Where to start when planning your wedding flowers.

Photography by Amber Mae Venue at Yorkshire Yurts

Not sure where to start where it comes to wedding flowers? Here are a few simple steps to follow that will help towards choosing your perfect wedding flowers and how to make the process easy and enjoyable.

Date

So you’ve got engaged, Congratulations! Now to plan the wedding. The first thing to decide on is your wedding date. Your date can make a difference to what flowers will be available for your wedding, if you are wanting a specific flower like Peonies then you need to be getting married between the end of May and the start of July. If this is you then make sure to research or ask a florist when your favourite flower is in season.

If you aren’t bothered about having a specific flower and just want lots of pretty flowers then ideally you want your wedding date to be between March and October when the majority of British flowers are in season. Outside these dates you are still able to get flowers but they will need to be imported from abroad or grown in greenhouses.

Budget

How much do wedding flowers cost? I find this is what couples struggle with the most. Generally people aren’t used to buying flowers from a florist, unlike supermarket flowers, florist’s buy in smaller amounts and more beautiful blooms and therefore these cost more. Then the time and skill taken to design all the amazing wedding displays, travel to wedding venues and removal of flowers after your day should be taken into consideration when looking at the cost.

Most florists will have a guide price list on their website and this is a good place to start. Take a look at the price guides, make a list of your "must haves” like a bridal bouquet, buttonholes, grande hanging display etc then you know where to start.

Style

What style of wedding flowers are you looking for? Instagram and Pinterest are great for finding images of flowers to give you some inspiration. Once you know what style you like, find a wedding florist who’s work is similar to this. Most wedding florists will have their own style but can create anything you desire, you will benefit more from choosing someone who compliments your style.

For example: If you want lots of roses and little greenery choose a florist who specialises in these or if you want grande wild backdrops and hanging florals then choose a florist who specialises in these.

Photography by Pheobe Jane Venue at Thief hall

Location

Make sure the wedding florist you choose covers the area where you are getting married, either the specific area or county. Most wedding florists will travel a fair distance but longer journeys will incur more cost so be aware of this.

Photography by Amber Mae Venue at Grantley hall

Once you’ve picked a date, decided on a budget, got some ideas/inspiration to work out your style, checked the florist you’ve chosen covers your wedding venue, its time to think about what wedding flower displays you want.

Where to have flowers at your wedding

I think the easiest way to start deciding where you want flowers at your wedding is to break it into 3 groups.

Bridal party - this would include the bridal bouquet, bridesmaid bouquets, flower girls, buttonholes for the men or corsages for ladies, flower crowns or any flowers that you want to wear.
Ceremony - your ceremony venue, the arrival (car flowers, venue entrance), the walk down the aisle, the end of the aisle to frame the couple, hanging/ceiling displays, signing the register table, mantelpieces.
Reception - entrance to reception venue, on the bar, statement pieces, flower backdrops (pillars/arches), hanging displays and hoops, top table flowers, table centrepieces, outdoor drinks area flowers, photobooth backdrop, pedestal displays, floor meadows.

Work with your venue too and take advantage of its features like mantelpieces in traditional manor homes, ceiling beams in barns and hoops in marquees!

Photography by Louise Pollitt Venue at Oakwell hall

Colours

You don’t need to have a colour theme to your wedding but it can be nice to tie in the flower colours with something like the bridesmaid dresses or the groomsmen ties. Or you could go for colours that compliment your venue.

For example, if you have a dark venue with lots of dark wood, light colours like white and yellow go best. In a light airy venue like a marquee, bright colours like pink and purple look amazing. Go with your favourite colours after all its your day.

Photography by Annabeth photography Venue at Skipbridge country wedding and Garden wedding tipi hire

When to book your wedding florist

Under normal circumstances I would advice you to book a wedding florist about one year in advance.

However in the current pandemic situation because weddings haven’t been allowed a lot of couples have postponed to the following year and therefore dates are booking up faster. I would advise to book your wedding florist one and half to two years in advance.

Hopefully when things start to return to normal we won’t have to book as far in advance.

To summarise:

research what flowers are available on your wedding date or book your wedding date during the UK flower season or when a specific flower blooms
decide on a budget, use price lists to help guide you
do some research and find a wedding florist who fits to your style
check that your wedding florist will travel to your venue location
think about what flowers displays you want for your bridal party, ceremony and reception
look at colours and what would suit your theme, venue and wedding
book in advance with plenty of time

Planning your Wedding flowers