Wedding gowns today come in sizzling new shades as well as the more traditional whites and off-whites, so follow suit and experiment with exciting colours and textures. Some unusual ideas include bunches of flowers instead of bouquets, finished with gold or silver cord or ribbon.

You can even combine these with aromatic herbs, berries and scented candles. Bouquets should complement the style and colour of your gown, but just one exotic colour or dramatic detail can make all the difference.

Choose your florist carefully - either by word of mouth or call on some top florists and ask to see samples of their work. Once you have made your choice, show her a sketch of your dress and a sample of the fabric to help her decide on the type and colour of flowers for your bouquet.

Your florist should take your height and build into account, as well as which flowers will be available at the time of the wedding, and their fragrances. There's nothing worse than setting your heart on a particular flower, or flowers, and finding that they are not in season.

If flowers are to be worn in the hair instead of a hat or veil, try to keep it simple. You may also want to include flowers with a particular meaning or message; for example, daisies signify innocence while violets suggest modesty and love.

Bridesmaids generally carry small bouquets or posies in shades that tone in with the bride's, while flower girls may be happier carrying baskets of flowers or petals that are strewn in your wake as you leave the church after the ceremony. The mothers of the bride and groom wear corsages, generally in shades that match their outfits, while men in the bridal party wear dashing buttonholes.

If you are going to use rose petals instead of confetti, choose dried rather than fresh, as damp or dewy petals could mark your wedding gown. You can order these from your florist, then have them placed in baskets at the church and offered to guests by the bridesmaids after the service.

Bouquet belles

The general rule is that your bouquet should enhance and complement the style and colour of your dress, and the theme of the wedding. What is more important, though, is that it should express who you are, and what you love.

Choosing your bouquet is easier if you have already decided on the theme of your wedding. This may be predominantly romantic, contemporary or classic, but there are so many variations within these themes. For example, your preference could range from an informal brunch to a garden party, Country and Western evening or lavish masked ball.

Recent trends in bouquets and arrangements reflect the lifestyle changes triggered by the new millennium, best described as an eclectic potpourri of old fashioned nostalgia, Asian elegance and retro influences. You can opt for anything from a lavish mix of different types of flowers and colours, to simple shapes in complementary colours or subtle variations of a single shade.

There's also a revival of more 'olde-world' and traditional flowers and styles, such as delicate trails of scented tuberoses.

Consider the following themes when deciding upon your bouquet:

• Modern:
The latest 'designer' look is for wedding gowns in dramatic and sultry shades of crimson and purple. Imagine blending a mass of crimson roses, some edged with glass beads, with a striking combination of white roses and purple berries and their leaves, finished with a twirl of satin ribbon and more beads.

• Fairytale:
Pretty pinks and pastels are the order of the day. What about a combination of roses, poppy seed pods, ranunculi and pussy willows in fuchsia silk and embroidered emerald satin, and finished off with diamante beading and pearl-headed pins?

• Traditional:
A classic ball gown calls for a bouquet with presence, but if you are wearing an A-line, Empire or sheath, and especially if you are petite, rather opt for a small, simple posy that doesn't obscure or detract from details like beading. Think delicately perfumed freesias and tuberoses, or a cascade of dainty roses, trimmed with shiny satin and organza ribbons.

• Glamorous:
If you're going all out in Catherine Zeta Jones style, and want to make your flowers the centre of attention, try some of these ideas: lush green lilies and lime and garnet orchids; loops of variegated ivy with red and white striped amaryllis, green hypericum berries and green hydrangeas; hot pink orchids and deep maroon lilies spiced up with wild grasses, variegated ivy and leaves folded to create a ribbon; yellow spikes of mimosa mingled with Lady Slipper orchids, pale green buds and strands of wild grasses.

Ceremonial selections

It may be fine to indulge in floral fantasies at your reception, but arrangements in a place of worship are generally a little more subdued. Unless, of course, you are saying your vows somewhere exotic, like on a beach or island, or at a lake!

Flowers for a church ceremony generally consist of an arrangement at the altar and at the entrance, as well as posies at pew ends and smaller arrangements in toning shades placed on windowsills.

Pale pastels and white flowers with lots of glossy greenery are particularly effective in a tranquil and sacred environment. An archway of flowers in different colours or green foliage at the door of the church or in a garden setting creates a lovely frame for the bridal couple.

If the wedding is in the late afternoon, candles set among the floral arrangements will cast a soft, luminous glow on the proceedings and make the mood even more intimate.

Check whether the ceremony venue provides its own flowers (this goes for the reception venue as well, where flowers may be part of a package deal). If another ceremony is taking place on the same day you may be able to split costs with the other party.

Flowers at the reception

Whether you are holding your reception at a hall, hotel or stately home, take the setting and your wedding theme into account before deciding on the floral arrangements.

Flowers at a wedding brunch in a rustic country setting will obviously be very different to those at a formal evening wedding. No matter the venue though, you can say 'welcome' with a striking floral arrangement at the entrance to your venue, and create impact and interest with the use of dried twigs, ribbons or coloured cord, candles, pebbles, and even fruit, in mass arrangements for the main and guests' tables and buffet table.

Table arrangements shouldn't dominate the table, or obstruct the guests' view or conversation, and can be either low and flat or placed on tall stands, often as part of a candelabra centrepiece.

The main table should also have a long, low arrangement along the front so that the bridal party is visible from all parts of the room. Flowers and ribbons could also be used to decorate the wedding cake, as well as the knife to be used for the cake-cutting ceremony