Pink-in any of its numerous shades-is a popular color for brides to choose when selecting the colors for their wedding. And why not? Pink symbolizes love, friendship, happiness, compassion and harmony; all of which are vital to a happy and lasting marriage.

When using fresh-cut flowers in shades of pink for the bridal bouquet and décor, most people’s first inclination would be toward roses, tulips or daisies. But why not think outside the box for a change?

Ranunculus comes in beautiful shades of pink and makes a stunning centerpiece on its own or teamed with pussy willow, ferns and/or pink yarrow flowers.

Lilies come in all shades of pink. Their stems are stout enough to make them a candidate for a presentation bouquet or as part of a cascade-style bouquet. Using lilies, gladiolas and greenery give your wedding and reception the look of elegance.

Pink flower balls made of cosmos, peonies, roses, hydrangea, or daisies give a playful appearance to your wedding and can be duplicated in bouquet form for the wedding party.

Other pink blooms brides often find desirable include:

· Mini calla lilies-simple, yet elegant

· Snapdragons, with their vertical blooms, give height and volume

· Orchids-the epitome of nostalgia. Every bride deserves to carry orchids.

When deciding on color combinations that work well with pink Some choices include white, yellow, red and brown.

When deciding what type of bridal bouquet to carry, consideration should be given to the old-fashioned presentation bouquet. The presentation bouquet, which is also referred to as an arm bouquet, is an arrangement of flowers that lays flat in the crook of the bride’s arm. And almost without exception, the flowers are tied together mid-stem with an elegant bow to compliment the bride’s gown.

When designing a presentation bouquet, it’s important to keep in mind that the flowers used will need to have stems stout enough to be cradled in the bride’s arm without the blooms drooping. Your best choices for such a bouquet include:

· Roses-long stemmed and thorns removed, are the most popular choice for arm bouquets.

· Large Calla lilies are another extremely popular choice. Some brides opt for carrying a single calla lily, while others fill their arm with them. Because of their shape, more than 30 calla lily makes the bouquet appear too crowded.

· Peonies, with their fragrant pompom-styled blooms, are more fragile than one might think due to their size. But in shades of pink, rose and cream or white, they work well when mixed with greenery to shield them from too much handling.

· Sunflower bouquets or sunflower/wildflower bouquets tied with a bow is the perfect complement to a country style wedding or more casual outdoor affair.

· Less common blooms such as bird of paradise or snapdragons work well with other softer-stemmed flowers to give some stability to the bouquet.

You can also add stability to an arm bouquet by adding leather-leaf, baby’s breath, statice, ferns, carnations or liatris.

The trusty tulip, with its fine tips, looks as if it is always ready to give and receive a kiss. This sweet ‘disposition’ is just one reason tulips make the perfect flower for bridal bouquets and wedding décor.

Tulips come in a variety of colors and even sizes. When considering using tulips for your bridal bouquet, your options are wide open. The heavier stem makes it possible to carry a presentation-styled bouquet of tulips with baby’s breath tied with ribbon. Or if a nosegay or cascade bouquet is more your style, a mix of tulips, roses and hyacinths will be the perfect complement to any style of wedding gown.

Bridesmaids can carry similar, but smaller, bouquets of white or another contrasting color. Just remember to leave the fresh-cut stems in water until just minutes before the ceremony is to begin.

You can use tulips to decorate the church and reception venues by:

1. Filling clear glass vases with water and anchoring the tulips with polished stones

2. Placing the fresh-cut tulips in wire or wicker baskets with liners inside to hold the water necessary for keeping the flowers fresher longer.

3. Yellow or bright pink tulips in clear glass vases filled with fresh limes make a stunning centerpiece, as do deep red or orange ones in vases filled with lemons.

4. Baskets filled with different colored tulips and greenery bring an excitement to the church almost equal to that of the bride and groom.

Tulips are hardy, plentiful and compliment any style of wedding. Using tulips will provide a beautiful background for you and your groom to begin your life as husband and wife.

Looking for that garden wedding feel? Give your wedding an ample supply of garden-like blooms to fill the church (and your arms) with flowers that are both fragrant and beautiful.

Lilacs­. These sweetly-scented clusters of pale purple go beautifully with tulips, baby’s breath, white or yellow roses, lilies of the valley, or as a stand-alone.

