Tips for Choosing your Wedding Flowers

Nothing is more exciting for a bride than choosing her wedding flowers. Your Pinterest page is probably full of photos of beautiful bouquets and centerpieces. At Exquisite Occasions, we are not only wedding planners, but florists as well. We’ve helped many brides with their wedding flowers. Everything from bridal bouquets, table centerpieces, and stunning ceremony décor. Check out our article about Wedding Flower Trends for some great ideas!

Here are our tips for choosing the perfect wedding flowers for your day.

Book early.

While florists can often do more than one wedding a day, each florist still has a limit on the number of weddings they will do in a given weekend. Good florists will book up quickly, so it’s important to book sooner than later – approximately 6 to 9 months before your wedding day. Waiting too long will limit you on the choices for florists as some will be fully booked. Not all florists can accommodate certain styles, and if you are having a particularly large wedding, you will want to be sure you book a florist that can accommodate your needs.

Have a realistic budget.

The cost of flowers varies greatly depending on the florist, as well as the types of flowers you would like and whether they are in season. When you meet with your florist for the first time, have a dollar amount in mind that you would like to stick to for your flowers and give this budget to the florist. A good florist will tell you if your vision matches your budget, and if not, what they can do to cut costs while still giving you the vision you imagine. Using less expensive flowers that are similar in colour and style to the pricier ones is a great way to cut costs while maintaining the overall design of your wedding day.

Provide photos of flowers that you like.

Your florist will ask you questions about your wedding to get a better idea of the look that you are going for. Have some photos on hand of bouquets, centerpieces and overall décor that you are wanting for you wedding so that there is good communication on what you want. Chances are you will have a few different looks that you like, and your florist will help you narrow down your choices for a customized design. She will also have some photos on hand and will make suggestions to help in the creative process.

Don’t bring too many people to the meeting.

So many brides make the big mistake of bringing a large entourage with them to their vendor meetings. While we know your bridesmaids and family are excited for you and want to help you out, bringing too many people will just add confusion with the different opinions. Bring your fiancé or your mother along, and even your future mother in law can attend as well. Anything more than that just makes for a long dragged out consultation that can often have the bride more confused about her decisions than when she started.

Trust your florist.

Your florist is a professional – trust them! They have your best interest at heart and will provide excellent service and flowers for your wedding day. Don’t bombard your florist with constant emails and questions throughout the months before your wedding. If you change your mind on something, you don’t have to call her every time you see something else that you like better. This can add confusion to the order. Save those changes for a final meeting a month or two before the wedding so that you aren’t constantly making adjustments. You’ve hired them for a reason – because you like their work. You’ve done your research and hired a reputable florist, so let them do their job.

Photo credit: Pinterest

Main picture: Strokes Photography