The summer Wedding and party season has really taken off! I guess the word is out about sustainable, locally grown flowers.  I have five weddings and a party in June.  Most people want  fresh flowers  they can arrange themselves.  That's fine with me, this gives me more time to devote to planting and growing.   A few reminders for anyone planning a large party or wedding. 

Make sure you have someone who isn't in the bridal party doing the majority of the flower arranging. I have had a maid of honor and a mother of the bride call me in a panic because they didn't have time to finish the arranging.  Something always seems to happen at the last minute! At one wedding a tree blew over in a storm the night before and the mother of the bride had to direct traffic instead of putting up the chuppah.

Another common problem with amateur flower designers is not having enough flowers.  Unless you have a lot of design experience you should order more flowers than you think you need.  Chances are you're calculations are a bit off or some of the flowers will break.  It's much better to have some extra flowers, (you can always put an arrangement on the bar, or in your powder room. )  Running to the Acme or Costco at the last minute is nerve wracking and the flowers aren't very good either.

The last bit of advice is to keep your arrangements simple.   Flowers, especially Lilies, practically arrange themselves if you put them in a  a fluted vase.  Use no more than three complimentary colors, or try a monotone arrangement, ( shades of pink, yellow, or blue).  Cut your flowers to be twice the height of the vase and you can't go wrong.

Happy party planning!