Peonies are another possibility when it comes to using locally grown flowers. Available in shades of white and pink, their large heads fill a vase with little problem. They are, however, a bit fragile, and if you want the heady scented varieties, you’ll need to stick with the old-fashioned peony.

Iris are the masterpiece of spring. Their colors-both pastel and variegated-are brilliant and varied. Iris hold up well, as long as their blooms aren’t crushed or fingered too much.

Sunflowers are usually best when used for more casual or outdoor weddings. Their woody stems (even the miniature varieties) stand up well in vases and when used to decorate arbors or archways. Mixed with regional wildflowers, leather leaf, fresh-cut cattails or ferns, the smile of a sunflower rivals that of the bride.

Other garden-like blooms brides often use (or should consider using) include geraniums, zinnias and dahlias. All of these, and those listed above, work well in vases, ‘live’ wreaths and used with archways and arbors.

Choosing to have a Christmas wedding is both practical and savvy. From a practical standpoint, families traditionally gather together during the holidays, anyway, so why not make the wedding a part of the family celebration. As for savvy, decorations galore are available to make your ceremony and reception a true winter wonderland. And finding all of these decorations at a discount is easy; making every father of a Christmas bride a very happy one.

But does a Christmas wedding automatically mean red poinsettias? No. While they are both abundant and beautiful, there are many other floral options when it comes to having a Christmas wedding.

- An all-white wedding is possible using white poinsettias or amaryllis, carnations, roses, paper whites or even tulips. Yes, tulips are traditionally thought of as a spring flower, but many growers force them for winter blooming.  Oh, and don’t forget the mini lights.

- Poinsettias also come in deep burgundy and can be teamed with pine boughs, gold balls, cream colored roses and/or pink poinsettias or amaryllis.

- Green is readily available even though it’s cold outside. Holly, pine or cedar, ferns and even less traditional, the Christmas cactus can make a lovely setting. Accenting any of these with silver, gold, red or deep yellow will make for a stunning décor.

- At the reception, forget the flowers and use fruit. Bowls of apples, oranges, lemons and limes accented with sprigs of pine, pine cones or festive ribbon is both attractive and budget-friendly.

- Pine cones in a variety of sizes are beautiful when paired with pink or red poinsettias, colored balls and festive ribbon. Oh, and the spicy-scented ones bring added warmth to the room.

- Blue is another color abundant during the holiday season. Navy or soft blue, you’ll be able to use it with white carnations, paper whites, tulips, roses and amaryllis. Just be sure to add some sparkle with silver and clear mini lights.

- Red. Don’t discount it just because it’s Christmas. Combining red with white, black, ivory or even deep yellow will allow you to take advantage of all the decorating bargains without making your wedding look like Santa’s workshop.

Vases filled with fragrant blooms or single stems; these are the norm when it comes to wedding flora, but oh, there are so many other things you can do when decorating for your wedding reception….

For spring weddings:

1. Potted daffodils or tulips; complete with new grass is a charming way to announce the new season of your life. For an even more colorful twist, nestle a resin bunny or Easter egg (if date-appropriate) in the grass at the base of the flower stem.

2. Flowering dogwood or redbud in tall vases filled with water and clear marbles.

3. Large, fragrant peony or lilac blooms floating in shallow clear-glass bowls or on top of larger ones with a white molly fish or white goldfish swimming beneath.

For summer weddings:

1. Ferns mixed with sunflowers

2. Roses just at their peak, snipped close lying in a bed of fringed leaf lettuce

3. Forget the flowers and decorate with watermelon baskets filled with berries and melon balls. The guests eat the centerpieces, reducing the cost of decorations/food.

4. Baskets filled with ribbon-tied bouquets of wild flowers.

For fall weddings:

1. Potted mums are always in good taste.

2. Fall colored leaves (real or silk) amid gourds and pumpkins.

3. Gold or seasonally-colored candles with roses, dahlias, spider mums or pears (or a combination of any/all) scattered around.

4. Medium-sized pumpkins hollowed out to serve as a vase for mums, cattails and/or bittersweet.

5. White pumpkins speckled with gold.

For winter weddings:

1. Long-stem white roses edged in blue or silver laying randomly amid silver ribbon

2. Pink poinsettias mixed with browns; pine cones seed pods and cinnamon sticks

3. Miniature holly bushes in Christmas plaid-wrapped containers.

4. Miniature Christmas trees complete with mini lights and decorations in the center of each table (color-coordinated to match the wedding)