Obviously I may be a teeny bit biased but I think choosing your wedding flowers can be one of the most exciting and inspiring planning meetings you can have regarding your wedding! Flowers add so much to the overall feel of a wedding, those finishing touches create an ambiance for the whole day and the all important floral accessories of your bouquets and buttonholes are such a key feature. Flowers can make a wedding… So where does one begin?! I am writing this blog as a little guide for all you couples out there who are beginning to think about choosing your wedding flowers and booking a wedding florist for your upcoming wedding. This is just a little brief round up of some of the things you may need to think about and may help you get the ball rolling when it comes to wedding planning so I hope it helps!
Do you have an image in your head of how you want your big day to be?! Of course you do and that will probably be down to Pinterest, this social media has hit the wedding industry big time and many an hour can be lost ( I mean spent doing market research!) on this site. It is great for wedding planning with so much inspiration, however it can also be a tad unrealistic too as most people are working towards a budget for their day and Pinterest does feature the most glamourous, luxurious, over the top style flowers too. So bear this in mind when pinning, it is great for colour inspiration, bouquet style, arrangement style, flower choice ideas and an experienced florist will be able to translate these ideas and take inspiration from this for your big day. Do not worry if you do not have a set idea of what you are looking for though, we can have a good chat and look through lots of images to find out the style that works for you and your wedding!
Do come to the initial consultation with photos of things you have seen that you like and inspire you. These may not be flower related and could just be an image that sums up the colours or look you are going for. It is always great to see an image of your dress as this may affect the style/shape of your bouquet and will let your florist know a bit more about you and your style. Anything you feel that may provide an insight to your big day feel free to bring along: bridesmaids swatches, gents ties, invitiations it can all provide the florist with inspiration.
If possible do try to have a budget in mind that you are working towards? I know this can be tricky because how do you know how much flowers cost, you have never done this before?! Even a rough estimate is a starting point and can be really helpful for us florists to know at the beginning as we can advise you to allocate your budget on what is most important to you. Would you rather you focused on having beautiful bouquets and buttonholes as they are your priority? Would you rather the budget is spent during the reception rather than the ceremony as you will be spending more time here? Chat through these ideas with us and we can offer suggestions based on our past experience and what we know works well. A lot of time is spent on the admin side of floristry so it is really disheartening as a florist when you spend quality time setting up a meeting, chatting through ideas over a consultation, typing up a detailed quote to hear that ‘I have found someone cheaper’. Each florist will have their own style and cheaper does not necessarily mean better value, or that the other florist is overcharging. You may not be paying for as many flowers in your bouquet, or as many choice flowers. You are paying for a florist’s expertise, experience and style so think how important this is to you before a consultation.
I want to list the most preferred flower items that couples tend to wish for and hope this will give you a helpful breakdown and a few things to consider prior to your consultation with your florist! The bride’s bouquet…The most important aspect of the flowers I would say, what other day in life do you get to walk around carrying the most exquisitely made, selection of flowers?! My one piece of advice would be do not compromise, this is your bridal bouquet and I always say to my couples have what you want, it’s as simple as that. Think about the style would you prefer a more gathered, hand picked loose style or do you prefer the more neat and compact look? Trailing or hand tied there are so many beautiful options out there! Do you have a particular favourite flower that you just have to use? Your bouquet will be in all of your photos so it needs to be the perfect accessory to compliment you and your dress!
Think about whether you are having any bridesmaids, flower girls and the type of flowers you would want them to carry. Do not forget the guys! Buttonholes look fab and make the day so special, try using a few flowers from your bouquet in the buttonholes to carry through! Will you be providing them for just the immediate grooms party or would you like other members of the family to wear one? Likewise with corsages for any women in the family.
When it comes to decorating your ceremony with flowers think about the spaces you would like to see filled with flowers. If you are getting married in a church do check with them first that you can have your own florist decorate the space, as some do only allow their own floral decoration. I think it is important to have focal arrangements at the front of the altar, it is lovely to decorate the pews and any window ledges or entrance porches to the church. Sometimes there is a lovely arch crying out for flowers! If you are getting married within your wedding venue then the similar principles do apply, try to have a lovely focal arrangement in your ceremony near to where you will both stand. Lots of venues have lovely chairs now so posies tied to the end of the chairs to line the aisle look great. Will you want to place flowers in the entrance to welcome guests?
The reception is an important part of the big day and table arrangements are the biggest way to do this. Would you prefer high or low table decorations? Have you an idea of the containers you would like to use? There is so much variety out there now you will be spoilt for choice. Think about whether there are any other areas that you would like to flower for example mantelpieces, window ledges, alcoves, the bar, any extra tables you have for casual seating. Will you be having a cake and would you like fresh flowers to decorate? Your cake supplier will be able to advise on this also, but the addition of a cake topper or clusters of a few select blooms work perfectly with a simple cake.
I do hope this post has been helpful and gives you some hand hints and tips to think about when you are starting to plan choosing your wedding flowers. It may seem like there is so much to think about but your florist will guide you through, offering help and suggestions and all you need to do is come along with ideas that you love, and also what you don’t love as this can be just as helpful too! If you are interested in wedding flower inspiration do check out my Pinterest page which has lots of lovely floral inspiration for you here.