6 Things To Know About Your Wedding Flowers
Among the touches that make your wedding day more memorable will be the look and design of your wedding flowers. And they play a dramatic and endearing role for you and your family. As well as your guests.
As you march through your wedding planning and choose your professionals that will make or break your dream day your floral designer will add those finishing touches, the ultimate execution will match the level of their talent. Your interview should include a look at these six items as you assess the wedding florist's ability to design, to execute.
-Availability-
Your wedding flowers are sourced from all over the world. Gorgeous, colorful hydrangeas, parrot and French tulips, and other bulb flowers from Holland. Soft and crisp greens alike from New Zealand and Israel. Orchids from Thailand. Roses from South America. The world is a floral playground and the blooms are subject to the whims of Mother Nature. While most wedding flowers are available year-round, some blooms are not. Many of my clients adore peony yet they are seasonal. Educate yourself on the availability of your favorite flowers as you seek the date you wish to tie the knot.
-Peak versus Tight-
When you're ordering fresh flowers for a delivery celebrating a birthday, of course you want your blooms tight. You want them to last. The opposite can be said when it comes to your wedding flowers. You want them at their peak or near their peak in performance. Your wedding flowers should be at their visual best. For you, and the wedding photos captured by your wedding photographer.
-Weather / Temperature-
Your wedding flowers are going to "react" to the weather, level of humidity, and especially the temperature on your dream day. If your "timeline" is long, ceremony at 1 and cocktail hour at 6, your wedding flowers need to be able to endure the time out of water. A fragile anemone on a hot day will look fabulous for the ceremony, not so much for your introduction at your wedding reception. Conversely, a posy calla lily will endure a long timeline on a hot day. Different orchid varieties have different levels of care. Most can withstand the pressure of heat and lack of water but some need nourishment, even if they are sprayed or misted.
-Wedding Flower Grades-
Think of the last pair of really awesome, fabulous, "had to have them" shoes you purchased. Now think of the last pair of shoes you bought for comfort. The pair you won't wear outside the boundaries of your own home. Miu Miu compared to a pair Crocs. (Sorry Croc lovers.) You get the picture. Your wedding flowers come in grades too. Most everything does these days. Ask your wedding florist at what level do they place value on the grading of the flowers they will design your wedding with. When I'm working with a client the goal is to source the best blooms based on the role they will play for your dream day. Of course each bloom used to design your bridal bouquet, the maids' bouquets, the boutonnieres and other family treatments should always be of a premium variety. Maybe the ceremony not so much, especially if they're to be abandoned and not re-purposed. (Never will I use a subpar product. It's not fair and dishonest.)
-Matchy, Matchy-
You have your storyboards, and Pinterest. All of which are saturated with your "primary" color selection for your wedding flowers. And those maids' wedding dresses are the perfect shade of "fill in the blank." Yes, the wedding flowers indeed must work with the dress, and tuxedo or suit, color. You want your wedding photos to look perfect! Does this mean that the fresh flowers used to design your wedding centerpieces need to be the same color palette as the blooms used to create the look of the wedding party? Not necessarily so. There is a psychology to flowers and decor that your wedding florist should have the ability to apply to your tastes, and personality...
-Psychology-
Your wedding florist comes by grade too. Imagine that! A skilled floral designer will apply the psychology of flowers to your wedding day. A close examination of your goals, dreams, and tastes will offer one a glimpse into how it's best to help you choose or expand on your color palette. For instance, do the colors of your centerpieces need to match those of the wedding party? No! Do the linens need to match the dress color? No! That's not to say they shouldn't but it is a way of saying that the flowers will inspire your guests to carry out your "vision" for the day. Look at this scenario. Your color palette for the bridal party is whites, creams, peaches, blush, and a soft green. Of course the first inclination is to carry this palette to your wedding centerpieces, naturally. (And your guests fully expect this.) Now imagine this. I take this soft color palette and expand it for you. You want your guests to have a rocking time at your wedding reception. You want them on the dance floor. All night long! A soft color palette can easily subdue your guests into a relaxed state. So what happens if I were to add pops of color? Say a hot pink and maybe a tangerine? Your wedding centerpieces now inspire your guests to get up, dance, mingle. They can't wait to dance and move about!
The greatest takeaway from this for you comes in the form of a question.
Is your wedding florist skilled enough to make it all happen for you to ensure that perfect dream day?
Have a question you would like to see answered here on my blog or wish to know about the services I offer in wedding planning or wedding flowers shoot me an email at designers@twigsflorist.com.
Want a look at some etiquette to practice at the next wedding you attend? Click here to visit a blog post titled "Don't Go There!"
Creatively Yours,
Bobby
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