Wedding flowers are an integral part to any wedding, adding color and beauty to your special day. Make sure you understand what you're looking for before you visit a florist so that you'll be better equipped to make final decisions.

Set a Budget
Keep in mind that wedding flowers will likely take up eight to ten percent of your budget. Consider the needs of both your ceremony and reception locations before agreeing on a final budget number. For example, you might discover that your outdoor garden ceremony location requires very few blooms while your art loft reception needs extra adornment to make the space feel homey.

Know What You Need
Before you even meet with an expert, consider your floral needs. Most weddings require bouquets for the bride and her attendants, boutonni?res for the groom and his groomsmen, corsages for parents and VIP guests, ceremony flowers, and reception decorations.

For the ceremony, you may want to include a garland, which is typically used to adorn pews and doorways. If your flower girls are dropping rose petals, make sure to clear this with the church or ceremony location to make sure that it is allowed.

When considering the reception, you may need a dais, which drapes at the front of the head table, or if you'll be better off with a regular centerpiece.

Flower Colors
After you've decided which parts of your ceremony and reception need wedding flowers, you'll need to think about your floral color scheme. Try to choose hues that compliment your wedding colors and style so that your final palette comes across as seamless and not chaotic.

Keep in mind that wedding flowers are easily dyed, so no color is off the table. That being said, blue tulips may sound great in concept but look like a pop art explosion in real life, so tread cautiously.

Flower Types
Before you settle on any one type, make a list of all of the wedding flowers that have caught your eye in the past. Now consider your location and the time of year that plan on getting married. Ask yourself which flowers on your list are best suited for the time and location of your event.

For example, summer beach weddings are better off with hardy flowers that don't easily wilt. Try sunflowers, zinnias, dahlias, lilies, and hydrangeas. If you're planning a spring wedding, consider tulips, wildflowers, and lily of the valley. Valentine's Day brides should be leery of choosing red roses, as the price for a single stem quadruples on and around February 14.

Keep in mind that certain wedding flowers have a stronger smell than others. If you want to keep strong floral odors at bay, avoid freesia, lilies, lilacs, tuberoses, and gardenias.

Beidermeier: A Nosegay made up of different flowers in concentric circle patterns. Usually looks striped.

Cascade: A waterfall style bouquet that looks like a miniature floral train.

Classic or Hand-Tied: Usually hand-tied or wired, this bouquet tends to be thick with flowers. Most commonly used as the bride's wedding flowers.

Composite: Handmade with different petals and buds wired together on a single stem. Usually looks like one big flower.

Nosegay: Small, round bunch of flowers that are all the same length. Usually only one color and wrapped with a ribbon. Create a TussyMussy by inserting your nosegay into a silver-carry cone for a Victorian feel.

Pomander: These bloom-covered balls are typically suspended from a ribbon. Pomanders are great for children to carry during the ceremony.