Lynchburg Living

2010 Hitched

By Megan Norcross

You have two months until your wedding day-the day you’ve been dreaming about since you were a little girl. The perfect gown has been purchased. Your bridal party has been selected and fitted for their matching attire. The venue, guest list and menu have been perfectly planned down to the very last hors d’oeuvre. Now, it’s the day before you meet with your florist and you’re doing a final number crunch to determine your budget when your worst fear materializes: you have gone over budget and now there’s nothing left to spend on that beautiful bouquet, let alone the bridesmaids’ bouquets, boutonnieres or the trimmings for the venue. You calculate the figures, hoping you added an extra zero where there shouldn’t have been but, alas, your nightmare is confirmed by that ominous negative symbol.

Panic whips through your mind as you imagine a barren wedding ceremony-no vibrant hues lining the guest’s seats. No bouquet to throw to a hopeful single. The sheer terror of the thought temporarily drives you to consider changing the reception from a sit-down dinner to a buffet when that tiny voice of reason pipes up and says, “Who says you have to buy your flowers? You have a green thumb; just grow your own bouquet!”

The tricks of the trade you learned from your grandmother swoop in and conquer those terrible, slightly exaggerated, thoughts of tumble weeds ripping through your ceremony and you breathe a much-needed sigh of relief. With clean air in your lungs and a more sensible head on your shoulders, you begin to research some seasonal flowers and roll up your sleeves to clear out a flowerbed.

The first thing to consider is the time of year and the climate in which you live. Though our area has seen an unusually cold and bitter climate the last few months, we still have plenty of options when it comes to planting during early spring.

“Pansies will withstand frost and colder temperatures,” explained Sheryl Murphy, owner of Wipledale Farms in Bedford.

Wipledale is a family-owned business that specializes in retail and wholesale greenhouse items–specifically their array of breathtaking flowers.

“Dianthus, Wave Petunias, Bacopa, Millions Bells, as well as some other blooming annuals are varieties that will withstand cold temperatures above 20 degrees as long as they’re protected from frost and hard freeze,” Murphy said.

Take a stroll through your local nursery or garden center a few months prior to your wedding and get a feel for what you like. Ask what types of flowers the staff there recommends and which ones will grow the fastest and yield the most flowers. Once you have chosen the right flowers for your arrangement, you must make sure you have enough time to plant and grow them to full potential. Waiting is often the toughest part but your luscious bouquet of homegrown greens and flowers will definitely be worth the wait.

“If your wedding is late March to mid-May, you should start picking out your varieties in early March,” advised Murphy. “What we offer is for the bride to come visit us any time after February and preview the varieties we will be growing.”

Murphy also suggested a “greener” approach to growing the venue’s floral decor.

“We have grown custom-designed planters and baskets that the bride can pick up about a week before the wedding. The bride can even bring her own planters or we can special order,” she explained. “I think this is a much better option than using cut flowers and a greener approach since there will be no waste and the planters or baskets can be enjoyed long after the Big Day! We have done planters for the church and centerpieces for the tables.”

Fast forward two months — the day before your wedding. The frenzy of dress fittings, cake tasting and tying bows on 200 favor boxes has passed. Don’t let the thought of styling your own bouquet stir up that frenzy once again — let it be a medium of therapeutic creativity before the Big Day.

“Add a variety of shapes into your bouquet,” suggested Joan Arthur, owner of Arthur’s Flower Cart in Lynchburg. “Try to avoid using all round flowers, all small flowers or all pointed flowers. Mix it up a bit.”

The key is to be creative and, most importantly, have fun when styling your bouquets. If you want a more carefree look, simply tie your bouquet together with one of the flower stems. For more traditional, uniform flowers, select a ribbon that matches the color scheme of your wedding and tie the bouquet with a bow.

Not feeling creative? Pull inspiration from bridal magazines or even the wildflowers you see growing along a roadside. The important thing is to enjoy the planning stages of your wedding. It is easy to get caught up in the chaos of budgets, menus and dresses and forget to stop and soak it all in.

Remember that the day isn’t about who’s wearing what gown. It’s about a bond between two people that can’t be matched. Forget about keeping up with the latest wedding trends and plan a wedding that is as unique as you and that special someone. Your wedding day will pass just as quickly as the months leading up to it so breathe, smile and enjoy every ounce of fun while you plan your dream wedding.