All the details that you’ll need to give your florist to organise your wedding flowers.

15:40:27 pm  06/29/2016 –Posted by Ella

Along with the other million things that most brides and grooms have to organise for their big day, the flowers is always a difficult one if you don’t really know much about flowers and their availability. 8/10 brides will contact me and one of the first things they’ll say is that they don’t know much about flowers but really want them to be a big part of the day. So… I thought why not make the ultimate checklist to prepare yourself to meet with your florist to organise the flowers for your special day!

Firstly, the most important thing is selecting the right florist to meet your requirements. All florists are so different with their styles, designs, flowers and cost so it is important to recognise what you would like for your wedding day. I’d recommend working with a florist that has worked at the venue that you have chosen, especially if you are looking to have lots of reception flowers so they will know exactly what would look amazing in specific places and more importantly what will not work in particular areas of the venue, size and style wise. For example, you don’t want to organise the florist creating you an archway at the venue that is too small/will not sit right on the arch whereas if they have set up many weddings there before they will know exactly what will work and what won’t.

Secondly, having an idea of a colour scheme before you meet with the florist is important. Although a lot of flowers are available in a variety of colours it makes it a lot easier for the florist and the bride/groom to discuss their wedding flowers in depth when you are clear with the colour scheme that you would like to opt for in the flowers.

Before you visit the florist, gather ideas/images together to show the florist of images that you love or flower types that you have seen that you would like to incorporate. This will give the florist a good idea as to what style you are looking for and will ensure the flowers that the florist creates for you on your wedding day are exactly what you had hoped for in your head. Pinterest, Google and Instagram are great places to look to build up an album of ideas/photos that you like.

Ask the florist to have a look at a photo album of wedding designs that they have created themselves to see the kind of style/florist they are. Plus, it’s always nice to have a sit down over a cuppa and have a flick through an album or two dedicated to wedding flowers!!

Before you meet with the florist, jot down the arrangements that you would like for your wedding day (it isn’t set in stone as soon as you finish your wedding consultation with the florist so it’s not a problem if you change your mind but this will allow the florist to quote you more precisely as opposed to just walking in not knowing what designs you would like and quantities).

Every bride/groom that I meet with to discuss their flowers for their wedding day, I always send across a PDF document of everything that has been discussed during that consultation so they have it on paper and remember flower names/varieties and also the designs that we have discussed. I always send the bride/groom across a moodboard of all the flowers that we have talked about so they can have a look through properly when they are home and be 100% that the flowers that we have discussed/chosen are exactly what they had in mind. I would strongly advise asking your florist to do this if you aren’t confident with flowers names/types so you know exactly what they will be creating for you.

Being a bespoke wedding specialist, I quote every wedding from scratch and work with the bride/groom to fit their requirements as opposed to having ‘wedding flower pacakages’ in place. I strongly believe that it is important to build up a relationship with our brides/grooms and work closely with them to ensure that their wedding flowers exceed expectations on the day and it makes the process so much easier and nicer for both parties involved.

Some florists will have a ‘package’ scheme in place, for example a ‘gold package’ will incorporate a bridal bouquet, 3 bridesmaids, 5 buttonholes, 10 tables etc however I would strongly recommend having a breakdown for your wedding flowers so you know the exact costs for each design and if you have a budget to stick to this will help you establish where the costs are going and on what.

Discuss with your florist about whether they take a deposit to book your wedding date in and when the final payment is due as every florist will differ. Ensure that you have read through their terms and conditions carefully and take a copy yourself.

It’s always a good idea to consider hiring glassware/containers etc from your florist as opposed to buying them. Most florists will have a range of items available to hire which will save you forking out on buying items that you will most likely never use again.

If you’re stuck trying to find a fabulous local supplier for a wedding cake, looking for a photographer or even someone to supply you with wedding favours for the day, one of the best people to ask is your florist. Having been in the industry for over 7 years myself, I know A LOT of amazing people nearby who I would highly recommend for a variety of areas that you may be struggling to find for your day.

Lastly, send the florist photos after your wedding day. It’s always SO lovely to see the flowers that I have designed and created in action on the day with the bride/groom and wedding party. It really is so special to see it all set up and in place looking fabulous on the day – I promise, your florist will really appreciate this!

Below is a list of floral designs to consider for your wedding day to help you establish exactly what you would like and think about quantities for each –

Bridal bouquet – No explanation needed!!

