Wedding Planning Stress Solutions As Told By Cats

Wedding Season is here - and it can get very stressful!

Here is a course of action, guided by cats, to help get you through!

So, wedding planning has got you all...

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And if you have to look through one more bridal magazine you are going to...

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So before you...

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Trying to dig yourself out of the flood of information on what to do next like...

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Take a deep breath and...

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Remember the moment of...

 

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And the magical feeling of...

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It will be ok.

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Just keep that in mind, and never let the stress replace the meaning of the day and remember what it's all about.

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<3

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Design by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!   

Wedding Planning Simplified

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Congratulations!  You're engaged!!

Take some time to let the magic of it all settle in - you are starting one of the biggest adventures of a lifetime!

Once it has all settled in, it is time to get down to details and start planning!

The world of wedding planning can be MASSIVE and there are a ton of details to sort out.  So, where do you start?  

Now, you can always hire a planner, and a good planner can help you with all of the details!  But these are things you can do on your own, working with a planner to bring it all together!  This won't get you through everything, but it will get you started!

1. First things first - pick a theme.  This can be a color or your favorite movie or the location you met or a type of food or food in general or a style or a time period or anything in the world!  But if you do not pick this first, you will absolutely drown in the endless possibilities of wedding details.  Decide together on this, but before you start looking at dresses or flowers or venues or anything, pick a theme.

1A.  If you already have a dress that was handed down to you, or that you picked out forever ago, or a dream location or a particular flower, pick a theme that fits that - even if the location or the dress style becomes your theme.  Maybe the dress was your grandmother's and the theme becomes "family" or "history" or "the 1950s" or even the color tone of the dress.

2. Once you have a theme, work out two things:  What your dream day would consist of, and exactly what your budget for the day will be in real life.  By having these two things worked out, you can look at the different elements of your dream day, hold them up to your budget and see where you need to cut back, or find cost-effective alternate solutions, and bring your dream and your budget into a holy matrimony of their own!

3. Start diving into bridal magazines!  While flipping through The Knot and every Pinterest board under the bridal sun can be endless hours of inspiration and ideas - it also can be a rabbit hole that will send you into Alice's Wonderland if you do not have parameters set!  Picking a theme gives you a yardstick of what direction to go in.  And those tiny beach chair name cards in a sand box entry way might not be so distracting when you know you have already picked a metropolitan night scene theme!

4. Don't forget that things can always be handmade - maybe you see a look you love but the price tag is way out of your price range.  Perhaps diamond-studded table cards aren't going to fit into your real-world budget, but they would be the best night scene table topper you can find!  Check around and see if you can find plastic pieces you can use to make your own and throw a party with some friends to make them!  Or, if you are not crafty, or really don't have time, check on websites like Etsy and see if there is a shop there that can make them for you (or tell them what your budget is and see what they can make that might be similar).

5. Find a florist!  Be sure to talk to several, but if there is one you just click with, go with that!  Nothing is worse than working with someone who doesn't understand what you are looking for and isn't working with you on bringing to life your dream day!  Come prepared to discuss budget and colors and concepts.  Make sure you tell your florist your theme and what your ideas are - or if you need direction, tell them what your budget is and see what they come up with.  Good florists are trained in many styles and know varieties of flowers.  Maybe your dream is endless white roses but your budget hasn't figured out how to accommodate that - talk to your florist and see if they can't come up with an alternate style or flower to use that fits your theme and your dream and your budget!

<3

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Design by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!   

To Rose or Not To Rose?

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It's almost that time - February 14th is right around the corner, and with it, last minute Valentine's Day orders for flowers to be delivered to the people we love!

But did you ever wonder why it is we send flowers in the first place?

If you are familiar with the initial story, without getting into the religious history, the short version involves a message of love being sent, and flowers have been used to communicate silent messages for centuries.  

Thank tradition, or popular culture, but around 3/4 of all men have given flowers to their love on St. Valentine's Day, and majority of those have sent roses!  While roses have been a symbol of love and passion since ancient Egypt (the rose was sacred to many Goddesses), there are many other flowers which also can symbolize love and passion, without falling into the cliche, (or while working with a tight budget...).

Orchids are a symbol of love, wisdom, beauty, seduction and refinement.  They also have no scented pollen, which makes them fantastic flower choices for people with allergies.  Their lack of scent and uncommon allergic reactions are also why orchids became so popular in the restaurant and hotel industry.  A hotel lobby can maintain the class of fresh flowers with an intricate orchid arrangement, and not have to stock up on extra tissues.  For this reason they make an excellent Valentine's Day choice if your love has sensitivities to pollen or scented flowers.

Tulips are another flower that mean love - the red tulip symbolizing "perfect love" and pink and yellow tulips symbolizing caring and being hopelessly in love.  In Holland brides do not wish for roses on their special day.  The popular flower there is a tulip, frequently seen in wedding decor and in bridal bouquets.  Cut tulips also tend to last longer in a vase than other cut flowers, and for this reason make for a smart choice by those who like to enjoy their bouquet.

Do you want to go in a completely different direction?  Birds of Paradise.  These vibrant and energized flowers symbolize faithfulness, celebrate distinctive and unique beauty, while also being meant to express freedom and joy.  If you are looking to add a zestful and powerful statement to any delivery for your Valentine, these beautiful blooms take the cake!  They also are stunning alone, and with the right greenery can create an impact with only one or two stems (as depending where you live, they can be pricey).

So what will it be for you this Valentine's Day?  Stick with tradition?  Or mix it up with an alternate silent yet beautiful message of love?

<3

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Design by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!