The holidays in Florida are a little bit different. We may go to the beach, or take a bike ride along palm tree lined streets and stop at a friend’s house for a barbecue. And planning a winter wedding is different than in most parts of the country as well – while they worry about snowstorms and keeping warm, we have no such concerns. Still, planning a holiday wedding has its set of challenges in Florida. For instance, travel from other parts of the country is very expensive over the holidays; and rentals and hotels for guests are also scarce – and pricey – during high season.

Like any place in the country, planning should begin at least six months in advance. Just because our Christmas isn’t white, doesn’t mean we don’t celebrate – so venues book up quickly, and entertainers, caterers, and florists also get exceptionally busy. By the time the summer is over, each of these key elements should be reserved and finalized. At Al’s Florist, our professional team invites you to set up a consultation to discuss how we can help with your wedding celebration. Unlike other parts of the country, we may not have to worry as much about the seasonality of our flowers, although that may come into play; so if you have a specific flower you want to use, let us know right up front.

We have such a range of creativity in Florida when it comes to a holiday wedding color palette – red and white is still very popular, but shades of these colors, such as magenta or burgundy, can be used to create dramatic seasonal bouquets with a contemporary flair. You can design a subtle element of “winter” into your arrangements as well – crystals, silver and gold metallics, and natural branches drenched in icicle lights can all simulate a white winter wonderland, even if the night is balmy.

Whether you are drawing your influence from Currier and Ives or a tropical island, the creative team at Al’s Florist has the expertise you require to make your holiday wedding stunning.

Your wedding day is approaching, and there are so many decisions to make! Most brides have been dreaming of this day for a long time, and have a vision in their minds of how it should all look – but the reality of having everything look exactly like the inspiration photos, while staying within budget, may seem an impossibility. To get the most value for their money, many brides are forced to price-shop, never realizing the pitfalls they may encounter.

The reality is, simply sending out a request for quotes is a risky endeavor. If one florist responds with a price far below the rest, he is sacrificing quality or not offering a comparable bouquet. Whether they will be using primarily stock and fewer of your main flowers; or offering small, lower quality arrangements, it may be quite disappointing when the day comes. The good news is that staying within a budget does not mean sacrificing gorgeous flowers – the best thing to do is to hire a professional florist.

That might not make sense to you – wouldn’t hiring a personal consultant cost more? Not necessarily, say the experts. A personal relationship with a florist will allow them to get to know you, understand your style and the look you are going for. If the flowers you want are not within budget, they can make recommendations for alternate flowers that will present the same aesthetic while not breaking the bank. The floral designers at Al’s are more than florists, they are artisans, and they know their medium. Bring in your “dream photos”, and let’s get to work! Your flowers will be just as stunning as you envisioned – and by working with us in person, you can see the flowers we will be utilizing ahead of time – no surprises.

Don’t trust your wedding flowers to the lowest bidder – trust Al’s Florist, the Hollywood area florist that has the experience to deliver the wedding of your dreams.

Some mothers want their hands in everything, and others don’t want to intrude – but to make things easy for your mother to know the right level of involvement when planning a wedding, we’ve compiled a list of the traditional duties of the mother of the bride. Top wedding experts were consulted in a recent survey, and asked two things – what is customarily expected, and what are some additional ways that Mom can leave a special imprint on the day?

As a part of Mom’s traditional roles, dress shopping with their daughter tops the list. If your mom lives far away, text photos for feedback, or even use social media to video chat during the shopping trips. If finances allow it, however, nothing beats flying Mom in for the weekend for a shopping excursion. Mom also traditionally is in charge of researching any important family customs – religious or cultural – that you may wish to include in the day. “Something old” and “something borrowed” are two items that Mom would be great at identifying! Mom should also coordinate both with the bride and the groom’s mother to make sure that the dresses of both mothers are complementary to the brides décor, and to each other.

Give mom’s name to the caterer, florist, wedding planner, entertainment and venue contacts to be the first line of defense and field any questions. She may be able to answer some inquiries, and others she can consolidate to ask you several questions at one time, rather than you being constantly interrupted. If Mom loves organizing, this could be an extra special treat for her. Meet with mom once a week to level-set and gauge where you are at in the planning. On the day of the wedding, Mom has two very important things to do. Helping her daughter dress, placing the veil on her head and speaking a blessing or good wishes over her daughter is a special tradition. And once at the ceremony, Mom should have the second dance, just after the bride and groom.

Flowers are an important part of your wedding day as well – from bridal bouquets to centerpieces, from altar flowers to venue décor. Al’s Florist of Hollywood can help with all those wedding flower decisions – stop in today with your mother, and let’s all get started!