocid=HPCDHP

It's been said that guests won't remember your vows but they will remember the food at your wedding. Think about it, it's one part of most weddings that someone is left feeling upset. While you can't please everyone, you can try and do your best to make your wedding catering a good experience.

1  GET A CATERER THAT YOU KNOW CAN DO THE JOB

• Do not waste time on trying to get someone to cook out of their comfort zone and experience.
• This is particularly important if you want an ethnic food menu.
• Find a caterer with a track record for catering for the type of food, number of guests and the location you have in mind.

2 GET A VENUE THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE THE TYPE OF CATERING THAT YOU WANT

• All inclusive venue booking takes a lot of the guesswork out of what the chef will provide from their tried and tested menus.
• If however you want a different type of wedding or menu, then you need to find out if the venue has the facilities to serve your kind of food.
• You need to find out if you can bring in your own caterers, is their access to an adequate size kitchen, water supply, electricity?
• Can you have hot plated food or only a cold buffet?

3 GET A CLEAR MENU SELECTION

• Can the caterer provide the types of food you want to give the majority of your guests?
• Can they present the menu in the way you want, such as a hot buffet or three course meal?
• Is there a  choice of dietary alternatives for a few guests and children?
• Does the chef have a current speciality that has gone down well and your guests might like?
• Do they offer a package that includes other elements you would like, such as serving  champagne and the wedding cake, providing a bar and staff to run it?
• Are you charged per course/dish/menu/person?

4 GET A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT YOU CATERER IS PROVIDING
Particularly if the venue is not catering, you need to know if the caterer will also be responsible for:

• setting up and clearing up at the venue,
• decorating the table and venue,
• providing drinks and a  bar,
• table service or serving the food,
  
• providing a co-ordinator and staff at the reception?

If not, you will need to organise and pay extra for these yourselves.

5 GET A TASTE OF THE FOOD ON YOUR MENU

• Whilst it's important to taste food prepared by your caterer, recognise that arranging a special a food tasting  has some limitations.
• The caterer is not under pressure to produce food for 200 hungry guests that is served hot, tasty and on time at a food tasting.
• Similarly you may want your favourite restaurant to cater for your wedding, but have you eaten food the chef has prepared when catering for the size of your guest list?
• If you've been to a wedding of similar size as you're planning and the caterer did an excellent job, then you have a better idea of what they can produce.

6 GET A COPY OF THE CATERER'S LICENCE/INSURANCE

• Ensure that your caterer is currently registered with the local authority
• Check that they  have insurance cover in case of any catering related mishaps during and immediately after your wedding.
• Otherwise be aware that you could find yourselves legally liable.

7 GET A VIDEO OR PHOTOS OF PREVIOUS EVENTS
Ask to see any photos or videos the caterer has of previous work. These will hopefully give you an idea of:

• the presentation of the food
• the appearance of the catering staff
• service offered
• numbers catered for
• types of food served
• length of time the caterer has been in business.

8 GET A CONTACT LIST OF PREVIOUS CUSTOMERS

• Ask the potential caterer if there are any previous customers you can contact.
  
• Read reviews and feedback on the caterer's website and social media pages.
  
• Better still find out from friends and family which caterers they've used and get their feedback.
• Things can go wrong but how did the caterer cope is very telling.

9 GET A LIST OF WHO WILL BE IN CHARGE ON THE DAY AND THEIR TEAM

• Check how many other events your caterer will be cooking for on the day of your wedding.
• If not exclusively for you, get the name of the person who will be in charge at your venue and meet them beforehand to ensure everyone is on the same page.
• Have your representative, such as your day co-ordinator, the best-man and/or maid of honour,  to be the liaison person on the day with the caterer.

10 GET A TIMETABLE FOR YOUR DAY AND HOW THE CATERERS WILL FIT IN

• Your wedding day will involve a team of people who need to be in the right place at the right time doing what they were hired to do.
• This involves co-ordination and commitment to timing and co-operation especially where roles overlap.
•  Agree with your caterer all the timings from set up, serving of the courses and drinks, and clearing up.
• If possible have a meeting with the venue, caterer, and florist and anyone who will be involved in setting up at the venue.

Brides magazine created this helpful checklist of questions to ask any potential caterer. Remember to check out at least three caterers before making a decision, after you have had time to look over their answers.

http://www.brides.com/story/questions-to-ask-your-caterer-before-booking