When planning a wedding, another key and important area to consider for your big day is flowers. Flowers add beauty, colour and fragrance to your wedding day and should reflect the style, colour and scheme of your wedding. They can be anything from simple to dramatic, and can create many different feels through their design.

But how do you find the right florist for your wedding flowers?

Sally Johnson is a floral designer and owner of “Serendipity Floral Designs” based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, and she has been talking to the team at SWY on how to find the right florist and floral arrangement to suit you.

Do your research

Look for a florist who is a specialist ‘wedding florist’ and therefore has the knowledge, skills and ability to advise you properly and turn your vision into a reality. A specialist wedding florist should have a portfolio containing photographs of past weddings that he/she has worked on; and therefore show you they are able to do an excellent job for you.

Make sure you are comfortable

You should feel at ease with the florist you have chosen for your special day – they should be able to really listen to your ideas and you should be able to trust in their skills and creativity. After all, wedding flowers aren’t usually cheap so you want to be sure you have made the right choice.

What’s your budget?

The traditional spend on wedding flowers is 10-15% of your overall budget – however this isn’t always the case. Think what aspects of the wedding are your top priorities, and be realistic and open with your florist about your flower budget from the start. A good florist should then be able to advise you on what designs he/she can create to work within to your budget.

Looking for exotic flowers?

Ask the florist which flowers are the cheapest/most expensive at the time of your wedding. For example red roses are particularly expensive around Valentines Day and most exotic blooms flown in from abroad will be at the top end too! Some of the cheaper flowers, for example carnations and chrysanthemums, have been avoided in wedding flowers for a while, but are now back on trend – on mass, the brightly coloured carnations can make a real wow floral display!

Create a moodboard

This can be pictures and ideas of flowers you like, colours, your dress, invitations, cake etc. This helps the florist get to know your likes and preferences, and the overall theme of your day. The more communication you have with your florist on how you would like your flowers and wedding to look the better!

The Bridal Bouquet

Your bouquet cost will depend upon whether you choose a hand-tied bouquet or wired trailing bouquet (and of course the flowers you choose). The wired designs are more expensive, as they take more time to create, and really test the skill of a wedding florist. If you want a stunning bridal bouquet unlike no other – then a wired option is probably going to best as these can be completely unique.

Don’t forget your bridesmaids!

If you have many bridesmaids the cost of hand-tied bouquet designs can really add up – especially if you have a few. Ask your florist to think of alternatives – what about a wrist corsage or modern style designs which contain less flowers?

Church flowers

If you’re getting married at a church ask to see if anyone else is getting married there that day, or the day before/after, as it may be possible to share the cost of the flowers!

Allocation of your flower budget

Think of which floral designs you would like to spend the most on. For example, your bouquet may take a large amount of the budget, along with the reception table flowers. But also think about where you can make savings. The church flowers for example could be transferred to your reception venue. And if you decide to have hand-tied posies for the bridesmaids, you can use these as top table decorations by hiring vases from your florist to put them in.

The Personal Touch

Whatever flowers or design you choose, make your choice is personal to you. I often see brides now choosing flowers with a meaning, which makes them that little bit more special!

 

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Serendipity’s main aim is to “Design and create exquisite floral designs, which are unique to every clients, taste, venue and budget, and at the same time providing an excellent personal service”.

Sally has been designing and creating exquisite floral designs for brides and grooms across Yorkshire, and has a working knowledge of many of the beautiful wedding venues in the area. Whatever ‘taste, vision and style’ the bride and grooms have for their special day, Sally aims to create floral bridal flowers and arrangements, which are unique to each and every couple.

For more information about “Serendipity Floral Designs” why not visit her website: www.serendipityfloraldesigns.co.uk