This months project

This month I would LOVE to have my dress found, but since my MOH has an itty bitty baby and that I cannot pick a dress without her opinion, it wouldn't be the same, I've set the goal of find a florist.
Aiming to spend ~ 700.
I've read some great advice on this site http://offbeatbride.com/.
I'm going to copy some advice from http://offbeatbride.com/2009/03/wedding-flowers
A Florist wrote a lovely 15 tips on how not to get screwed by a florist; here are my favourites:

1. Before you go "bouquet crazy" learn what flowers are going to be in season at the time of your wedding.

3. Pick 3 florists to interview. No more — no less. Too many florists and you're drowning in info, too few florists and you're very limited.

4. When you first visit a potential florist DO NOT show them any of your ideas. Don't even tell them your budget. Just ask them questions, MANY questions, like…
What styles are your mainstays?
What is the typical budget you work with?
If a flower is damaged/unavailable for my event, will you substitute it without my consent?
Could I see your portfolio (of REAL weddings)?
How many weddings do you book on a typical weekend?

5. Have a fairly solid idea of the blooms and styles you want. DON'T be talked down unless a reason sounds completely legit. Stuttering, "well," and other insincere answers means that you might need to find a different florist.

6. When you ask to see a portfolio — a "Teleflora" book doesn't cut it. You need to see real photos of actual weddings and events that the florist has done themselves. If your florist cannot provide a "look-at-what-I-did" book, DROP THEM!

7. Your florist keeps reassuring you that he can get you that tropical bloom you want even though it's not in season. Yes, it's true. He can. But the price is going to be any where between 3 and 5 times more expensive than when the flower is naturally in season!

11. Bring in your own ribbons and other floral accessories. Remember the price mark-up? A 2x mark-up is typically used on hard goods (ribbons, pins, etc.) so see if you can supply your own. That way you only pay for them once.

12. It's okay to lie to your florist. Instead of paying a ridiculous amount for a ring pillow to get jazzed up with flowers, order an extra corsage and simply pin it to your ring pillow! It will cost you way less. You can also do this with flower girl baskets.

13. It's also okay to lie to the wholesaler. Really. Most wholesalers will not sell to the public. So try telling them that you're a church needing flowers for an event. You won't go to hell and you'll receive that amazing wholesale price. When I first started working for myself I had to use the church line a few times.

14. DO NOT pay for petals!!! Have someone pick up a bouquet at a supermarket and have fun destroying the blooms yourself. It's an amazing stress reliever and you will be happy knowing that you didn't waste $10-$20 for someone else to rip them apart.

15. DO NOT bug the heck out of your florist. Limit your phone calls and resist the urge to just "stop by". The last two floral shops I worked in would tack on extra charges to "picky" and "bitchy" brides. Bridezillas pay more.

So I've looked up May flowers
May Flowers:
Acashia, Allium, Alstromeria, Amaranthus, Anemone, Baby's Breath, Bittersweet, Carnation, China berry, Chrysanthemum, Cockscomb, Cosmos, Echinops, Freesia, Gerbera Daisy, Gladiolus, Hypericum, Iris, Juniper, Kangaroo paw, Kalancheo, Liatrus, Lily, Asiatic, Lily, Gloriosa, Misty Blue, Orchid, Pepper berry, Protea, Queen Ann's Lace, Quince, Rover, Roses, Rowen berry, Salvia, Solidago, Statice, Star of Bethlehem, Sunflower, Yarrow, Zinnia.


Victorian
Victorian posies are round and small and can easily be held in one hand. These bouquets first became very popular in mid 19th century for the bride and her bridal party. There are two styles of posy bouquets, one can be loose, hand tied and unstructured, the other formal and wired, the stems of the flowers are removed and replaced with florists wire, constructed into a much lighter posy with and easy to hold handle.These two styles are widely used where the natural stems are wrapped in a beautiful satin, velvet or organza ribbon and some embellished with pearl pins and beading trims.

Flower girls: I'm loving the flower balls for the two flower girls.