There's no shortage of brides who have something fantastic to say about Cooke's Florist & Greenhouse in Clinton, Ontario. In fact, don't let the small town address fool you. This intimate flower shop has managed to stay busy with weddings of all sizes and styles for the past 83 years. They have their own on-site greenhouse, a large inventory of flowers - fresh and artificial, a variety of décor items and an even larger emphasis on service.

Cooke's designs flowers for the wedding party, ceremony décor, reception décor, table centrepieces and just about anything else you can think of that requires a bit (or a lot) of colour, scent or style on your wedding day. That's why staff at The Ring sat down with new Owners and Designers, Betty Kelly and Mary Langendoen, to find out more about what they have to offer brides from Clinton to London and beyond. Let us explain...

Personally speaking...

Cooke's Florist opened in 1927 and for over eighty-three years and three generations the Cooke family established a tradition of quality and service. The shop is filled with flowers and décor options with a greenhouse just a few steps away.

In September 2008, Betty Kelly and Mary Langendoen purchased Cooke's from the previous owners when the opportunity arose, but told The Ring that they strive to uphold the tradition and reputation that Cooke's has built up in the community over the years.

Betty was trained by Cooke's and worked there full-time for seventeen years before taking over the business. "The fact that the business was established and so well known in the surrounding community was important," says Betty. "I had been here for many years and had a great deal of experience so it was an easy transition from one owner to another."

With so many years of experience in the floral industry, Betty says she has helped hundreds of people with their wedding flower choices. "Each year the number of weddings we design is increasing," she says. She adds that prior to working for Cooke's she also worked in a bridal shop for four years helping couples and their families and friends with their wedding attire, decorations, invitations and more. "That experience and knowledge helps when brides are describing their gowns to make suggestions that will suit that style," says Betty.

Mary has helped many of her friends with preparations for their weddings as well as her own a few years ago. Betty told us that Mary has an abundance of new and fresh ideas and is constantly researching the field so that Cooke's can stay on top of up and coming trends.

Together, these two ladies bring creative ideas to Cooke's and balance each other out to come up with the perfect flower arrangements for their customers. Both Betty and Mary are quite involved in meeting with the brides and in most cases, either Betty or Mary deliver the flowers on the wedding day or are available in the store for any last minute details or questions.

"We are easy to talk to and try to create a relaxed atmosphere for our customers," they told The Ring. "Cooke's has always been known for their quality and service going above and beyond expectations" – something that Betty and Mary have no problem carrying on into the future.

Cooke's weddings

When it comes to weddings, Cooke's goal is to offer everything a bride's heart could desire. "Everyone is unique and we do our best to create something with each couple to bring their personality and tastes into their designs," says Betty. "Every bride wants her day to be perfect so we are very flexible and will go out of our way to help her achieve that."

The fact that each wedding is unique is one thing that helps Betty and Mary stay inspired. "The look on a brides' face when she gets that first glimpse of her bouquet is such a thrill," says Betty. "In the beginning everyone is so excited, it is easy to get swept up in it all… it makes you want to do everything you can to make their day special for them."

Wedding bouquets are the most popular product at Cooke's as they represent the personalities and tastes of the couple and set the colour scheme for the event. Cooke's creates real or artificial bouquets or a combination of both. They also do corsages and boutonnières, table arrangements, pew bows and more. Betty adds, "Garlands, swags, bouquets and groupings for the reception or chairs are becoming popular and are available in real or artificial as well."

Whatever your floral needs are for your wedding day, Betty and Mary say that "It is your special day and we have a wealth of knowledge and ideas to help create your vision of a perfect wedding."

Budgeting for your wedding flowers

At Cooke's, they understand that everyone has a budget and so they say they will try their best to accommodate that, no matter how small. "Every bride is unique and deserves special attention no matter what her choices or budget is," says Betty.

That said, the average bridal bouquet at Cooke's is about $100 to $300 with bridesmaids' bouquets running at $50 to $100. Boutonnières start at $8 and corsages start at $12. Large floral arrangements (such as for the head of the aisle) can range upwards of $80 or more. It all depends on the flowers you choose and what's in season at the time.

