If you are newly engaged then the complete guide to planning your wedding flowers will be an invaluable blog post, full of top advice from a highly experienced Devon wedding florist. I am Rachel and I run my wedding florist business from North Devon, working on beautiful weddings throughout the South West. I can understand that when beginning your wedding planning journey, couples can often feel a little overwhelmed or daunted at the idea. After all, for most people, they have never planned a wedding before. I am here today to talk you through everything you need to know when you are planning your wedding flowers, to ensure that you get the most beautiful flowers on your big day, but also enjoy the process along the way.
How to choose your wedding florist:
When beginning to research wedding florists my key piece of advice is to search for a florist who's style aligns with your vision. There are so many talented florists out there working in a variety of styles so it is absolutely crucial that you choose a florist who's work you adore. If you are looking for a natural, abundant and seasonal look then look to florists who share this aesthetic on their portfolios. Visit florists websites and social media, instagram would be my favourite to check... and make sure that their style is consistent throughout and that they are sharing current wedding work.
It is also important to research your florist's background and their experience. Weddings are one of the most important occasions in your life and so you deserve a florist who is highly experienced in dealing with these occasions. A professional florist will be able to show you this from their real life weddings and also be able to answer any queries you may have.
Look at the location of your florist, ideally I do not like to travel more than a couple of hours away to make sure we can be there bright and early to set up. A lot of the flowers, especially the big installations, need to be created onsite and so we need to arrive at the crack of dawn to ensure these are beautiful for your arrival.
Look into your wedding florist FAQ's: Common ones I get asked all the time: Do you have a minimum spend? Do you hire out items such as vases and candles? What is the on the day logistics? Do you clear down? Will you have a team with you? What is the process beforehand? A great florist will be able to answer all your queries and fill you with confidence.
When should you book your wedding florist?
You should start to think about researching florists you like as soon as you book your venue and date. Good florists will get booked up early and as we only take on one wedding per day or weekend, key dates especially in the summer can get booked up fast, so reach out as soon as you can. I appreciate at this point couples are slightly unsure as to what exactly they will be requiring and of course final conformation of numbers will be in the distance, but that is ok. The main thing to focus on at this point is finding a florist that you love, securing the date and giving them an overall feel of the aesthetic to your day and your ideal requirements. That said I feel lots more couples are booking a little later at the moment.
Do your research:
Before contacting your florists I would strongly advise you hop onto Pinterest and delve into the wonderful world of wedding flower inspiration. Think about the colours that you would love at your wedding, the style of bouquets and table arrangements. Think about your venue and where your ceremony will be? Are you having a marquee so will you be playing with a blank canvas or will they be stipulations that affect decisions from your wedding venue. Obviously, your florist will go through all of this with you, but I would recommend putting together a board of visuals that you love and that inspire you. Do not worry too much about the exact flower varieties and whether they will be available, a good florist will be able to offer alternatives and suggest the most appropriate and beautiful blooms for the season you are marring in. Share photos of your dress, bridesmaid dresses, any stationery or tables cape inspiration, or just photos that share a similar aesthetic that you love. This will be so helpful in showing your florist the type of look you are going for and enable them to present you with the most exciting yet appropriate proposal after your consultation.
How much should I budget for wedding flowers?
I understand that it can be hard to set aside a budget for wedding flowers, most couples are unaware how much flowers cost, however I think it is crucial to be able to offer your florist a rough idea of how much you would be likely to spend. When it comes to floral designs, the sky's the limit! By knowing your budget range florists can be sure to quote designs with optimal visual impact, while also being highly compatible with the practical side of things. I recommend to think about having a wish list of what you are requiring in terms of bouquets, buttonholes, ceremony decorations and venue decorations, or at least an idea on your guest count to discuss with your florist. You can then work in any beautiful extra additions on top! Most wedding florists will have a minimum spend as we need to commit to a certain order of flowers from our wholesalers, we only work on a set number of weddings per year, and we need to take into account delivery costs, staff costs, insurance etc.
What is the planning process?
Every florist is different, however I would love to tell you a little bit about the way I work. After your initial enquiry, and if I am available and our style aligns I will schedule a consultation, where we can discuss all of your ideas in more detail. This tends to be done over Zoom or the phone now and it is a fantastic way to 'meet' find out a bit about each other and really talk in more detail about every aspect of your wedding day. After our chat I will create you a bespoke floral proposal full of beautiful inspiration mood boards alongside a customised breakdown of requirements and costs. A booking fee is subsequently required to secure your wedding date. Throughout the planning process I am available on email or phone so we can tweak your proposal if necessary, and final amendments need to be made by ideally 6 weeks before your wedding date. This is around the same time that you will be having to confirm final numbers with your caterers and venue. A site visit to your venue may also be a good idea, see my previous blog post here for more information! I always let my clients know that I am available to help with any query they may have, planning a wedding can become overwhelming so it really is importnat that you can rely on your wedding suppliers to help at all times. We have done this hundreds of times before and there is no problem that we haven't come across or fixed before!
If you have just started planning your wedding flowers, I hope this blog has been full of valuable advice that you can go away and utilise and I would love to hear any questions or queries you may have!
Photography Credits: https://hopehelmuthphotography.com Wedding Panner: https://www.vanillaroseweddings.co.uk