HOLIDAZE

The day that is the bane of every florist in the land is upon us – Valentine's Day! Why do florists shudder in fear at the mere mention of V-day you ask? The multitudes of orders to get out ALL AT THE SAME TIME, the stratospheric flower prices and the challenge of even getting the flowers they want - when every other designer in town wants the same flowers. It's enough to make any florist want to hunt down Cupid with a different type of bow and arrow.

Luckily, we only decorate events and don't have hundreds of bouquets of red Roses and Baby's Breath to produce. But we still know when faced with a holiday wedding or event, that it's potentially more problematic than a regular event - from the higher flower prices down to just the logistics of getting around with more people out and about. So when you're picking the date of your wedding I suggest...

Do make your special day YOUR special day
Don't make a holiday your special day

Sometimes it's tempting to plan your wedding over a holiday, or more importantly a holiday weekend – more days off for your honeymoon! You might even think you're doing your guests a favor by picking a long weekend like Memorial Day weekend. They will have an extra travel day, you think. Yes, they will have an extra travel day. But so will everyone else in the country! And your guest list may suffer by people who have already made plans for that holiday weekend or have annual traditions that they're not able or willing to give up.

Prices for flowers aren't the only things that go up around the holidays. Air fare, hotels and car rentals all go up at specific times of the year too, putting more of a financial strain on you and your guests. And flower prices are not just inflated at Valentine's Day. Prices soar at other key times of the year like around Christmas and New Year's Eve and Mother's Day. Sometimes the cost of staff goes up as well, like on New Year's Eve. All things to consider when you are thinking about your budget.

Demand is high for specific flowers around holidays and every florist is competing for the same product. This can mean a tougher time getting some of the specific flowers you may have in mind. Perhaps your florist is able to get what you want, but then the quality might not be as good as it is at other times of the year when less in demand.

So perhaps make your wedding day a celebration all its own. Leave the holidays to celebrate as you always have in the past. And yes, I did decorate a wedding this holiday weekend. We decorated for a lovely couple who ( instead of red or pink) chose classic, beautiful white and cream flowers – which I fought tooth and nail to get!