Planning a wedding is one of the most personal and rewarding tasks you can be saddled with, but that doesn’t mean it’s always smooth sailing. Often, brides and grooms-to-be are faced with decisions regarding things they didn’t think much about before their engagement, like color schemes, wedding themes, and who should sit next to who.
Wedding flower arrangements are an area where you get to explore your personal tastes and demonstrate your creativity, and with the right guide, it will be easy to add beautiful accents to your wedding while staying within budget. There are a multitude of different arrangements, all as traditional to weddings as the white dress itself. Each of these is an opportunity to add color and style to your wedding or to accent your wedding’s existing theme. From quantity and budget to your wedding flower timeline, here’s everything you’ll ever need to know about wedding flowers.
Wedding Flower Basics
Flowers are to a wedding as a cake is to a birthday. Most people are not floral experts prior to their wedding, nor are they afterward, so consider this a crash course in wedding flowers. A good wedding planner can help you pick out the perfect combo of flowers for your wedding based on some general information about your ceremony and reception. The preliminary things you have to think about are:
Color
Most brides and grooms-to-be pick a color scheme and then work their flowers in this way, with some accenting and some becoming statement pieces. A statement piece will draw attention and be a focal point, while an accent will blend with the overall style and other elements in the décor.
Shape
Things to consider regarding your centerpieces are how tall and wide they are, and how that might affect your guests’ experience at dinner. Will they want to see across the table to talk to one another? If so, you might want to keep your flowers on the shorter end. For your wedding flower bouquets, popular shapes include round, cascade, and hand-tied. Your wedding planner can show you samples and help you decide which is the best and most practical option for your wedding.
Quantity & Budget
Figuring out just how many flowers you will need is a key to figuring out your budget. Popular wedding arrangements are centerpieces, bouquets for the bride and bridesmaids, boutonnieres, and ceremony flowers. Obviously, all of these pieces are optional, but once you know what you want and what kind of budget you have to work with, it will help narrow down the options.
Types of Wedding Flowers
Even if you have attended a wedding before, if you’ve never assisted in the planning of one you might be surprised at just how many types of wedding flower arrangements there are to consider. From wedding flower bouquets to centerpieces, boutonnieres and ceremony flowers, there is no shortage of decisions to be made. Here is a quick break down of the types of arrangements you’ll have to consider.
Bridal and Bridesmaid Bouquets
Both bridal and for bridesmaids, your bouquets are personal pieces that can range from traditional to trendy. Silk flowers are an affordable option that will last forever, while natural flowers will be fragrant and beautiful the day of. Your bouquets can stay on theme with your wedding, coordinate with your color scheme, or stand out as statement pieces. They incorporate creativity, knowledge, and your own personal preference!
Reception Centerpieces
Wedding guests spend a majority of the reception staring directly at the centerpieces, so they should be cohesive and interesting. These days, many people choose to incorporate non-flower options alongside traditional wedding flower arrangements, so your creativity can really take control here. One thing to keep in mind is that overly fragrant flowers will interfere with the dinner menu, so you should use those sweetly scented pieces to decorate around the dance floor or along the aisle.
Ceremony Flowers
Floral arrangements can completely elevate your ceremony location to the romantic dreamscape you have in mind. Think about the site and consult with your wedding planner about what flower might be most practical. For instance, flowers along church pews add a lovely touch without taking away from the building’s natural beauty. At an outdoor wedding, you can incorporate standing plants and garlands to add to the scenery without distracting from the location.
Boutonnieres and Corsages
You might remember these bad boys from your high school prom, but with the right flower choice, they can become beautiful adult pieces perfect for your wedding party. Treat these as accents, rather than statement pieces, and your pictures will be sure to stand out.
Picking a Favorite Flower
The flowers you choose might be completely arbitrary, based solely on color or style. Or maybe they’re personal; gardenias grew in your garden as a child so they will line the aisle you walk down as a bride. However, something to consider for your flowers are the meanings associated with them.
The dahlia is a symbol of a commitment and bond that lasts forever, making them perfect for weddings. The bold flower is an elegant choice for summer or early fall weddings. A wedding favorite, the rose, has different meanings depending on the color. While a red rose symbolizes passion, a white rose means purity, and a pink one signifies joy and admiration. All a perfect pick for your wedding and reception. Baby’s Breath is a choice that will match any color scheme, and is in season year round so will help you stay on budget.
Budgeting for Your Perfect Bouqs
The 2014 average cost of total wedding decorations was $2,141, but a prudent bride and groom can spend considerably less with a few thrifty tricks. Picking favorite colors, as opposed to flowers, can help reduce the wedding flowers cost. Shopping seasonally and locally is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to pick flowers for your arrangements. DIY centerpieces are very on-trend, and an easy way to cut costs. Many people have decoration parties where they gather their bridesmaids and groomsmen to hangout and pitch in; a creative and fun way to limit the wedding flowers cost.
Your Wedding Flower Timeline
9 – 11 months before your wedding
Begin setting up appointments with florists to see who you might want to work with for your big day. You should come prepared with an idea of the types of flowers you would like at your wedding, or the colors you would like to see, and your budget. Don’t forget to mention if your wedding has a theme!
6 – 8 months before your wedding
Hire your florist. Begin a concrete list of the arrangements and flowers you would like in your wedding, and what you think you might want to leave out. Browse online for wedding flowers to show your florist specifics. Bonus points for picture prints outs and vision boards!
4 – 5 months before your wedding
Finalize your contract and wedding flower plans, this includes types of flowers, size of arrangements, and what types of wedding flower arrangements will be present. Bring a checklist with you, and go over it with your florist to make sure you haven’t missed anything. Check-in with your florist a few weeks prior to the wedding to ensure everything is on track and ready to roll!
The Bouqs Can Help
There are many things to think about when it comes to selecting wedding flower bouquets. Fortunately, we can help. With pre-packaged and DIY options that provide only the freshest cut-to-order flowers at amazing prices, our wedding flowers last longer and can save you up to 80% vs. a traditional florist. And we’re trusted by The Knot, Domaine, and InStyle, so you’ll be in good company. From the timeline to the budget, we’re ready to help make your wedding flower dreams a reality.
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When selecting flowers for a wedding one should try to blend them with the style of the dress and ring. Decoration and design is something that will make the wedding memorable and will make the event complete.