For more budget conscious brides, Cooke's says that locally grown flowers that are in season can be both beautiful and budget-friendly. The average bride spends between $600 and $800 at Cooke's, but they've also done weddings from $75 to $5000 and are pretty flexible in what they offer, not limiting brides with pre-packaged deals.

Booking Cooke's

Call or email Betty or Mary at Cooke's to book a consultation so they can be sure to give you their full attention. They also don’t mind if you drop in at their shop, which is located at 61 Orange Street in Clinton.

You should book your wedding date with Cooke's about six months ahead if possible, but they are willing to do last minute weddings if they're free. Booking on short notice means needing to be more flexible with flower types and colours, and open to suggestions.

Brides meet with Betty and/or Mary at their flower shop to discuss budget and what they're looking for. Betty says they put together different flowers in various colours to give couples some ideas and inspiration to get started.

Brides almost always bring in magazine pictures to their consultations to see if Cooke's can create the floral arrangements in the pictures, which they encourage. Cooke's says they can usually accommodate. "One thing we have been told is that we are very easy to talk to and explain everything in a way that people understand," says Betty.

When you want to book Cooke's, a 20% deposit is required to reserve your wedding date. Two months before your big day, Cooke's has another meeting with you to discuss any changes and all details so the flowers can be ordered and the day-of schedule can be organized.

"We try to keep everything organized so that the bride doesn't have to be stressed over the little details, we have them covered," says Betty. This goal fits nicely with a quote Cooke's likes to live by: "Stop and smell the flowers,” which they interpret as, "slow down, relax and enjoy!"

Betty adds that Cooke's strives to make the day go smoothly and without worries. "The last thing anyone needs to worry about is whether their flowers are going to arrive or be set-up on time. We will have them ready to be picked up on time (even if outside of our usual hours of business) or delivered to their destination no matter how many drop-off points."

And then some

On top of fresh and artificial flowers, Cooke's has something for just about every special occasion, from wedding showers and birthdays to baby showers and 50th anniversaries. They also have an assortment of candelabras, urns and baskets for plants or arrangements, as well as vases and archways available for rent as part of your wedding décor.

Over the years, Betty has seen floral trends come and go. Recently, she and Mary have noticed that corsages for ladies are made for wrists. Tied bouquets, cascades and trailing are popular with bridal bouquets and brides are veering toward different shapes. Gerber Daisies continue to stay popular and brides tend to love fun, bright colours.

Both Betty and Mary also note that some brides think they have to match, but Cooke's encourages them to think outside the box.

In 2009, simple centrepieces and square vases are popular items.

Details, details, details

• Betty and Mary suggest booking your wedding flowers about 6 months ahead if you can - although they have helped many brides with a tighter timeframe.
• After deciding the size of your order, which colours and which flowers, a 20% non-refundable (but transferable) deposit will hold your wedding date with Cooke's Florist.
• The balance is due when you receive your flowers by delivery or when you pick them up.
• Prices vary depending on your needs, but bridal bouquets range from $100 to $300 and the average bride spends between $600 and $800 on all of their wedding flowers at Cooke's.

In other words...

"Thank you for taking the time with us to choose our flowers and arrangements for the wedding. You were very patient, friendly. You presented the flowers well and gave us great ideas. The flowers were perfect!" - Angie & Mike

"Anj and Betty were very knowledgeable about their flowers and offered tremendous support with the selection of flowers for my fall wedding. My flowers were a main focus for me when I became engaged and I initially expected this expense to be high. After consulting and receiving a quote from Anj I was delightfully surprised how reasonable the prices were. My flowers were absolutely gorgeous and were exactly the way I dreamed they would look like and more. People still comment today how beautiful my flowers were at our wedding. When looking back now I recall my most memorable and emotional moment of the day was when Anj presented my bouquet to me. My bouquet was so vibrant and breathtaking." - Tara Dykstra