Everything Brides Need to Know About Choosing Wedding Flowers

Sep 20

Planning a wedding can feel overwhelming! Worry not, this blog is here to remove the mystery surrounding wedding flowers to help brides make the perfect choice for their perfect day. At the Flower Shop, our goal is to work with brides to achieve their vision. We recommend booking a one-on-one consultation 6 to 12 months in advance of your wedding date so the florist can go over all the details with you.

These are some tips on how to prepare before your consultation so you can go into the meeting fully confident in what you want.

Know Your Vision

The most important thing before meeting the florist is to have a clear vision of what you want your wedding to look like. If your wedding has a particular theme, we want the flowers to match that theme. Do you want a fairytale wedding overflowing with colorful flowers? Or is your taste a more modern, minimalist aesthetic? Details can easily be worked out as long as you have an idea of the big picture.

It can be useful to find photos online of wedding flowers that match your style preferences and show them to the florist. Pinterest is a good place to start; or if you want to see examples of the work the Flower Shop has designed in the past, you can check out our social media pages. Bringing several visual references to your consultation will help give the florist a better understanding of what you’re looking for.

Color palette

Picking a color palette is often the first step in designing a wedding theme. Everything is possible, from simple ivory and cream, to monochromatic shades of blue, or an entire rainbow of vibrant hues. If you’ve already picked the color of the bridesmaid’s dresses, the flowers can be a matching shade or a contrasting color.

Surroundings are another good indicator of what colors will look nice at your wedding. From the inside of a church to outdoors in a forest, the flowers should compliment the venue you have chosen. Once you select a color palette, the florist can suggest what flowers best match the theme.

Seasonal Flowers

Depending on if you’re having a wedding in spring, summer, autumn, or winter will affect what flowers are more readily available. While some flowers bloom all year round in certain climates, it is still important to know what local options are in bloom in your area. Just tell the florist your wedding date and she will be able to advise you what flowers are in season.

While this might sound limiting, there are still plenty of options. You might have to make some compromises, but even in the dead of winter, it is possible to import tropical flowers depending on how much you are willing to spend.

Know Your Budget

A question we often receive from brides is “how much do I need to spend on wedding flowers?” The simple truth is, you can spend as much or as little as you feel comfortable, it is the florist’s job to make sure your wedding flowers look beautiful no matter the price point.

It doesn’t matter if your budget is $500 or $10,000 as long as you communicate so we can make a plan that works within your price range. A smaller budget might mean having to prioritize which elements are most important to you, but that doesn’t mean your vision can’t be achieved.

Wedding Size

One thing that will determine the overall cost is the size of the wedding party. Making ten bridesmaid bouquets will cost more than making just two. If you have a large wedding party, you might want to consider choosing less expensive flowers to get the most value. Take into account every person that will require flowers including bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls, parents, grandparents, etc. The more people involved, the more flowers you might require.

Another thing to consider is decorating the venue. If you want a centerpiece arrangement for each table, then you need to know about how many tables there are. It is ultimately your decision how many flowers you want, just keep in mind that larger weddings typically cost more.

Delivery and Setup

This is a question of both budget and convenience. If you are trying to save money, you can always pick up the flowers from our shop and transport them to the venue yourself. This means you can put more money towards the flowers themselves instead of adding an extra charge for delivery which varies by distance to the location.

Other considerations will include the number and size of the flower arrangements and if they require special care to set up. If you want a large hanging arrangement or wedding arch, you probably need an experienced florist to secure it without damage. Some people don’t want to worry about decorating the venue on top of everything else, and having our team set up for you might provide peace of mind on your big day.

Conclusion

We hope this helps you know what to expect before your consultation. The main things you need to know are: what is your vision including color palette, the date of your wedding, a rough idea of your budget, and how big or small your wedding is. Bringing photos of flowers you like is helpful but not required.

A consultation is your chance to discuss all the details with the florist so we are both on the same page. We want to get to know you and help execute your vision for the big day. This partnership will last through the wedding and we will be with you every step of the way. If you haven’t already, book a consultation with us today!

Jessica Haley