1. Before you even think about ordering:
The purpose of wedding flowers is largely to compliment the overall look, feel, and theme of the wedding. Therefore, before you walk into a floral shop, it is highly encouraged to make solid decisions on what you want the overall feel of your wedding to be. Do you want an elegant and sophisticated wedding? Or maybe a family-styled country themed wedding? Maybe an outdoor garden look is what you picture? Once you know the answer to this question, it will be much easier to know the appropriate colors and varieties of flowers to use to translate into your vision. Florists play an important part in this because they create the overall look and mood of your wedding ceremony and reception.
Another helpful tool in deciding what direction to go is color. Find and order the Bridesmaid dresses, so that when you walk into the floral shop, you can know for certain that the flowers you choose will compliment the dresses perfectly. If you choose colors that are not grown in the natural world, such as aqua/turquoise, then be prepared to search for a secondary color in flowers to compliment your main wedding colors, or find Permanent botanicals that can be manufactured in your specific color. Another option is to have your florist dye or tint your flowers to match.
Question 1: When do flowers and decor need to be planned out and ordered?
Answer: This largely depends on the overall theme of the wedding. If you envision a large wedding filled with an abundance of flowers and decor, then it is advised to start physically shopping at least 5-6 months before the wedding. The later you wait, the more rushed the florist will be to reserve the flowers and decor, and may not be able to provide you with the best prices. The earlier you begin meeting with florists, the better the deals you will receive because the florist will have plenty of time to research rental warehouses, growers, and distributors, to get the best prices and deals. No matter what you envision for your wedding, ordering early never hurts!
If your wedding is more causal or simple, then meeting with a florist 3-4 months before your wedding is sufficient. Examples of this type of wedding would be a Bride and Groom that are looking for flowers for their wedding party and perhaps a few accents such as a ceremony/altar bouquet and reception centerpieces.
It is possible to order flowers 2 months to even a couple weeks before the wedding, however, there are risks with doing so in such a short amount of time. The flowers you want may not be available due to not being reserved with the growers soon enough. Sometimes we already have the maximum amount of weddings booked and can not take any more wedding orders for that specific day, or the rentals may be reserved for another event. As a florist we completely understand that weddings consist of many details or perhaps the Bride and Groom set a date soon after there engagement to get married. Most florists will bend over backwards to make your special day as amazing as possible, so we all encourage you to save yourself the stress, and order several months in advance to be safe!
Question 2: How do I Choose a Florist?
Answer: If you live in an area with multiple florists, choosing which floral shop to trust your wedding flowers to, is an important task! Do not be afraid to meet with a couple different shops, but know that like anything, too much information can be overwhelming, so try to narrow down your search by doing some research. What do each floral shops websites look like? Are they up-to-date? Do they have pictures of past weddings online, whether on their website or on social media? Do they have online reviews of their work? Another idea is asking your other vendors (such as the staff at the reception location, your cake person, or your photographer) if they have any recommendations. Vendor's often cross paths at weddings and will remember a job well done.
Once you have booked a consultation, take note of your surroundings when you arrive. Is the floral shop organized? Do they have a separate secluded spot where you can sit down to look at pictures and discuss your wedding flowers privately? A good florist will try to make you feel as comfortable as possible and will have plenty of tools such as magazines and wedding books to look through for examples. You also want a florist who respects your time and understands that you are there not just to give them a floral order, but that they are expected to contribute by answering all of your questions, giving professional opinions/advise, and to problem solve. Anyone can look at pictures of flowers online, but it is the one-on-one time with a professional that will make your dream wedding flowers a reality.
The best consultation spaces have a seating area, and samples/examples of flowers!
Don't be afraid to ask questions! How long has this florist been in business? Has he/she had a lot of experience with your tastes and style? Does he/she have a signature style? Ask to see their wedding portfolio of past weddings. Choose a florist that is excited to create your floral designs, and is confident that they will deliver quality work. Ask them what makes them different, unique, and special as a designer. This is one of our favorite questions to be asked, because our shops' motto is to "create a more personal touch for your floral needs". So our designs are always personalized and unique, just for your wedding. We do not do cookie-cutter wedding bouquets!
Communication is a huge part of our business! A lot of times, brides have an idea, but don't really know how to describe it. Listening closely, and deciding exactly what the bride does, and doesn't like is so important in executing her vision! Being able to clearly describe the floral designs will leave both florist and wedding couple confident in the quality of work. Listen to the florist, if they are describing something that isn't quite right, let them know right away so that they can pinpoint your vision. Leaving the consultation, you should feel confident and excited about your decision to hire your florist!
Question 3: Ok, lets talk about price...How much do wedding flowers cost?
Answer: This is definitely an important topic because many Brides and Grooms are on a budget. it is also one of the main reasons to have a wedding flower consultation; to get price quotes. Ordering flowers is a little bit different than walking into a conventional store that sells items with a price-tag, however. This is why most florists only give average prices during the consultation. There are many factors that play into what you will pay for your wedding flowers. There is no one answer to this question, and a quality florist will tailor your price to match your budget and specific flowers. Feel free to ask your florist for recommendations on how to maximize your floral budget; we have a lot of resources for bringing the price of flowers down to match your prices!