Bridesmaids – Usually a similar design/style to the bridal bouquet but smaller. Some brides will opt to have something completely different for the bridesmaids however this is down to the bride herself.

Buttonholes – Often provided for the Groom, best man, ushers, father of the bride, father of the groom and grandfathers.

Flowergirls – Small delicate designs for younger flowergirls, tend to be smaller version of the bridesmaids bouquets or hair flowers.

Hair flowers – Personal preference but usually for the brides hair, bridesmaids hair and sometimes hair circlets for flowergirls.

Pageboy flowers – Often a smaller version to the grooms/ushers buttonholes. I’d recommend you to ask the florist to attach a magnet as opposed to a pin for young pageboys to prevent any injuries/crying on the day!

Corsages – Jacket corsage, wrist corsage, handbag corsage, hat corsage and dress corsages. Jacket/dress corsages can be attached with either a pin or a magnet. I would advise opting for a magnet if the jacket or dress is a delicate material or if the outfit was expensive and you do not want to damage it with a pin. (Tend to be for Mother of the bride/groom, grandmothers, any other guests who are close to the wedding party or helped with the day. For example if a friend/family member has made the wedding cake it may be nice to have a corsage made for them)

Ceremony flowers – Registra table flowers, Rose petals for confetti, pew end flowers, aisle flowers, pedestal arrangements, font flowers, candles for the ceremony.

Table decorations – top tables, guest table. Massive variety of table decoration ideas. Consider having something different on the top table to the other guests tables. For example, if the guests will be seated on round tables and the top table is long/oval, the same arrangement will not work so talk to the florist about doing something more suitable and impressive for the bride/grooms table. After all, the day is all about you!!

Cake flowers – Depending on the cake will depend on the flowers that the florist will advise. Often, the florist and cake maker will work together to ensure that the best design and positioning of flowers on the cake. Flowers will often be pushed in to the cake using picks to prevent any moisture/change of flavour from the stems. Some cake makers will place the flowers on to the cake directly without using cake picks. If you are choosing to having fresh flowers cascading down the cake this tends to be a wired designs and will be secured to the cake in a different way to if you are just having a few flowers on each tier. It really depends on the type of cake you have as to how the flowers will be attached however your florist/cake maker will know which option is better.

Thank you bouquets – Often given to Mother of the bride and Mother of the groom or any other guest attending the wedding that has helped with the planning of the day. Usually given out during the speeches.

Archway flowers/staircase garlands – Depending on the venue and where you would like the arch/staircase garland will depend on how it will be secured. I would strongly advise the florist visiting the venue to find the best way to attach it and to take measurements to ensure that the arch is the right size if they have not created an arch there before. Some archways there will be nails around the stone arch so the flowers can be secured easily however other venues you may have to put a freestanding archway in place. With regards to the garland for the stairs/bannister, I would advise getting the florist to do the same thing to ensure that the length/style is exactly as it should be and so they are able to quote you precisely.

Chair flowers – Flowers on the back of the bride and grooms chairs for the ceremony if appropriate to your wedding always looks beautiful and these can be carried through to the reception. Also, flowers on the backs of the guests chairs or at the end of every row of seats for the ceremony so it looks gorgeous down the aisle and for photographs. Why not consider a little bouquet tied to the ends of the chairs for the ceremony which can then be moved in to jam jars for the reception if you have a smaller budget.

Restroom flowers – Consider having a few vases of scented flowers in the rest rooms to add some colour and make it look fabulous.

Seating plan frame flowers – Jazz up your seating plan with beautiful fresh flowers all around the frame. Make it a statement of your day!

Reception flowers (Mantle place, fire place, pillar designs, bar arrangements, gift table flowers) Consider having flowers around the inside of the venue to make it really special for your wedding day. Discuss having flowers on any fireplace/mantle places with the florist and candles which make the venue feel really romantic and intimate throughout the evening. (Check with your venue that they are happy to have candles before you organise this with the florist!)

Urn arrangements – Often placed upon entrance to the reception/church/venue and can easily be moved to re-use in another area for the wedding day. Large urn arrangements make a real statement when guests walk in and again can be easily moved and re-used for the reception after.

There are lots of other ideas as to where you can incorporate flowers in to your wedding day however a lot depends on the venue that you have booked. The above list will give you a better idea and a few options to think about before meeting with your florist.

If you have any questions about organising your wedding flowers, just give me a shout!

Ella x