Since we are in the business of planning weddings, we work so closely with who we consider some of the best people in the industry. A while back we gave you some tips from some of our favorite photographers that we have we worked with, find this helpful information here! Well, we’ve took it one step further and chatted with some of our favorite florists out there for some helpful tips from their perspective when planning your wedding or event. This info is so valuable…stuff we wish we knew when we were planning our own weddings. In our opinion florals are so important, I mean… the venue, the photographer, and the florist…and of course the planner…hehe, and you’ve got yourself the bones of the event!
First we are hearing from Natasha Kolenko
Find a florist that you connect with and will enjoy working with. Flowers should be fun! I love meeting and working with my brides and grooms and believe the process of planning your florals should be enjoyable and easy. I have made lifelong friends out of previous wedding clients…one of the perks of the job!
Utilize seasonal and local blooms and foliage whenever possible! As well as being the more sustainable approach to floralizing, seasonal and local materials will be more cost effective and hold up longer than flowers flown in from out of state or overseas. And then of course splurge on those Australian Flannel flowers and off-season koko loco roses if your heart so desires!
Consider mixing and matching centerpiece florals (especially if you have more than a dozen tables). Rather than having the exact same type of centerpiece florals on each and every table, chose 2-3 different floral looks to alternate. For example, chose garlands and bud vases on half the tables and larger centerpiece arrangements on the others or mix up the vases and vessels on different tables. This will create a more dynamic overall aesthetic.
Lastly, and most importantly, give your florist a little room for creativity! I ALWAYS find that my favorite weddings are the ones where the couple have given me some creative liberty to “do my thing”! As florists, we know that you of course have a color palette and aesthetic in mind, but if you leave a little room to let us work some magic, it never disappoints! There may be a unique and stunning bunch of flowers at the flower mart that we hadn’t previously discussed that would be PERFECT in your bridal bouquet…we wouldn’t want to pass that up!
Here’s what Meagan from MV Florals had to say…
DO Trust your florist. Choose your florist because you appreciate their design, and leave it up to them to create your overall look, color scheme, and feel.
DON”T be set on one particular flower to use. Seasons play an important role when deciding on flowers, and you need to be open to different options. Florists can’t compete with mother nature. Often times a specific flower a bride has her heart set on may not be in season, simply won’t be available or looks its best on the wedding date. If a bride is flexible it makes it easier and more comfortable for everyone.
DO communicate! Let your florist know your vision, expectations, likes and dislikes. The more you and your florist get to understand each other the better!
Some tips from Angie & Emily the Bloom Babes…
Let the professional take the reigns- a lot of times brides and/or coordinators want to make very specific floral suggestions and oversee all decisions. DONT! Not only does it add stress to your life but it pisses the florists off. A bride should choose a florist that they trust and leave the creative work in their hands (with flexible inspiration images).
Big on the big, small on the small- what I mean by this is concentrate your budget on focal points; bridal bouquet, altar space, centerpieces, installation. If your budget doesn’t allow for an aisle petal treatment, or an arrangement on every guestbook table, (which is true for most of us) then eliminate those pieces, they won’t be focal points anyway. Reallocate that money into making the focal points more magical.
DO NOT attempt to do your own flowers- nor should you let your friend or aunt who likes flowers do them (if flowers are important to you). This is a big scary problem for many reasons: often the undertakers of this task have NO IDEA how difficult it is, likely they don’t know how to recreate an image that you want either — flower selection is very important and most non-florists wouldn’t know where to begin for the ordering process. It can be a big ugly and stressful mess if in the hands of a non-professional.
Know the venue- many venues have serious restrictions when it comes to weddings. Sometimes installations cannot happen the way you want them simply because the venue won’t allow.
Know your floral priorities- before you bring a florist in the mix, it’s helpful to know some basic details: how many tables will need centerpieces, how big the tables are what color schemes you like, etc. this helps the florist come up with proposals much easier and reduces time in back and forth emailing for numbers.
Be comfortable and upfront with your budget and talking numbers- simple concept. Takes the guess work and emotions out.
Next up Christine Cater…
Photographer selection is key, don’t skimp, it can make all the difference
The wedding venue is everything, unless your photographer is clever with your wedding day story
Modern (fresh) aesthetics are important and set each wedding apart
Hire a creative team that can help design your wedding with modern-fresh aesthetics
Create a budget with vendor pricing if possible
Lastly Rachael from Siren Floral…
DO give your florist some creative freedom. I think like all artists, we produce our best work when we have room to breathe a bit, and that’s when we create the most epic bouquets/centerpieces/
DO plan ahead. Getting all the final floral details//conversations sorted the month before the wedding allows you time to relax as it gets closer, AND it gives your florist enough time to order all the goodness that will make up your wedding flowers!
DO go big on the bouquet, I mean, I can’t help it… my bouquets are just kinda always big. so obviously this is my favorite tip, and even when your petite, just own it girl.
DO your research and plan your floral budget accordingly. I think the biggest struggle I find is that clients just don’t have any idea what flowers actually cost, and that’s OKAY! I mean, how could you? You’re not doing them all the time like we are! BUT there are great articles out there that will give you info//the right expectations about what flowers like peonies//garden roses actually cost (those are the extra pretty ones billowy, magical ones that are all over pinterest). Most people want them so it’s good to know the costs of what you’re asking your florist for and then, if flowers are a big priority to you, you can budget as such!
DO more research on seasonality. If I were to be the one getting married, I’d always get married in spring, or maybeeee fall. but mostly spring because spring blooms are the best!! That’s when you can have peonies :) If flowers matter to you a whole lot and you want specific ones, know what season they’re available and choose your date accordingly!
Wow!! This info is SO helpful!! I hope you all got some great tips out of it, plus are your eyes swooning over all of this pretty?? Flowers just get us every time, they set the tone and mood of the event, and well, they are pretty much everything. They definitely help take the decor to the next level. Thank you to all the florists we collaborated with for this post, all of you guys are such a pleasure to work with always and we love and appreciate your amazing creativity!!
Xx Leah & The Beijos Gals
I really like your last tip about giving the florist some room for creativity! My fiance and I are going to be getting married in the next few weeks are we are trying to decide what we want to do for our flowers. I think that these tips will really come in handy during our planning and help us to find the right florist to work with. Thanks for sharing!
So glad that these tips helped Danni! Also, congrats! You’re probably a newlywed right now! xx Jacquelyn
Excellent article. Finding a great florist for your wedding is crucial. Providing this guideline and the factors to consider when selecting a florist. is very helpful. Beijos website gives beneficial information to all individuals planning to get married. This article is beneficial.