How to Choose Your Wedding Flowers – 5 Tips for Picking Your Wedding Flowers
So you’re getting married! Congratulations!
Exciting times ahead as you plan your perfect day, a big part of that for many people is the flowers!
Flowers have such an amazing power to transform a space. The possibilities for designs with them really are endless - you might fancy the traditional elements like bouquets and centrepieces, or maybe some dramatic installations. You really have the freedom to let your imagination run wild!
But I know that many people struggle to choose. Not knowing what flowers are around or what colour might be right. Well I’m here to help guide you through the process of selecting your perfect blooms! Follow my simple tips for helping you narrow down your options ahead of using the expertise of your florist.
5 Top Tips for Picking your Wedding Flowers
Consider the Season of your Wedding
Number one tip top thing to consider is the season - for many many reasons. One reason being the availability of certain flowers. Although some blooms can be sourced all year, not all of them can. And I would always encourage couples to use what’s in season. It’s the best way to capture your day in the time of year and to frame it naturally. Maybe you’ll grow some of the flowers from your wedding in your garden, then every year when they bloom you’ll be taken back to your special day! There’s just nothing like the fragrance of a lilac or a garden rose to whizz you straight back to the moment you said I do!
Importantly though, it also means the flowers are in their absolute prime! They’re grown in their natural conditions to give you their best bloomin’ self! Putting on their best show for your day. This means they may be able to be sourced locally too. Not only is that so special, to have them grown just miles from you, but also makes them much more environmentally friendly. Rather than being packed and shipped from around the world.
Speak to your florist about what’s in season, let them help to guide you and make suggestions for you. Maybe you love peonies but they’re out of season, let your florist chat to you about alternatives.
Wedding Colour Palette Choices
Many people struggle with choosing a colour palette and my suggestion is always to look around you and ask yourself these questions:
What colours feature heavily in your home?
What decor are you drawn to? Bold and statement? Or neutral and minimalist?
What clothing are you drawn to? Vibrant or pastel?
When you’re out and about what makes you say wow? An abundant cottage garden? A bright yellow front door? A wild meadow?
What’s in season?
What’s the lighting and decor like in your venue?
Failing that and you’re still not sure? Head to Pinterest! As you pin away you’ll start to find yourself naturally drawn to certain styles and colourings. Once you’ve pinned lots of things you like go back to your board and look again. When you see the images side by side is one calling to you more than the other?
Maybe you’re still stuck - you want to pick all the colours. So do that! Go for a wild look with lots of gorgeous colours, a rainbow - totally perfect for a summer wedding.
Your florist can help guide you if you’re struggling but as a starting point, take a look at my Pinterest where I’ve organised boards by colour - it might give you some ideas.
Right for your Vibe
What’s your style? Maybe classic and elegant or boho and alternative? Flowers for these weddings would each be very different so an off the shelf recipe may not be the right route.
Chances are your venue may help you in guiding your vibe, a rustic barn? A classic ballroom? Or a quirky alternative spot? Flowers can have a big influence over the theming of your day, tying together your style and refining the overall feel.
Something bright and bold can create a totally opulent backdrop while pastels and muted colour palettes can be totally dramatic in a calmer more classic way. Then there’s the containers, vases and frameworks to think about, something that’s going to tie in with your venue beautifully, rather than something that’s going to be jarring.
Framing your Day
Where are you having your ceremony and reception? Where would you like flowers to feature during the day? Do you want lots down the aisle or overflowing table displays? There’s no rules, no ‘should haves’ or ‘meant to haves’. I’m always for kicking tradition out the door and framing your day in a way that feels right to you!
Chat to your florist about where you see flowers ‘being’, or if you’re not sure why don’t we meet up at your venue, walk through your day and discuss areas that you might want a little flourish. This might help you visualise how it will all come together.
Wedding Flower Budget
Your budget will have a big influence on the types of blooms and the size and style of the arrangements too. There’s lots of smart ways to reuse arrangements throughout your wedding for maximum impact. For example you can line your aisle with arrangements that become centrepieces or room decor for your reception. A statement archway can become a Photo Booth backdrop. The possibilities are endless!
Bespoke Floral Design
Find a florist who’s work ‘speaks’ to you and chat to them. Follow the above tips to narrow down your options - it’s best to have a little bit of an idea to base a chat from. Save a couple of pictures you like or share a Pinterest board, whether that’s shapes and styles of arrangements or colours you like. They’ll then help to guide you to a floral destination that’s right for you and your day, designing a bespoke approach just for you!
Flowers have such a powerful influence in framing your day, in tying the whole design of your day together. So it’s worth investing in a Floral Designer that you feel gets you!
Working with The Petal Emporium
I guide my couples through the process of selecting their flowers. Some people have a super clear idea of what they’re after but need help bringing it to life, others just don’t know where to start. Either way is totally fine and I’m here to help frame your day in a way that’s perfect for you.
We start with a consultation, we chat about you guys and chat through some images you like the look of, how your day is going to play out and where you think you may like flowers to feature during your day. Whether that’s bouquets, archways, aisle arrangements, table decor, clouds, hoops, crowns - let your imagination run wild!
Don’t worry if you don’t know names of flowers!! From chatting I get a really good idea of the shapes, textures, sizes and details that you’re drawn to, and I’ll make seasonal suggestions for you. Taking into account any special or favourite blooms too! Within your proposal you’ll receive bespoke mood boards and illustrations to give you a really good idea of how it will all come together.
If you’re getting married in and around Bristol, Somerset, Gloucestershire, South Wales, and the Cotswolds get in touch for a complimentary consultation, to work out how we can frame your day perfectly!
Get inspired by taking a look through The Petal Emporium Portfolio