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What your florist wants you to know before you arrive for your consultation appointment.

As a long time floral designer and wedding specialist, I have sat with many brides over the years. I've had them all- old ones, young ones, repeat brides, easy-going and difficult brides. Flowers are a very important aspect of the wedding planning process. Can you even imagine all those expensive photographs without any floral decoration? Pretty blah, huh? Flowers complete your picture perfect day and add a touch of freshness to your wedding.

Choosing flowers can be stressful. For most brides, their wedding flowers is their first real experience with a flower shop. There are so many names and colors of flowers. It can be extremely overwhelming. Here are my tips for making the flower picking process as easy as possible.

If you don't have a florist you use for everyday floral orders, ask your recently married friends how they felt about their wedding flower experience. It's always nice to have some first hand opinions on a specific vendor. Next make an appointment. Never walk in and expect to sit with the consultant without one. Flower shops can be very busy, especially if you want to visit around a holiday.

Before your meeting, have a definite color palette chosen for your wedding. It's nearly impossible to choose flowers when you don't have a dress color chosen for your bridesmaids. If at all possible, bring photos of the dresses and even fabric swatches to your consultation. It will be much easier to match ribbon colors if you have the fabric right there with you.

Once the colors are decided, take the time to browse Internet sites and magazines for photos of bouquets. The Internet is an endless resource for flower photos. See what flowers are shown with the dress color you've chosen. Have an idea of what styles you like. If you despise the look of long trailing bouquets, make a note of it and tell your florist when you meet with them. If you see a rose shade that really catches your eye, make a note about it. If you're unsure of exact flower names or varieties, that's okay. Print the photo and bring it with you. Know what you like, even if it's just one or two things. It's a starting place.

When you meet with your florist, keep the number of people you bring at a minimum. Grooms are usually not real big on the flower thing, so maybe it will be best to come without him and just bring mom or your Maid of Honor. As with anything in wedding planning, the more opinions, the harder

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