With Jill from Freewill Feild + Flower

For many couples, in addition to a number of other ‘firsts’ that come with wedding planning, wedding
flowers are the first time they have purchased or even thought about purchasing flowers for any size of
event!

The process can seem overwhelming and there is a lot of information out there that contradicts itself
and may or may not be practical within our Canadian market and the scale of your wedding. Let’s
explore some of the most frequent questions I field as a wedding florist and hopefully help to make the
process go smoothly!

How much should I set aside for florals?
This is a question only you can answer – while many planning tools provide ballpark numbers or
percentages, they are meaningless without understanding your priorities for your own, actual wedding.
Some people love flowers…others really love tacos. So if something like a midnight lunch is a higher
priority to you, be open and honest with your florist so they can make realistic recommendations that
align with your budget and preferences.
There really is no “right” way to do a wedding anymore. Align your floral budget with how important
they are to you, communicate honestly with your florist and hopefully you’ll find that sweet spot!
How much do individual floral items cost (Bouquets vs. centrepieces vs. archway flowers) This is a frequent question and the answer will totally depend on the type of flowers, style, and scale of
bouquets or arrangements you are looking for? Having a clear vision for what you would like (with room
for some brainstorming with your florist, who should have some great tips and ideas) will help to
determine your costs. Seasonality, floral availability, delivery, and even major holidays can affect the cost
of flowers and a reputable florist should be able to predict this (for the most part…let’s not forget about
April 2020), and provide a contract to hold your pricing accordingly. Many florists will have minimums for
bouquet pricing, or even for entire weddings. This is never to gatekeep beautiful flowers for those with
smaller budgets but is likely the base price that they have determined to be profitable for their business.
Communicate clearly with your florist from the onset. If flowers are something you want but are keeping
to a strict budget consider a DIY option (check out @_youfloral or www.youfloral.ca) for resources on
how to DIY without losing your mind). As above, knowing what actually matters to you will truly help determine the price point.

Multipurpose
Florists love when their flowers get a second act! Consider moving the archway or ceremony
arrangements to the head table or photobooth to make the most of the investment. Pew markers or aisle flowers can be repurposed for a beautiful tablescape at the reception or even given as thank-yous and favours for close friends and family. If your flowers will be reimagined for the reception make sure to allot for enough time in between the ceremony and cocktail hour for your florist to stealthily make the transfer!

My DREAM flower isn’t available, don’t despair! I suggest looking at the overall aesthetic of your wedding flowers, rather than focusing on exactly what varieties make up the big picture. Providing a colour palette, a “vibe,” and a few photos of inspiration will allow your florist the creative license to create something STUNNING with the freshest and most beautiful blooms available. If there is some thing that is really important to you because of a symbolic or traditional meaning, be open to the idea of using preserved or dried blooms! The flower world is wide and there are so many different methods of preserving blooms that work beautifully in a bouquet, whether as part of the overall look itself or tucked in just for you to see as you walk down the aisle.

When should I start talking to a florist?
My typical suggestion is about 6 months prior to the wedding. This way you’ll have most other aspects of
the event organized, truly allowing your florals to be the icing on the cake and coordinate with all other
colours and textures. At this point I recommend deleting the Pinterest app and unfollowing wedding flowers on Instagram. Feeling ready with a year to go? I say go for it! If you have a clear vision and are ready to make decisions and stick with them, by all means, check flowers off the list! Keep in mind your florist’s pricing may change slightly over the course of a year, so be sure to come to an agreement beforehand. 2-weeks to go and you’ve left florals to the last minute?? In all honesty, I’ve had a few of these clients in the last couple of years, and not only were they, my favourite clients, to work with, but they ended up with some of the most beautiful flowers I can remember! At this point, you’ll need to defer to your florist’s expertise and what varieties will be available locally, but if you are open and willing to let the designer create something within your colour palette and general aesthetic, you might just be blown away! I always say creative freedom results in the most beautiful blooms. Now, I certainly wouldn’t recommend cutting any of your wedding planning this close, but don’t rule flowers out if they’ve slipped your mind.

Wedding flowers can seem intimidating and even a bit overwhelming, but connecting with the right
florist is key to creating a floral design that reflects who you are as a couple. The joy of flowers is that
they are naturally beautiful – no matter what you decide, flowers are the perfect way to tie everything
together on your wedding day!