When it comes to choosing and ordering flowers for your wedding don’t wait until the last minute, said Debbie Davis, the owner of Artistry in Bloom on Main Street in Saco.

“Often times the florist is the last item on a bride’s list. But it’s better to take care of the flowers as far in advance as possible,” she said.

Davis said it’s especially important to order your flowers ahead of time if you have a particular favorite. “You will want to make sure certain flowers are available at the time of your wedding, because if they’re not you’ll be disappointed,” she said.

Davis said that although florists these days can get just about any kind of flower, any time, there are still some that are only available at certain times of the year.

White calla lilies are particularly popular with brides nowadays, but Davis said roses are still a perennial favorite too.

At Artistry in Bloom Davis provides everything from bridal bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres to altar arrangements, table arrangements and pew bows.

She said the importance of flowers at any wedding, but particularly for a winter wedding, is the visual appeal. “Flowers add color and brightness,” Davis said.

She offers consultations with brides, but requests that appointments be made in advance because it can often take awhile to make decisions on what flowers to use for a wedding.

Davis provides cost estimates based on what the bride determines she’d like to have for floral arrangements and is happy to work with a bride to make adjustments to better fit the overall wedding budget.

At Everlastings & More in Old Orchard Beach, owner Debbie MacDonald said white roses are still a popular choice for weddings. She’s also noticed that hydrangeas are gaining in popularity.

“Really almost anything goes” in terms of what flowers can be used at a wedding these days, MacDonald said. “It used to be that people mostly wanted only white flowers, but now people seem to like a lot of color.”

MacDonald requires a minimum deposit at least two weeks before the wedding to ensure the bride can get exactly the flowers she wants.

MacDonald also said in the spring and summer, the most popular times to hold weddings, brides should book as far in advance as possible.

“We can only do three weddings a day,” MacDonald said, “so it’s important to book ahead.”

Like Artistry in Bloom, Everlastings & More can provide flowers for everything from the bridal bouquet to table arrangements to decorating the wedding cake.

FMI

Artistry in Bloom

282-6003

Everlastings & More

934-3729