Day 21 – Bouquets, boutonnieres and more
Flowers are a huge part of a wedding day and if you have no idea where to start when thinking about them try my top tips…
Top tip #1 – think about what you actually like?
It is a good idea to consider whether you have a favourite flower? or colour? or possibly match the focal flowers to the bridesmaid’s dress or the grooms men’s tie colour.
Your florist will start with the bride’s bouquet, in my opinion the most important floral item of the day, and everything else falls into place from there.
Top tip #2 – keep to the season
I think it is nice to stick to seasonal flowers if possible because it is better for the environment as well as your budget.
Top tip #3 – Reuse where you can
For the same reasons as above, I would always recommend re-using flowers throughout the day.
For example, if you have pedestal displays for the ceremony then they can be placed at the entrance to the reception or either side of the top table. Whereas pew/chair ends can be removed and used in vases for the bar area and/or table plan.
I don’t usually advise reusing flowers for the table centres because if it is hot and they wilt that can be disappointing, this is a rule of thumb though, there are exceptions.
Top tip #4 – keep the numbers realistic
Table centres will be your biggest flower expense, it is lovely to have a lot of guests but even 100 guests will be at least 10 round tables or 32m of long banquet style tables and couples are often surprised at how much this can add up to.
As far as budget is concerned I always say the same thing and it’s very simple: you can tell your florist what you would like and they will tell you how much it will be, or you can tell them how much you’d like to spend and they will tell you what you can have.
Your florist will usually itemise your quote and give you options and ideas and suggestions, sometimes a quote can have several updates and changes before it is finalised. Most florists will do the first quote free then countless updates once the deposit is paid.
Photo by Firehorse Photography
Top tip #5 – Book your florist ASAP and save your date
As with all wedding suppliers, if you find a florist that you like and trust, then do pay the deposit required as soon as you can and get your date saved with them to avoid disappointment.
