A wedding just wouldn’t be a wedding without flowers, whether pretty and wild, dramatic and colourful, or modern and simple. There are the bouquets for the bride and bridesmaids, a floral headpiece or wand for the flower girl, buttonholes for the men, corsages for the mothers, and displays for the ceremony and reception venues. There’s a lot to think about, especially as your choice of flowers can set the tone for the entire event. Most of us have no experience in choosing and buying flowers other than a bunch for the mother-in-law or something nice in a vase on the mantlepiece, so organising flowers on such a grand scale, and for such an important and special occasion, can be daunting to say the least. Here, we attempt to answer some of your burning questions.
When should I start looking for a florist?
That totally depends on the size of your wedding, if you’ve chosen a popular date, and whether you want to florist to arrange the flowers for you or merely plan, source and deliver them to you. Seeking out a florist six months in advance should be fine and ensure that the florist will be available on the day of your wedding.
How much should I expect to spend?
Again, this really depends on the scale of your wedding – how big the rooms are, how many are in your wedding party, and also whether you want flowers which aren’t in season. The golden rule of thumb is to expect to spend 5-10% of your entire budget but you really can spend as much or as little as want. If you go to your florist with a budget in mind, they’ll be able to help you pick flowers that fall within that.
Are there extras that I’ll have to budget for?
You may have to spend extra on vase hire, delivery, clean-up, and, if your florist lives a fair distance from the venue you may have to pay extra for travel or even accommodation – it definitely pays to stick to local florists!
What do I need to consider when picking my bouquet?
A good florist will ask all the right questions to make that decision easier, such as the colour, style and shape of your dress, the accessories you’ll be wearing on the day, the colour theme, the overall feel of the wedding (country/modern/vintage, etc.). They will also consider your height and body shape. The important thing is to choose flowers you love, in a bouquet that isn’t too heavy (you’ll be holding it for hours) and that suits your style.
How do I decide how to decorate the venue with flowers?
Your florist should help you with that so either arrange for them to visit the venue with you or take lots of photos. Other than the table centrepieces, look for areas which could do with pepping up a bit or that you’d like to highlight with flowers, such as a stunning mantelpiece.
Journalist and copywriter Emily Buckley is writing a series of articles on planning the perfect wedding, looking at everything from picking the right wedding venue, to choosing food and drink, to finding that ‘wow’ dress.