From the flower petals scattered by the flower girl to the groomsmen’s buttonholes to the bride’s bouquet and reception arrangements: flowers complete the overall appearance of your wedding day and create a breathtakingly stunning impact.
Starting point
Most brides want to coordinate their wedding flowers with their gown and invitations, so finalise your colour theme before selecting your flowers. Do a bit of research if you don’t already know exactly what you want. We have some ideas for you that will cut your decision time in half.
Working to a budget
Don’t scrimp on your flowers! Aside from your dress, flowers are the focal point of your wedding day. Prices will vary according to:
- The workmanship involved
- The quality of the flowers
- What’s in season
- Volume required
Give your bridal floral designer an approximation of how much you wish to spend, and ask for quotes that include a range of different floral styles and options that suit your ideas and your budget.
What you pay for…
Ultimately, you are paying for the workmanship and skill of your floral designer as well as the flowers themselves. Your floral designer should ensure that your flowers are well hydrated, of the best quality and well conditioned so they look outstanding all day long. If you have chosen a certain style of bouquet your designer may wire your flowers in place.
Value for money
There are ways of having a beautiful bouquet that doesn’t cost a fortune.
- An arm spray is less expensive than a bouquet. This of course depends on the type of flower chosen for this style. There may be expensive orchids chosen, which changes the pricing, but will result in stunning impact.
- A natural stem bouquet can be a less expensive option also. It is a good idea to put this type of bouquet in water with a little flower food when you are not using the bouquet. ҬDel Thomas from Flowers by Delwyn recommends that all bouquets, regardless if they are natural stem, wired or any other style, should be sprayed with a product called Wiltnot, which slows down the rate at which the flowers lose moisture.
How to choose your florist
You need to find a skilful and creative professional floral designer. Some own or work in florist shops while others specialise in weddings and work from home or a workshop. Here are some questions to ask your florist:
- Can we see photographs of your previous work?
- Can you make suggestions based on my theme and gown?
- Are you available on our wedding day?
- How many weddings have you done?
- How many weddings do you do in a day?
- Do you deliver the flowers to our home, the ceremony and reception
- Do you charge a delivery fee?
- Will you set them up for us at the venue?
- Is there a throw away bouquet included in the package?
- Do you need a deposit and if so how much?
Take a swatch of fabric from your wedding dress to your first appointment so they can colour-match your flowers. Ensure you book well in advance of your wedding day, as the good ones are often fully booked, particularly throughout spring and summer. You should receive a written quote for each item and any specific design details should also be put in writing so that everybody is clear.