You’ve been dreaming of this day for a long time. You’ve got file folders of Pinterest photos and wedding blogs, all showcasing the exact type of venue, dress and flowers you want for your dream wedding. Everything about this day has got to be perfect, but the costs are adding up – and when faced with the dilemma, you may be tempted to price-shop for the lowest priced vendors in order to save money.

While some aspects of your wedding may be conducive to looking for the lowest cost bidder, your wedding flowers are not – for so many reasons. Primarily, a bride may not understand that her “must-have ” floral combination is out of season and hard to acquire, and therefore will be expensive regardless of who provides it. Expert floral designer Paul Danehy offers a better solution – to get the best value, give the florist a color palette to work with in lieu of specific floral varieties. “If the bride is stuck on using peach peonies in August,” Paul explains, “she will be paying $20 per stem if they are even available.” In this case, the quality won’t be the best, given the difficulty in sourcing the flower and needing to take what she can find. On the other hand, if the bride asks for recommendations for a luxurious peach flower, the florist could choose a lavish garden rose or elegant dahlia. These are more in season, and will, therefore, save the bride money while delivering and overall higher quality result in her bouquets and arrangements.

Floral designers can not only recommend the best flowers to use for the season but can give you insider tips on the best ways to save money – utilizing more expensive flowers for the bride’s bouquet, for instance, while using more affordable complementary flowers for bridesmaids or reception flowers. For those thinking about saving money by creating their DIY floral arrangements, Paul has a little more insight. The experts at Curran’s often encounter frantic brides the day before the wedding, pleading for help because they haven’t been able to create the bouquets and centerpieces they were hoping for, not realizing the skill it requires. Experts suggest a trial run of putting the centerpiece together, then multiplying the effort by the number of required arrangements, considering how to logistically store and transport fresh flowers, while keeping in mind everything else going on in the days before a wedding. “Usually, it costs less to have the professional design, deliver and set up for your wedding,” Paul says. Certainly it saves you pressure and stress; not to mention avoiding much higher last minute expenses involved in an emergency floral design rescue.

Overall, the floral designer can be a trusted adviser in your wedding planning, ensuring that one of the most visible and impressive aspects of your wedding – your flowers – are exactly what you always dreamed of. Relax, at Currans Flowers we’re professionals -your wedding is going to be amazing.

Many of the traditions we take for granted on a wedding day have strange beginnings shrouded in history. Although the superstitions and beliefs which inspired the rituals are long gone, the customs remain, even hundreds and thousands of years later, right here in Danvers.

For instance, before the 19^th century, brides didn’t get married in white as a rule. They simply wore their very best dress, no matter the color. Much like today, it was considered in poor taste to wear the same color as the bride, as she was to stand out on her day. Royalty generally married wearing silver gowns. But in 1840, when Queen Victoria got married, she chose to marry in white – and brides began to follow her lead. Veils were traditionally worn to ward off evil spirits, as brides were thought to be particularly vulnerable to such attacks.

The tradition of the best man began in ancient German civilization, and later spread through Europe. The best man was chosen for his strength and fighting ability, as it was often necessary to take a bride from a neighboring village; then to defend the couple if the family came to take her back. The custom of the bride standing to the groom’s left began as a necessity as well – the groom needed to have easy access to his sword in case a fight broke out during the wedding.

Of course, it is hard to imagine a wedding without flowers. While in Victorian times flowers were chosen for their inherent meaning – such as love, fidelity or commitment – today we choose flowers based upon preference and color scheme. But whatever the reason for your floral choice, you can trust the creation of your bridal bouquets, centerpieces and ceremony flowers to the experts at Currans Flowers. Whether you go with traditional arrangements or unique displays, our flowers are sure to make your wedding day a memorable one.