Listen Up Brides! TIPS for Ordering Your Wedding Flowers

It being the end of wedding season, this is the perfect time to give some advice to all of the beautiful brides out there! It is my hope that this advice will ease your mind and help you to find ways to reduce STRESS throughout your wedding planning process. Ladies...I've been the designer and I have been the bride, so take a deep breath....EXHALE and take these tips to heart. 

1. You know how you looooove Pinterest? Yeah, me too. USE IT! Look up different seasonal themes, and bring that board to the floral designer. You can be what I call the "binder bride" or the bride with your Pinterest boards, whichever medium you choose, just make sure you have one! When I see a picture of something it is a lot easier for me, as a designer, to replicate it, not only in color, but shape, style, the types of flowers used, and the overall theme of your big day. It is also a lot easier for the designer to figure out how much the bouquet is going to cost if they know what flowers you're interested in. When creating your binder or Pinterest board, think about all of the different floral pieces you will need...

Here is a basic list:

• Bridal Bouquet

• Maid of Honor Bouquet

• Bridesmaid Bouquets

• Boutonnieres (yes, these are for the guys, Groom, Groomsmen, Dads, Grandpas)

• Corsages (wristlets or pin-ons, depends on the styles of the Moms, Grandmas,, Aunties or other special women in your life)

• Centerpieces for tables

But there's even more to consider!...

• Hair pieces

• Head table arrangements

• Guest book arrangement

• Garlands/ Alter flowers

• Cake flowers

...As you can see, you can be as basic or as detailed as you want, but it is a good idea to have done a little research on the styles you would like for each of the pieces you want. After all, this is your big day, and you want everything to look cohesive. It may seem like a lot of work, but it will save you and the designer a lot of time by going to your consultation prepared! A talented designer will also be able to give you advice on how to fit your style into your budget, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND! 

2. Find out what is in season! If you have favorite flowers, ask if they will be in season on the date of your wedding. For example, if you absolutely have to have dahlias in your wedding, then you should plan for a date that is in the late summer or early fall. It is possible to get most things at any time of year, BUT you will pay far more than a pretty penny, and the quality of those flowers that you had flown all the way from some small village in Thailand will most likely not look the way they do in that dreamy bouquet you pinned. 

3. SCHEDULE YOUR CONSULTATION EARLY! This is one of the most important pieces of advice I can give. I can't count how many times a bride has left the flowers to be the last thing on her list to complete, and then got frustrated when the things that she wanted were either too expensive, or were out of season. It is a lot less stressful to complete the flower order when the designer has plenty of time to order what you want! You can schedule it a year to 4 months early. Honestly, the earlier the better, that way, if you want to change anything you can consult with the designer and make sure the changes are made long before the big day. 

GOOD LUCK and happy wedding planning! Don't forget to have fun and be inspired :)