Floral Designs by Heather Hendrickson was featured in "Mazel Tov! The complete Book of Jewish Weddings" by Lea Bayers Rapp Insider's Interview: Floral Designer Background: Heather provides wedding flowers in the wine country, Sonoma county, and San Francisco's North Bay area, in California. "When I first consult with brides, I begin by asking the wedding date." Says Hendrickson. "Although most flowers are available year-round, if you know the date right away you can work with the availability of the product. Before meeting with the florist the bride should have the location set, and an idea of the number of guests coming to determine the number of centerpieces needed. The bride should also have some idea of the color of the bridesmaids dresses. We take it from there." "Since this area-the wine country- is a destination site for weddings, brides come for a day and have to meet several vendors. So I like either to meet them at their hotel lobby or at the site and we can do a walk through it together. This helps with the placement of arrangements along with colors and sizes that will work." "There are two kinds of brides: one who knows nothing about flowers so I guide her and show pictures, and the bride who has some clear ideas that I fine tune.   If the bride has one favorite color we work on a selection of flowers and availability. I always explain to a bride flowers are subject to seasonal color variations. If we can't get exactly what she wants then she'll have to leave it to my discretion as a professional to find a substitute." "The whole wedding starts with the bridal bouquet. The bride decides on the style she wants and the types of flowers to be included. Does she want a cascading bouquet or a hand tied bouquet? In a hand tied bouquet the stems are cut short and the flowers are bound together with ribbons or wire: it has a round effect rather than a cascading effect. The round hand tied bouquets are very popular now. If the bride wants a natural look in her flowers, I use blooms from my garden. If she doesn't know what type of bouquet to select, she can look at pictures of previous weddings I have done to help her make a decision." "Some brides want an all white bouquet, but if she wants color, it should compliment or work with the bridesmaids' dresses. The groom's boutonniere usually compliments the bridal bouquet. For example, if the bride carries white roses then the groom wears one or two white roses." "When planning flowers for the bridesmaids, the color of their dresses often determines the shades of flowers used. Do they have pastel or jewel tones? Does the bride want to use contrasting colors or colors to blend with the dresses? Again, the groomsmen's flowers usually match a flower used in the bridesmaid's bouquets." "Flowers for the fathers should match those of the groomsmen. For the mothers, I recommend something in a neutral tone in a pin on corsage that will compliment whatever shade dress they may wear that day." "I like to ask the bride if she would like a toss bouquet. Most brides want a toss bouquet that is a scaled down version of their bouquet. The throwaway bouquet can either be kept in the refrigerator on site or can be placed on the cake table." "When planning an outdoor wedding the most important aspect in setting up the chuppah is to make sure it is tightly secured to prevent it from being blown over in the wind. For an August wedding I did at a winery, it took two assistants and myself several hours to set up the chuppa and decorate it. We did garlands of greenery and roses on the posts and along the top and sides of the chuppah. We used four shades of roses, placed in vials to keep them fresh in the late afternoon sun, and a light fern for the greenery. We added a decorative carpet of rose petals for the bride and groom to stand on. Although it could not be seen, tallitot were placed on top of the chuppah as a symbolic gesture." "To decorate the aisle, we tied tulle to the chairs and the first two rows on either side had roses in the four shades and greenery. Flower decorations were then placed on every second row.  At the reception, we had two sets of floral centerpieces. The tables for the hors d'oeuvre hour consisted of edible fruits and flowers. On each table I first placed a living doily of grapevine leaves, then a grapevine wreath. Inside the wreath I was a selection of red apples, green pears and ruby grapes. Edible organic flowers, pansies, roses and nasturtiums were then scattered on top of the fruit. The effect was very natural and fitting for the season." "For the indoor reception we had seventeen round tables and each was decorated with a platinum (to tie in with the bridesmaids? dresses) container filled with green hydrangeas and roses in the four shades. Votives were placed around the centerpieces to offer a soft and romantic touch. Rose petals were placed between the votives. Since guests like to take the centerpieces home, I try to always use containers that do not have to be returned to me at the end of the event." "Other flowers brides should consider when planning the wedding include flower girl baskets and hair wreaths, cake flowers, guest check in arrangements. Planning a wedding takes time. The sooner you begin talking to the florist and making decisions the better. Enjoy your day!"