Your wedding flowers can have a big impact on the style, design and overall feel of your wedding. Not to mention your wedding budget. With so many gorgeous inspiration images across social media and in magazines, it can be difficult to grasp what might be possible for your own wedding. I asked top London wedding florist Charlotte, from Wild Wood London, for her expert advice.
What should couples consider when looking for their wedding florist, and where can they look?
The first thing is to find your venue and check if they have their own in-house florist or supplier list. If so, you will probably have restrictions, and might not be able to choose your own florist.
Next – location is key. You might be in love with a florist, but they might not travel to where you are. So, once you’ve got your venue and checked you are allowed to bring in your own florist, you need to look for someone who covers your venue location.
Instagram is a great place to find florists. It’s my favourite platform, because it’s so visual, and it’s where I share all my latest work. You can also do online searches and, of course, recommendations from venues are always good.
*A little tip from me: finding the right florist for you and your wedding is something I, as a creative wedding planner, can help you with. If you don’t know where to begin your search, or simply want me to take the stress off your shoulders, I’d love to hear from you. {insert link}
Is it important for a florist to have worked at the venue before?
I don’t think it’s a deal breaker. Any good florist, if working at a venue for the first time, should visit beforehand to measure up or even just see what access is available. You don’t want any hiccups on the day. They should also ask the venue some important logistical questions. What time can I pick up? What time can I install? Do I have to collect that evening? Do I have to collect in the morning? Providing they are informed and prepared, it shouldn’t matter if they have worked at the venue before or not.
With so many different styles of wedding floristry available to couples, how would you describe your style?
I’d probably say my style is kind of wild, hence the name, but quite put together. It’s a luxurious country garden wild. We can adopt different styles, and we’re quite flexible, but that’s my natural style.
When choosing a florist and looking at styles of wedding flowers – go with your gut. If you really like a certain style, go with it. Sometimes you have a preconceived idea of what you should have (or maybe what a family member wants you to have) but it’s your day and you’re going to look at the pictures for years to come. Go for what you love.
What should couples consider when choosing wedding flowers?
The biggest consideration is the time of year you are going to get married. If there is a particular flower you want to include, then you need to check when it will be in season. For example, the peony season is May and June, with a little bit of July, and that’s it. So, if you definitely want peonies at your wedding, you need to set your date accordingly. Alternatively, there might be a certain flower that you absolutely love which is in season in December.
Another consideration is your venue. Certain flowers just won’t work in certain locations. For example, if there’s a bright red carpet and bright blue walls then we might need to tone florals down. Also, think about which rooms you will be using, for how long, and for what purpose. Start to build a picture of the timeline and that can help you plan what flowers you need and where.
How can couples find what flowers are in season?
There is so much information on the internet, especially with Pinterest. Just make sure, if you’re getting married in the UK, you research flower seasonality in the UK. Otherwise you could be looking at an American website and mistakenly thinking you can have flowers that aren’t actually in season in the UK.
Your florist can also help. I like to guide each of my couples but asking if there are any particular flowers, colours, or scents they want to include. I find out what it is they really love, and then build around that. If a couple shows me pictures of wedding flowers they love, we can then build up the picture together.
How should couples decide their wedding flower budget?
As a rough guide, I always say, allow 10-20% of your total budget for flowers. However, if you really love flowers then you might need to allocate more.
Whatever your budget, try to be clever with your flowers and think about where might be best to allocate your money. If you’re going to spend hours in the reception, and guests will be sat at tables, put your money there. Whereas, if your budget is quite modest and you’re thinking about having a floral arch outside a church – but you’re only going to walk through it once and then have a couple of pictures with it – you need to decide if it’s the best use of your money. Really think about what you want, where will have the best impact, and prioritise.
I like to utilise a couple’s budget, so they get the most for their money. Finding ways to use the same flowers twice is a great example. Perhaps you have some beautiful urns and aisle flowers at a church. You can move them to the reception and guests will be non the wiser. They will just think you’ve got even more flowers – wow! You might have to spend a little bit of money on people moving the arrangements for you, but it’s never going to be as much as having double the number of flowers.
How do you manage your couple’s expectations?
For me, it’s really important to have an open and honest conversation about budget quite early on. That way I can really tailor the quote to the budget, instead of putting a lot of things into a design and then trying to strip it back…which doesn’t feel great. Sometimes there might be a more cost-effective alternative which a couple would love just as much.
Give your florist as much information as possible. I have quite a comprehensive inquiry form, and it details everything. From that we can really build a picture. Also, I’m always happy to meet at the venue or have a consultation in person.
What is your one top tip for couples thinking about their wedding flowers and looking for a florist?
I think it would definitely be about managing your own expectations. If you’ve got 20 tables then a lot of your budget is going to go into those 20 tables. If you’ve got 10 bridesmaids, then that’s going to take a fair chunk. Really think about what it is you want to have from a florist and be realistic on what you might achieve.
Charlotte has given some great advice there on choosing your wedding flowers and florist. I love a flower filled wedding, but also understand how important it is to make the most of your budget. With so many incredible wedding florists (like Wildwood London) in my little black book, I can connect you with the right florist for you and your wedding. Together we can then break out of the box to create a distinctive, fun and celebratory floral design. If you would like my help finding the right florist to match your wedding flower vision – get in touch.
Photography Maxeen Kim | Flowers Wild Wood London | Design & Styling Always Andri
Full shoot featured on Glamour & Grace here
