The wedding flowers and bouquet guide.

A bridal bouquet should sit between twenty five and thirty centimetres across for most brides. Anything larger competes with a heavy Kanjivaram border and hides the drape in photographs.

For a kasavu or a lighter saree, a slightly larger and looser bouquet works because there is less pattern to compete with. For gowns, a cascading shape is still the safest choice.

Silk reflects light and shifts colour. Take the saree, or an accurate photograph of it in daylight, to the florist. Ivory flowers against an arakku maroon silk look completely different from ivory against bottle green.

Two tones plus greenery is the reliable formula. Three or more colours in a bouquet almost always photographs as noise.

Jasmine, tuberose, marigold, roses and orchids are dependable across most of the South Indian year. Imported blooms such as peonies and hydrangeas are expensive, fragile in heat, and often arrive with a colour you did not approve.

If your date falls in peak wedding season, confirm quantities a full month ahead. Prices for the same stem can double in the final fortnight.

Fresh flowers in a Bengaluru or Kerala afternoon have a working life of a few hours. Ask for delivery as late as the schedule allows, keep the bouquet in shade with a damp wrap at the stem, and never store it in an air conditioned car vent stream.

In monsoon, choose tighter blooms and firmer greenery. Open roses and hydrangeas bruise in humidity and rain spatter.

Bridesmaid posies, groom and groomsmen boutonnieres, hair flowers, the poola jada, the oonjal, the mandap and the entrance are all separate line items. Decide which two matter most and spend there.

Guests notice the entrance and the mandap. Almost nobody remembers the table centrepieces.

Fresh is unmatched on the day. Preserved flowers hold for years and suit a bouquet you intend to keep. Good silk flowers travel well and are sensible for destination weddings and long outdoor days.

Many families now do both: fresh for the ceremony, a preserved or silk replica made afterwards for the home.