Many florists also include a note in their contract that the original price quoted may change during the course of ordering your flowers. This is because growers can change their prices. For example, we sold Hydrangea for a certain amount, but a few months after we quoted several brides an amount for their wedding bouquets, the growers experienced a loss in crops due to a drought in that region of New Zealand, where the particular variety of Hydrangea we needed was grown. The Growers doubled the warehouse prices. Luckily, this doesn't happen too often!
The first factor is the flower itself. Some flowers are just more expensive than others. The 2nd factor is how many flowers you need to create the design or size of bouquet that you desire. With the internet and media showing pictures of extravagant bouquets and towering centerpieces, it is important to remember that florists are magicians. We can create the same look and feel as what you see on tv and the internet, but by scaling down, and using different flowers, we save you lots of money. For example, a large bouquet filled with roses can cost hundreds of dollars. But a large bouquet filled with hydrangea, and dotted with roses gives the same impact, but for much less!
Another factor is the season. Flowers, like all crops, flourish only during certain seasons, and when you order a flower that is not in season, the price will be higher.
As another note: be sure to ask about deposits and extra fees such as set-up fees and delivery fees. Some florists charge for having a consultation (We do not) and most require a down payment to secure the date. Always remember to ask when the finale payment is due, and what the florist's refund policies are, just in case the date changes. These fees should all be listed in the contract that the florist mails to you.
One of the questions we get on occasion is whether we create samples of wedding arrangements so that they can be previewed. Some florists flat-out refuse, some require that the couple pay for those flowers, and some require a partial fee. We personally do not recommend previewing samples of flowers because each flower grows differently, and so the bouquets you see in the preview will be slightly different then the ones you receive on your wedding day. In our experience, it is a bit of a waste of money, all the way around, and if the florist is experienced, has a good reputation, and able to communicate exactly how the designs will look, then there really is no need to physically see the floral arrangements.
Question 4: What if I want a specific flower (lily of Valley, Peony)
We always advise brides and grooms to fall in love with the overall look and feel of their wedding flowers, not each and every individual flower. With the growth of the internet, an overwhelming amount of ideas can be presented to a bride and groom, some of which are misleading or even not even possible. For example, a picture we found on Pinterest the other day had a description that read "gorgeous cascade bouquet of Orchids". The bouquet was in fact, a gorgeous cascade of Stargazer lilies.
A bride may find a beautiful bouquet for her fall wedding, but the picture might not say that the flowers used only bloom in the spring. Another often-absent piece of information on internet pictures is where the flowers in the bouquet are grown. England is very prominent in the floral business-world and photos of exquisite English flowers often appear online and in bridal magazines, but they are simply not available in the United States. It is always best to check with your local florist before settling on a particular flower.
Orange Ranaculus and Freesia: Spring flowers in a fall bouquet.
White Flannel Flower: Australia
Florists will do their best to create the closest possible thing to the bouquet of your dreams. If it is a specific look and style you desire, they can often easily find a substitute that looks almost exactly the same. If you want a specific flower because it holds special meaning, perhaps a florist can find a replica in permanent botanicals. A common flower we use for weddings are Peonys. Since they only bloom in the spring and early summer months, we often suggest David Austin Garden roses as an alternative because they have that same, soft, cushion look and feel to them.
Peony Bouquet David Austin Garden Rose bouquet
Permanent Botanical: Silk lily of the Valley
Question 5: Besides flowers for the wedding party, what other kinds of decor do I need?
Wedding flowers can be as simple, or as extravagant as the bride and groom want! Here is a list of everything we can think of that one could possible include flowers. Of course, the bridal party should have bouquets and boutonnieres, but branching out from that is extra, and a decision that each Bride and Groom will have to decide based on how extravagant they want their celebration decor to be.
The Bride
the Bridesmaids
The Groom
The Groomsmen
Flower Girl
Ringbearer
Junior Bridesmaid
Junior Groomsmen
The Mothers of the Bride/Groom
The Fathers of the Bride/Groom
The Grandfathers of the Bride/ Groom
The Grandmothers of the Bride/ Groom
The Great Grandfather/Mothers of the Bride/Groom
The Personal Attendants
The Ushers
The Pastors/Officiants
The Singers/Soloist/Pianist (any musician that plays during the ceremony)
The Hosts
The Hostesses
The Guestbook Attendants
The Punch Pourer
The Cake server
The Gift Table Attendants
Ceremony Decor:
Bouquets at the entrance of the Church/Ceremony space
Petals down the aisle
Pew/Chair Bows/decor
Altar bouquets/Ceremony bouquets
Arch w/flowers
Unity Candle flowers
Presentation roses/flowers for the mothers of the Bride/Groom
Reception Decor
Bouquets at the entrance of the Reception space
Table Centerpieces
Cake Table flowers/decor
Head table flowers/decor
Guestbook table flowers/decor
Flowers for Women's bathroom
Flowers decorating any other tables (Candy table, gift table, buffet line tables)
Of course, the most important thing is to tweak your wedding flowers and decor to suit your individual needs and taste. Enjoy it! This is the most creative and fun part about planning a wedding!
