Wedding 101

6 Things No One Tells You About Wedding Flowers

Collect, manage, and organize your wedding guest information for each event and track their preferences.
How do you go about choosing the right blooms for your big day? An experienced florist will have loads of helpful information and expertise to share, but what about the things they won’t tell you...? Don't fret! Here are the six important things you need to know now: 

1. Don’t Wait to Find a Florist 

After getting engaged, many people will book their venue and caterer first, before considering other providers like florists and photographers. While venues are notoriously tricky to pin down, it’s better to start by getting date availability and initial quotes from a few professionals in each service area first, and working from there. That way, you can figure out what your priorities are and plan accordingly. If there’s only one venue in the whole world you’d ever dream of being married, then you better get that squared away first. But if there’s only one florist you’d ever dream of inviting to do your flowers, then you start there instead. The point is to consider all of your options, get a feel for what each service will cost, plan your budget around what’s most important to you, and then start checking things off the list in that order. When searching for a florist, a good rule of thumb is to meet with three potential pros—fewer and you won’t have enough options, more and you’ll overwhelm yourself.

 2. Local Florists Have Their Perks

 Local florists have easier access to flowers grown in your geographic area, which come at a nice discount compared to flowers that must travel to reach you. By sourcing locally, you’ll have the freshest flowers possible with the smallest footprint to get them. If they have less travel time between where they’re harvested and when they grace your wedding, that means you’ll have more time to admire and appreciate them. Bonus points if you can find a local grower that acts as a florist too. There’s nothing better than farm-to-table flowers!

3. You Can (and Should) Reuse Your Blooms

 You spend endless hours daydreaming and planning precisely what your wedding flowers will look like. Your bouquet will be the star, and you want your special ladies to carry something stunning too. But what about flowers for the reception? You can certainly have centerpieces made specifically for the party, but then what happens to the ceremony flowers? The truth is, they serve a great dual purpose. Aisle flowers can turn into table centerpieces, altar flowers can adorn your serving tables, and bouquets can dress the head table. 

4. Many Decor Items Are Available for Rent

 Most couples assume that they must buy all of the decor items for their wedding—vases, arches, votives, gazebos, candles, lighting—but that’s not true! Many florists have tried and tested their own materials, and would gladly rent them to you. Who better than your florist to know the precise burn time of their candles, or how many strings of fairy lights it will take to adequately light a tent? This cuts down on time you have to spend shopping for decor ahead of your big day, but also means you’re not left with loads of wedding-day items that probably won’t be useful to you in the future.

5. Your Choice of Table Dressings is More Important Than you Think 

You spend so much time laboring over flowers—varieties, colors, vessels—the last thing you’ll consider is what goes underneath the flowers. Busy patterns or bold colors are likely to overwhelm your delicate blooms, so be considerate when picking the linens for your tables. You don’t have to stick to plain cream or ivory, but more muted, subdued tones will probably be best. Incorporating neutral runners or overlays—like lace or burlap—adds texture and allure without stealing the show. 

6. Fragrant Flowers Aren’t the Best Choice 

A bouquet of highly aromatic flowers might be a pleasing treat in your home, but on a table with food at your wedding? Not the best idea. Fragrant flowers are wonderful in a garden or open air space where they won’t hinder the enjoyment of food, but inside a wedding venue or too close to where your guests are dining, these flowers have the potential to ruin the experience. So stick to varieties with little fragrance indoors, and save the scented stuff for outside.
A great florist can be a wealth of knowledge and an incredible resource during your months of planning. Even if you aren’t sure what flowers cost, or what you should be spending on them, your florist can help you bring your vision to life. On first meeting, bring pictures, ideas, and examples of the aesthetic you’re aiming for, a rough idea of how much you’re willing to spend, and any other inspiration that you’d like to see influence your flowers. Then, let the fun begin!  
Alexia Conley
About The Author
Founder of Wiley Events.
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