Neither my wife nor I know much about flowers, yet this was something that we wanted to get perfect. Our wedding took place in two locations: a Catholic ceremony at a church, and t...he reception at a golf club. Because we were married on a Catholic “feast day” that is traditionally symbolized with red roses and white lilies, getting the flowers right was more than just a matter of “looking pretty;” they held a deep spiritual significance for my wife. Rachel and her team immediately understood this, and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. My wife and I know little about flowers, yet after a few basic questions about our general ideas, Rachel was able to come back to us with beautiful samples and a clear vision that surpassed our imagination. She primarily focused on the red roses and white lilies as requested, but also used her expertise to bring in hydrangeas, snapdragons, greenery, vines, and more. The arrangements and combinations were exceptional. For my wife and I at least, the saying about how “we didn’t know what we wanted until we saw it” rang true; it was uncanny how Rachel was able to accomplish that! We also knew from earlier reviews that Blooms Reston had experience working with a diverse variety of both religious and secular weddings, and they were excellent in suggesting florals specific for Catholic ceremonies (altar flowers, Flowers for Mary, etc.). Rachel was also excellent in her advice on how to save money without sacrificing quality; for example, her beautifully designed cascading bridal bouquet doubled as a sweetheart table decoration during dinner, bridal bouquets doubling during the reception as decorations and the bouquet toss, all possible thanks to the vases she provided alongside the bouquets. She even lent us her creative eye by looking at our wedding colors and suggesting which color linens and napkins would work best with the floral arrangements! Our guests couldn’t stop raving about the florals, to the point where local guests had to act quickly (almost competed with each other!) after the reception ended to claim a centerpiece or other reception florals as take-home gifts (although we were able to take some florals home with us!). Whether it was our church using the ceremony flowers to decorate the altar at the masses following our wedding or guests taking a part of the wedding celebration home with them, we were happy not only with Rachel’s work on our wedding day, but also that it would live on beyond the day with both our parish and our family and friends. If you’re looking for a florist to not only make your ceremony and reception visually breathtaking, but also someone who is culturally competent and experienced working with a diverse clientele with varied religious (or secular) backgrounds, Blooms Reston Floral is perfect for you!