Think of any important occasion, whether it’s a birth, wedding, new job, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or even a funeral, and flowers will usually appear somewhere in order of the day. So here’s a brief guide to choosing the perfect flowers for your special occasion…

Weddings
When it comes to planning your big day, your choice of flowers can make all the difference and that is why it’s so important to pick a floral display that will enhance the theme of your wedding.

There are a number of aspects to consider including church flowers, decoration for the cake, the bridesmaids’ bouquets, and, perhaps most importantly, the bride's bouquet. Historically the bride chose white flowers to symbolise purity, and although some still do, these days a woman usually opts for colours to complement her own or the bridesmaids' dresses.

When choosing wedding flowers it is worth taking along a sample of fabric from the bride's dress to the florist, as this will help when matching colours, even if you want a white bouquet to match a white dress because whites can vary.

Among the flowers that brides tend to go for in their bouquet are roses, lilies, carnations, chrysanthemums and tulips, but the type of flower will depend on the shape of the bouquet.

There are a number of shapes to consider; the cascade, which is a large, tear-shaped arrangement that spills down; the nosegay, a round, tightly bound cluster of small flowers; a hand-tied bouquet, a simple cluster of long stems tied with a ribbon; and a spray bouquet, which is a triangular shaped bunch of flowers.

As a general rule large bouquets are best suited to formal, long dresses while a smaller bouquet looks best with a knee-length dress.

Bereavement
One of the best ways to pay tribute is to send flowers. For a funeral you could choose a heart shaped floral display, which is a symbol of charity, an anchor, which is a symbol of Christian hope and honour, or a wreath, which represents eternity and the circle of life.

If you want to send flowers to the bereaved then a traditional or hand-tied bouquet, or a basket arrangement is probably best. You can choose from a whole range of flowers, including lilies, chrysanthemums, freesias, or maybe your departed loved one’s favourite flower.

Whatever you choose, the floral tribute should be gratefully received by grieving friends or relatives because where words are no consolation; flowers can show someone just how much you care.

Birthdays
Make a friend or relative’s birthday extra special by sending them a bouquet or basket of flowers. As a birthday is a celebration why not opt for a brightly coloured display using flowers such as tulips, sunflowers, roses, and gerbera.

You can choose from a wide choice of pre-made designs, including hand-tied bouquets or traditional baskets, or you can have a personalised bouquet made to include your loved one’s favourite flowers.

Also worth considering is the time of year, as you could get a beautiful seasonal bouquet to mark your friend or relative’s special day. For example in spring you could choose tulips, orchids, daffodils, and chrysanthemums, while in summer you could get tiger lilies, carnations, and freesias, or in the colder months you could opt for irises, roses, lilies, and snowdrops.

Special Occasions
There are also other special occasions for which you may want to send flowers, such as Valentine’s Day where red roses are a must, Mother’s Day when you can send a lovely bouquet of carnations, pink roses, chrysanthemums and gerbera, and the birth of a new baby, for which you can usually choose a pink or blue colour theme.

Other occasions where flowers may be appropriate are when a person is sick or in hospital, or when a loved one is celebrating a new job, new home, promotion, graduation, etc. For these occasions a bouquet or basket of seasonal flowers would probably be best.