Choosing your wedding flowers is a big part of the planning process for your special day as you want them to reflect the overall style of your wedding and of course, you as a couple.
It can be a pretty daunting task even just knowing where to start, particularly if you don’t really know much about flowers. But not to worry! Today we are sharing our top tips for choosing your wedding flowers and gathering ideas before you even meet with florists…
COST
Before beginning to choose which flowers you want, sit down with your partner and/or whoever is paying for the wedding, and work out a budget. It is vital to have a breakdown of how much you can realistically spend. If money is no object then of course your options will be wider and you can have as many flowers as you want, but if your budget is tighter, you don’t have to miss out - it is still absolutely possible for you to have beautiful flowers for your wedding. Seasonal flowers will be at their best and are actually cheaper than having blooms that are sourced all year round (you might like to read Why Do Wedding Flowers Cost So Much? and our guides to What Are The Most Popular Wedding Flowers?, Winter Wedding Flowers and Spring Wedding Flowers for some more inspiration on this topic). Adding luscious greenery to bouquets or floral arrangements provides shape and texture and is a cost-effective option. Also, it is possible to reuse floral displays from your ceremony to the reception venue, so keep this in mind as a possibility too.
MEANING
Heard of “the language of flowers”? Flowers either symbolise something or have a meaning; we’re INCREDIBLY passionate about that here and will take time to learn more about what is important to you so your arrangements are truly special. Although you may not necessarily be aware of what each flower represents, this may be something you wish to take into account when choosing your blooms. A particular flower could be personal and have real significance to your relationship or is a favourite of a family member or friend that you wish to include in your wedding bouquet.
THEME
There are many blogs, social media accounts, wedding/florist websites and magazines to look at now and also wedding fairs you can go to to get some inspiration. An important question to ask yourself is “How do I want my wedding day to look and feel”? Do you want a traditional wedding? Formal? Fun? Modern? Luxury? Romantic? Elegant? Glamorous? Country Garden? Rustic? and so on. Start writing down the style that you want, using descriptive words. If you’re not sure of this, pick out some key elements and palettes you like - this will help you to identify any complementary or contrasting themes. Many flowers have a range of different shades so it needs to be established whether it is possible to have a perfect colour match or one that complements or contrasts it.
VENUE
Once you have booked your wedding venue for both the ceremony and the reception things will become clearer. Looking at the decor in the venue is an excellent starting point for you to move forward. While your florist can advise what is possible, you can create a Pinterest or Vision Board with images that you like, showing your favourite styles, colours, shapes and textures. You might also like to use photos of weddings which have previously been held at your future wedding venue to provide a better indication of how big/small the room is once decorated and occupied, and provide inspiration of floral displays previously used.
SIZE
The size of the flowers also need to be taken into consideration. If you are petite, a large bouquet could hide you. Also you don’t want large floral arrangements if the venue is small or vice versa. They need to look as though they belong within that particular setting. Even the shape of your tables at your reception can influence the shape and style of your centrepieces. A long, cascading floral garland wouldn’t look as dreamy on a circular table as it would on a banquet table.
SCENT
You may not like a particular scent or you, your partner or guests may have an allergy so again it is important to bear this in mind when choosing your flowers. Some flowers have little or no fragrance, some are stronger in the evening and some will give off an aroma all day. Again, this brings us back to meaning too; is there a scent that is significant to you as a couple or reminds you of someone who can’t be there on your special day?
SUSTAINABILITY
One trend we’ve noticed over the past few years is the importance of sustainability when it comes to choosing wedding flowers. More and more couples want to know how their flowers were sourced, how they will be cared for and what happens to them after the wedding day. It’s worth considering whether this is important to you and to explore what options there are out there.
OUTFITS
Unsurprisingly, choosing outfits for you, your partner and your wedding party is one of the most exciting, stressful but rewarding parts of the wedding planning process. For some, flowers will be more, less or equally as important, but we all want bouquets, buttonholes, corsages and other accessories to match what we’re wearing. The colours, shapes and styles can all have an impact on your flower selections. To get an idea for what works best, you could take cuttings from magazines, photographs or swatches of fabric from your wedding outfits.
FLORIST
Your wedding florist can advise you regarding your choice of flowers and help to create your dream floral decor possible within your budget. Use Instagram to look at a whole variety of wedding florists (even those recommended to you). Whether you find these yourself or are referred by a friend, your venue or wedding planner, this will help to give you a feel for what you are and aren’t looking for specifically with floral arrangements before you look into costs. As you will have already planned your budget, you know what you have available, so can focus on what it is you really like and take this to each florist. We’ve put together a guide on What To Ask A Wedding Florist Before Booking to help you!
The consultation appointment is an important stage of the planning process. Show the wedding florist your Pinterest/vision board or scrapbook of what you like but be open minded - it’s not always possible to have everything you want, particularly when you are working within a set budget. Your florist will be able to say whether what you envisage would be possible or provide alternative ideas whilst considering what is most important to you.
Your vision can become a reality with the help of your wedding florist. They will ensure that the flowers match the style of your wedding, are the right colours/size/shapes/textures and that they suit the surroundings that they will be in.
If you would like to find out more about how we can help you to create your dream wedding, event or photoshoot through floral design, then why not get in touch today? You can also click here to learn more about our process or follow us on Instagram / Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.