What We Wish You Knew About Your Flowers. part 1.
What Your Florist Wished You Knew.
1- Just because things are “in season” does not mean they are the cheapest option, it means they are available. Seasonal flowers, think peonies in June, and dahlias in September, are usually highly sought after, and for good reason! We wait all year for that amazing smell of peonies, and so many people want them. If it’s beginning or end of the flower season, quality is iffy, and I often need to order extra, and if it’s middle of the season, demand is really high!
Peonies in the Spring? Yes Please! Photo by Dustin Hall Photo
2- Repurposing flowers is awesome IF it’s done correctly. I’m such a huge advocate of reusing your flowers. Your ceremony is the most important part of your day, but also the shortest usually. Reusing the florals is a way to enjoy them longer, and it can save you some on your budget. But, picture it this way. Your arrangements that are hung on an arbor, your looking essentially at the top, head on, but when it’s on your head table, you’ll be looking at it from one side, and your guests will be looking at it from another. Keep in mind, we’d also need to think about how tall it is, so it’s not blocking your view when your sitting behind it. If it’s outside in the sunshine, we also need to consider blooms that will last through to the end of your reception. These things are all things I need to think about when building your arrangements, and you should remember if your thinking about reusing your florals.
Jessica and Matt- The glorious long garland was over the arbor, and then was placed down the head table for the reception. Photos by Rachwell Photography.
Sarah and Andreas- Three beautiful arrangements from the arbor at White Point Resort were removed after the ceremony and placed on the head table, along with some greenery down the length. Photos by Nicole Lapierre Photography.
3- Your bridal bouquet will be the most photographed floral item, and it’s what you’ll spend the most amount of time looking at. This means if your budget or availability is an issue, let’s focus on your bouquet! Let’s put those gorgeous garden roses in your bouquet, and put regular roses in your centerpieces, trust me, your guests will not notice.
4- Most of the photos your looking at on Instagram or Pinterest have been edited, and some are very heavily filtered, and sometimes the colors in your inspo photos are very unlike the colors in real life. When doing a consult, something I often need to sort out is if the bride is thinking she wants the actual color of the flower she’s showing me, or the tone of the one in the photo. Here is a few comparison photos, neither of these are my designs, but will help you see the real colors vs the edited images.
5- Take everything you read on Pinterest with a grain of salt. I have a huge love/hate relationship with Pinterest. When your first engaged, its fabulous for gathering initial inspiration. But, on the other side, some of what is on there is complete nonsense. Alot of photos are from insane styled shoots where budget is no issue, and takes place all over the world, with product we can’t necessarily access here. So, my advice… spend a bit of time dreaming on Pinterest, then log off, and trust your vendors!
6- Greenery is not cheap. You’ve probably heard me talk before about this topic, unfortunately some couples have the idea that doing lots of greenery in place of flowers is amore cost effective option. Sad, but it’s not. Greenery is often grown all over the world, planted, cared for, harvested, processed, and flown here, just the same as flowers. What greenery is though, is durable. It’s tougher, handles heat and lack of water source better, lasts weeks longer than flowers, and is very sturdy (aka.. won’t bruise if it’s dropped on the floor). From the grey greens and delightful smells of eucalyptus to the smaller leaves of Italian ruscus and wide leaves of aspidistra, there is a type of greenery that works with every wedding style and look.
Bugsy and Amanda chose mainly greenery focused bouquets, with several types, from dusty miller to several eucalyptus varieties and salal. Photos by Ruthless Images.
