My colour theme is ivory and lilac, and my budget is small as we are paying for the wedding ourselves. I only want a small bouquet and something similar in a smaller design for my flower girl. Is there anything you can suggest or anywhere that I can look at pictures?

First of all there are some lovely choices for this colour theme - roses are the perfect focal flower for your bouquet. You could try Blue Curiosa or Cool Water which have a blue tone (if you put these names into google images you can get an idea of what they look like!!) alternatively a cream Bianca or Akito rose is lovely. For added interest there are lots of flowers in this colour palette to choose from including freesia, agapanthus, hyacinth, veronica, brodia or lisianthus.

Choose a rose for your focal point then fill out with contrasting less expensive and foliage. Also go for a style such as a hand tie rather than a wired style as the wired styles are more work for your florist which can add to the cost. For the ladies corsage perhaps choose 2 roses in same variety as your bouquet with beads and or beaded wire to add extra detail and interest.

A good florist should also be an excellent source of ideas and inspiration - if you are clear with them about how much you have to spend they will be able to help you choose flowers to suit your budget and your style. Try our feature on 6 ways to save on wedding flowers