Buying local seasonal flowers works for you and the environment. Seasonal flowers grow at their own pace and because they are not forced or retarded, they are healthier, need less pest control, last longer and require less energy. They also don't have to travel far.

Organic certification schemes within a local area are often misleading as they favour the large producer over the small - as in food the best advice is "know your farmer".

But if you want to buy flowers from florists and high street stores that may have been imported from elsewhere, there are key certification schemes in the US and the UK, so watch out for their symbols. The VerifloraTM certification certifies farms in the US that have fulfilled a series of social and ecological standards. In the UK the Soil Association symbol certifies organic production and the Fair Trade symbol guarantees a series of rights to flower workers. A good florist should be able to source certified flowers.

Working with a florist who cares about the provenance of the flowers is essential - they should be able to tell you where and how the flowers were grown. Many florists are becoming more concerned about these issues, particularly about the pesticide residues on the flowers that they are handling every day.

It also pays to think beyond the traditional rose wedding bouquet - for a winter wedding you may not be able to source locally grown cut flowers, but amazing displays can be made with coloured foliage, berries and fruit, or perhaps box topiary with planters of paper white narcissi.

Another advantage of using local seasonal flowers is that you can plant the same varieties in your own garden - a true reminder of your memorable eco-friendly wedding day.