Planning Your Wedding Flowers? Five Things To Consider Before Talking To A Florist

Choosing your wedding flowers can seem like an overwhelming task, especially if you aren’t a flower person. Flowers are such a big part of any wedding – they help set the theme, provide colour and interest, and are a feature in all the photos. That is where it pays to find a great wedding florist. Someone who can guide you through the options and design floral arrangements that suit you and your wedding.

Bringing a bride’s dream to life with flowers that match her style and make her wedding #instaworthy is one of my most favourite things to do. But I know it can get stressful for the bride. Wedding planning means lots of decisions about things you probably haven’t had to deal with much before.

Most wedding florists will offer free consultations to discuss what you are looking for and answer questions. I have met with lots of brides to be, at different stages of their wedding planning. And with different levels of experience and interest in flowers! Based on my experience working with brides I have pulled together a couple of tips to help you get the most out of meeting with a florist.
Thinking about these things will help you communicate your preferences to your florist. And it will help your florist design arrangements that are perfect for you.

1. Forget about flower names and seasons (for now)

Although it can be tempting to dive right into picking your preferred flowers, this can lead to becoming overwhelmed by choice. And confused by which flowers are in season when. And what flower combinations work well together. Or disappointment when your florist says your choices won’t work for some reason. Rather than starting with flower choice, take a step back and think about the other tips below. Once you have met with your florist they will be able to provide advice on seasonal availability and flower choices. That is our area of expertise!

2. Decide on a colour palette

This is one of the more critical elements of wedding planning because it will impact so many of your decisions, not only flowers. I recommend starting with one or two base colours. You and/or your partner might have a favourite colour that is a no brainer. Or there is a colour that has special meaning to you. You might have a particular item that is going to be a feature piece in your wedding decor – a vintage car, a family heirloom, a piece of jewellery. These can all give you a place to start. Once you have your base colour/s you can pair with neutrals (white/cream/beige), contrasts (blue/orange, purple/yellow, red/green) or shades and pastels. Don’t go overboard – less is more. Too many colours in your palette will get confusing for everyone. Three is usually the magic number.

When selecting your colour palette, make sure it will work with your ceremony and reception venues. If they already have strong colour elements that you can’t change, your palette will need to work with it. For example, your ceremony location might have a bright blue wall behind the altar. Or your reception venue has dark red curtains. Your venue doesn’t have to determine your whole colour scheme but be careful of not picking colours that will clash.

3. Consider your favourite accessories

What kind of jewellery do you prefer – gold, rose gold, white gold, silver?
Your preference can give a florist insight into the colour tone that will best suit your arrangements. People who prefer yellow gold will often like warmer tones, so you might like cream over a crisp white. If you choose silver over gold you probably prefer cooler tones. It will also help guide the use of any accessories in the floral arrangements – things like ribbons, vases and foliage.

If you are planning on wearing any special accessories during the wedding – things like a brooch or hairpin passed down to you from a close relative – bring a picture of them with you. They can be a great source of inspiration for the colours and design of your floral arrangements.

4. Do your research

Magazines, Instagram, Pinterest, Wedding Blogs…the sources of inspiration for weddings are endless! I love Pinterest for wedding research. It lets you create different boards for each element of your wedding – theme, dress, hair, makeup and, of course, flowers. Then start collecting pictures of flowers, arrangements, and colour combinations that you love. You will start to see themes emerging that can help you communicate your preferences to your florist. You might realise you really love bouquets with lots of tight buds all in one colour or one flower type. Or you prefer more whimsical wildflower styles. The great thing about Pinterest is that there is so much on there you are guaranteed to find something you like, no matter what your theme or style.

Make sure you also check out the website and socials of any florist you are thinking of talking to. Have a look at their recent work and get a feel for their style. You can find me on Facebook. If you know other brides who have used them, ask them what the experience was like working with that florist. Or if you are at a wedding and love the florals, ask the bride for a recommendation. The more you look at different floral designs the more you will come to realise what you do, and don’t, like.

5. Think beyond the bouquet

The bride’s bouquet is one of the most important parts of the wedding florals. But think about other ways you might like to incorporate flowers into your wedding. Will the groom and groomsmen have boutonnières for their buttonholes? The mothers of the bride and groom might like a corsage or even a small posy. Flower girls could have floral bracelets or crowns.

There are lots of different options for using florals as feature wedding decorations. Arbours/arches, circles and canopies are great for decorating a ceremony location. Flower walls are popular for receptions because they provide a great backdrop for wedding selfies. Hanging flower arrangements and floral chandeliers are perfect for outdoor receptions or to tastefully hide a less than pretty reception venue ceiling. Let your imagination go a little wild! Your florist will help you find the best (and most affordable) ways to make it happen.

If you are ready to start talking about your wedding flowers, you can book in a free consultation with me. I can’t wait to help your wedding dreams bloom into reality!

Given the uncertainty surrounding weddings during COVID, I am currently penciling in wedding dates but not asking for deposits.