Something tells me I’m already asking for a lot of trouble on this one. Just a couple of weeks to go and I do not have flowers chosen. I may have mentioned that about 5-6 weeks ago I asked my planner for a list of available flowers – maybe their “Top 15″. I also asked for a list of ‘absolutely not available’ flowers. Well it took 3 weeks but I got my list and I can’t say it made things any easier so I’ve been focusing on other things… The list isn’t bad, its just that some of the flowers I had fallen in love with are on the ‘not available’ list.

Flowers I’m told ARE Available include:

• Roses
• Dendrodiums orchids
• Cymbidium orchids
• Plum gingers ( red+pink )
• Spider mums (gerbera daisies)
• Calla lily regular + mini’s
• Lilies asiatic and oriental lilies, stargazers, casa blanca are asiatic
• Hydrangeas
• Sun Flowers
• Freesias
• Anthuriums
• Astromelias

Flowers NOT Available:

• Cattleya orchids
• Dahlias
• Peonies
• Dianthus
• Tulips

On the ‘not available’ list, a couple are kind of obvious – tulips and peonies. They’re too frail for the heat. One of my planners told me she saw a wedding where a bride insisted on peonies that just didn’t work. They didn’t open… And tulips were one of the first flowers I asked for… I’ve grown up loving them because I’m Dutch, and you’d think a Dutch island would have them, right? Maybe not one on the equator.

Two that surprised me a little though, were the Cattleya Orchids and the Dahlias. October is a big month for Dahlias and from what I’ve read they’re pretty hearty so I figured they’d travel well. I love the fact that they can really make a statement – they’re bold and come in really bright colors. But I’m not going to push them into trying to get a flower they don’t have experience with.

My biggest disappointment though, is that the Cattleya Orchids I had fallen in love with aren’t available. I love those big fluffy dramatic orchids (shown in magenta and white). I had expected them to be available since I seem to remember reading that they grow in Central and South America. But – one good think, the pink cone ginger in another bouquet picture I sent her IS available (the lighter pink). So now I need to decide – am I drawn to that bouquet because its different, or do I really love it?