Common wedding flower misconceptions (and what actually works)

Wedding flowers often carry a lot of expectation. They are deeply emotional, highly visual and usually one of the first things couples imagine when they start planning. Over the years, working with couples across Devon and the South West, certain assumptions come up time and again. They’re completely understandable, but left unaddressed they can lead to unnecessary stress or disappointment.

A thoughtful floral design process is not about correcting couples, but about gently guiding decisions so the end result feels beautiful, considered and effortless on the day itself. With that in mind I would love to debunk some of the misconceptions I hear about wedding flowers, and hopefully leave you all with some tangible advice that will really help your wedding flower planning.

Pinterest Is Inspiration, Not Real Life

Online imagery is an invaluable source of inspiration, but it rarely tells the full story. Many of the images couples save are from styled shoots rather than real weddings. These shoots are created without the pressures of guest movement, weather changes or long timelines, and flowers are often installed purely for the camera. When it comes to styled shoots, budgets are often not realistic and can often create unequal expectations as to what is realistic for a couple’s actual wedding day.

What works far better is using inspiration images to communicate mood, scale and feeling rather than exact combinations of flowers or layouts. When couples focus on how they want their wedding to feel, rather than replicating a single image, the design becomes more personal and far more successful. Pinterest is an incredible tool, so do use it to create your wedding flower mood board, just use it as a means of communicating with your wedding florist your colour, flower, design style preferences and they will do their job in creating a detailed proposal working towards all of your requirements, and working towards your specified budget.

Luxury Is Not About Filling Every Surface with Flowers

There is a widespread belief that more flowers automatically means a more luxurious result. In practice, impact comes from intentional design restraint, thoughtful placement and high quality of seasonal blooms. A few beautifully styled arrangements in the right places will always feel more refined than scattering flowers everywhere without intention. This is something I emphasise to every client, you do not need to flower every surface at your wedding venue, explore where you will be spending the most time throughout the day, where will you need the impact to be for those special moments, where will you need the flowers to look impactful for your photographs?

Professional floral design considers how guests move through a space, where their eyes are naturally drawn, and which moments deserve emphasis. Luxury comes from confidence in those decisions, not excess and so my advise is always dress your ceremony space with a statement floral installation, focus on this area as this is where you will say I do. Entrance flowers are key too, welcoming your guests with floral archways or large stylish vases set the tone for the day. Your dinner table flowers are crucial too, guests will be spending lots of time here dining, and throughout the speeches typically. So beautifully styled tables are always a must!

All Flowers Do Not Behave the Same Way

Flowers are living materials, and each variety responds differently to temperature, handling and time. Expecting every bloom to look identical from early morning until late evening is unrealistic and often unnecessary. Your bridal bouquet and buttonholes will need to look fabulous throughout your ceremony and photographs afterwards, so delicate, thirsty blooms can be used, but your bouquet will need to be kept in water before hand, and then afterwards. I always provide glass vases for my bouquets to sit in during dinner to ensure longevity.

Some flowers or foliage may work better in some scenarios, so your wedding florist will be able to advise on this if you have your heart on using a specific, temperamental flower in a particular place. Honesty will always be the most crucial factor in managing client expectations and ensuring you have the very best flowers for your wedding day. A well-designed wedding allows flowers to soften and relax naturally as the day unfolds, rather than fighting against their nature.

Foliage is cheaper than Flowers:

A misconception I hear often is that foliage is cheaper than flowers. This is absolutely not the case, with foliage having quite often just a high price tag as flowers. Large branches have to be picked, transported, conditioned and so the same amount of labour and time goes into sourcing this product. Lots of foliage is also slow growing and so growers spend years nurturing the plants, meaning it rightly comes with a higher price point. I will always use foliage in my designs, because it brings the natural and seasonal look that works so well in wedding flower designs, never just to ‘bulk out’ the flowers. Foliage can often make a design, the right trailing branch in an arch or the delicate trails of a bridal bouquet, ensures that it is just as special as the blooms themselves.

Seasonality Is A Strength, Not a Compromise

Some couples worry that working seasonally limits their options. In reality, seasonality brings uniqueness and authenticity to floral design. Flowers grown in their natural season tend to have better structure, more natural, in keeping colours and organic presence. They look and feel as they are supposed to and capture that moment in nature of when your wedding is happening. When you look back years to come, you will see a seasonal flower or foliage you had at your wedding and be transported straight back to that time! This is why seasonality will always be embraced here, it is never a compromise, as a wedding florist, for me it is a non negotiable.

In Devon and across the South West, seasonal flowers sit beautifully within the landscape, echoing hedgerows, gardens, coastal and countryside settings. Designs rooted in seasonality always feel more grounded and timeless, so whether you are using that locally picked spring blossom and narcissi in your April wedding, or the rustic bracken and rose hips in your Autumn wedding. Choosing the finest, locally sourced ingredients of that time will truly make your wedding flowers not only beautiful and interesting, but completely unique to you.

Wedding Flowers Are More Than Decoration

As a wedding florist, obviously I am biased but I really do feel that flowers quietly shape the entire wedding experience. They are so much more than decoration and a tick off your wedding planning check list! They frame the ceremony, soften architectural spaces, guide guests through different areas and create atmosphere long before vows are exchanged.

When floral design is considered from the outset, it becomes the thread that connects the whole day visually. Rather than being an afterthought, flowers work alongside lighting, table styling and venue features to create a cohesive and immersive experience. Your wedding flowers will be one of the very first things your guests will see that let them in on the feel and look of your special day, so the emotion they can create really is crucial!

Clear Budgets Encourage Better Design

There is a misconception that setting a clear floral budget limits creativity. In reality, transparency allows for stronger, more intentional design decisions. When priorities are clear, a florist can advise where investment will have the greatest visual and emotional impact. I always ask for a budget at the initial enquiry stage, even a rough estimate is super helpful so we can match your floral ideas and expectations against your budget. It may be a typical British trait to not want to talk about budgets, but I advise you in this case to really come up with a figure that you are happy to spend on wedding flowers to give to your florist. It will ensure you both get exactly what you need and no time is wasted throughout the planning process. Thoughtful budgeting leads to cohesion rather than compromise, and ensures that the final design feels balanced and considered rather than stretched too thin.

What Actually Works

The most successful weddings are always built on trust, collaboration and experience. Couples who are open with their vision, ideas and expectations, yet are also open to professional guidance, embrace seasonality and who focus on atmosphere rather than ticking off from ‘checklists’ genuinely achieve the most beautiful and worthwhile results.

Wedding flowers work best when they are designed with care, flexibility and a deep understanding of how a wedding truly unfolds. You can only get this level of service and insight from working with suppliers with a great deal of knowledge and huge experience in the industry. You are trusting one of the most special days of your lives in suppliers hand, and so you have to choose well. When that happens, the flowers don’t just look beautiful – they feel right! If you are planning your wedding in the South West and looking for a wedding florist I would love to hear more about your wedding ideas and flower plans! You can enquire through the contact page here, taking a look through the portfolio for real life weddings and also my Instagram page, which has lots of behind the scenes action and inspiration.

Photography Credits: Rebecca Carpenter Photography, Tara Statton Photography.