April flower ideas? Hand-tied bouquets

[April05]

Anyone have ideas on flowers to use for an April wedding? I want to make hand-tied bouquets myself, and don't care much for roses or lilies.

I love the bright simplicity of gerbera daisies and they're supposedly available year-round, but I worry about quality in the non-summer months.

Will tulips hold up in a hand-tied bouquet?

I'm also interested in the "wild" look, and open to suggestions on which flower(s) to choose to achieve that look.

I'm in Chicagoland, if that matters. I'd love to hear any ideas or see any photos you may have. Thanks!

[onyx77]

I have many, many, many pictures of hand-tied bouqets. I am getting married in March. March 5 actually. Here's a couple of my favorites.

[NoleGirl]

I am using gerber daisies for my Oct wedding. The florist said that they should be fine quality that time of year, plus they come in so many different colors. WHat she did say is that even though they are sturdy flowers you have to make sure that they are "treated" before you use them in your bouquets. I guess they need to be treated w/water... they actually shoot a burst of water through the end of the stem. This helps the head from drooping over while it is out of water for a while (like during your ceremony). So if you are doing it yourself, make sure the place where you are purchasing the daisies from does this for you.

Hope this helps!