If you’re currently planning an early fall wedding in New York, Miami, Chicago, Boston or Los Angeles – or any town or city across the country – you know what a great asset a reliable, professional local florist can be.

Your dream wedding plans may include elaborate floral arrangements for both the ceremony and the reception, in glorious hues that match your wedding colors – whether pink, blue or green, or even autumnal hues to match the season’s changing foliage.

For the ceremony, you might wish to order a bridal bouquet and matching bridesmaids’ bouquets, boutonnieres for the groom and groomsmen, corsages for the mothers and grandmothers of the bride and groom and floral accents for the flower girl and ring bearer – plus altar, canopy and pew decorations to create a festive atmosphere at the site.

For the reception, most couples request table centerpieces of fresh flowers presented in either simple or elaborate containers, accented with glowing fresh candles, crystals or other adornments that match the wedding theme or season. If your budget allows it, consider fresh blooms to adorn the cake and gift tables, and even flowers to decorate the caterer’s passed trays.

And remember – when first meeting with your florist of choice, be sure to bring in your color scheme, style and theme, as well as clippings from magazines to help illustrate your vision. Seasonal flowers for an early fall wedding might include roses, gerbera daisies, hydrangea, delphinium, narcissus and autumn leaves.