When visiting the local SLO Farmer's Market one Thursday evening, I came across the most beautiful roses I have ever seen at a vendor there called Euphoria Flowers. I bought a couple dozen roses for my house that evening and was amazed at how fresh they were and how long they lasted in vases - over three weeks! So when it came time to get the red and white roses my daughter wanted for her Halloween wedding, there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to purchase them from Euphoria. Because the wedding had a sort of "gothic" and "Venetian masquerade ball" theme, (and because fancy, overdone floral arrangements remind me too much of funerals), I knew that I wanted the flowers to be simple but stunning. Sylvia at Euphoria Flowers provided me with dozens and dozens of gorgeous crimson red and antique white roses that we simply placed in beautiful antique gold cherub vases (to go with the Madonna Inn's look) all over the ceremony room and the reception. The effect was stunning and Euphoria's roses lasted so long that even today almost three weeks after the wedding, I still have vases of them in my house. And they are still beautiful! The best part about this is that Euphoria Flowers is a wholesale rose grower in Nipomo and I spent half of what I would have spent at a traditional florist. Sylvia at Euphoria is wonderful!

DIY Brides shop HERE! My best advice: Be flexible and have a back-up plan. This is a WHOLESALE rose shop that is open to the public. Don't do what I did: I fell in love with a particular bloom 8 months before my wedding. I even planned other design elements around this particular rose. Well, it ended up being the nation-wide favorite by the time my wedding rolled around, due to my being on-trend. They were sold out for the entire season! I almost had a panic attack in the office! Luckily, I reigned in bridezilla and got flexible. Instead of crying and being demanding, I requested half my order in my favorite bloom, and half of another that was a more available. In the end, this is exactly what I got, and I was ecstatic with the final look.

How to work with a wholesaler: Be nice to the office manager! :) Pick out a COLOR and style, rather than a particular bloom. Call a month ahead and get an idea of what's trending for their stock, so that you can make any necessary changes while you still have a bit of time. And again: have a back up plan. If you're going with the color that is in every bridal mag on the stands, you are likely to have to use that back-up plan!