"Today's brides and grooms describe a feeling, an environment they want to achieve at the reception," says Nancy Liu Chin, owner of the eponymous San Francisco floral design house. "They'll say 'Make it feel like my grandmother's apartment in Paris,' or want it to reflect their heritage. "The floral designer's involvement in reception planning has grown beyond putting blooms in a vase or tying up bouquets. Says Craig Peeples of Fete des Fleurs in Dallas, "We definitely see brides desiring to transform a venue. We do this through the use of wall and floor coverings, furnishings, lighting and linens, in addition to flowers."

Credit: Photo courtesy of Fete des Fleurs