Our 5 Favorite Flower Hacks For a Beautiful Wedding

 “When we got engaged , I thought planning a wedding would be no big deal. But there are so many details, hidden costs, insider lingo, …. I’m overwhelmed.”  That’s the gist of a conversation I hear over and over from our wedding customers.

In many ways, planning flowers for events can be the most complex of all. There is so much to know about the flowers themselves, the industry is riddled with hard-to-understand technical terms, flowers are expensive and often come with hidden costs. All of these factors conspire to make the exciting moment of an engagement or a big anniversary party into an overwhelming stressor.

At the same time, nothing does more than flowers to bring magic and to elevate the most important days of our lives. We need them, but now what?

Let’s take the stress and mystery out of the process and set you on the path of getting the florals that tell your story, make your day unforgettable, and stay inside your budget. My five-step checklist below will set you up for success.

Before you do ANYTHING, nail down your guest list. So many decisions you make about your event boil down to how many people will be there. From the number of tables to the size of your wedding party to how many boutonnières you need. Get clear on the size of your event and then you are ready to dig into flowers.

1 Answer these two questions for yourself before you start anything

1 What is your budget? So many choices flow from how much you are willing/able to spend. Yes, flowers are labor intensive, which makes them expensive. But, there are solutions for any budget so come up with a number that is comfortable for you. Your choices going forward will flow from that decision.

2 What’s your vibe? When it comes to flowers, it pays to think about your style and color palette without worrying about specific blooms. Your florist may have access to beautiful flowers you’ve never heard of that will get the look you want and may save you money. That can only happen if you are not too stuck on specific flowers.

Not sure what your style is? To hone in on the look and feel that you love, think about the things that inspire you. Do you like a beach party tropical vibe? Farmhouse country scene? Bridgerton? Something sleek, urban and modern? Decide on your basic style then pick a color palette that reflects the look

That beach party vibe will have beautiful leafy greens and saturated tropical colors. A more modern look might be a monochromatic white with a hint of blush. We did a farmhouse wedding last summer with lots of wheat colors and bronze tones that played off a Palouse harvest. Do you want to go for a romantic feeling inspired by Bridgerton? Start with the signature pale blue of the Regency style that defines that look.

You get the idea. Decide what inspires you and go from there. Having a sense of clarity about your style while remaining open to serendipity will set you up for success with your florist.

2 Clarify what you need in detail

Not a question, but an important early step. Make a list of what you need. How many tables will require flowers? How many attendants are in the bridal party? Are you tossing a bouquet? Do you need flowers for cakes or charcuterie boards? Do you want to wear flowers in your hair? Do you want special flowers for the ceremony such as an arch or flowers down the aisle? Get as clear as you can. If you are unsure, a good florist will help you figure it out. But you’ll get better results if you give it some thought ahead of time and walk into the process with a starting point.

3 How much help do you need?

Do you have time or money? That is the age-old question and we almost never seem to have both at the same time in life.  Be very honest with yourself and think about how involved you want to be in your own flowers. Some people have plenty of time and the skills to do it all. Others just want to show up at the event and have everything all done so they can enjoy the day.

The answer to this question of time or money will determine the kind of florist and/or services you hire.

4 Armed with all the information you’ve gathered and a clear (ish) idea of that you need, you are ready to choose your florist and the type of service that make the most sense for you.

Unsurprisingly, there is a strong link between your budget and the amount of expert help that you get. The more time and involvement from a professional florist, the bigger the budget. The more time you can put in yourself, the smaller the budget. You can expect trade-offs with whatever route you go.

There are essentially three choices on the time vs money continuum when it comes to event flowers: 1) DIY; 2) Flowers A La Carte; 3) Full service

Option 1 Budget-Friendly DIY:  Doing everything yourself will be your most budget friendly option. But DIY requires a significant commitment to your time including on the day of the event. Flowers don’t magic themselves into arrangements. So be prepared to get your materials a good three days in advance and have time set aside to make personal flowers and to set up the event space. Besides trading off time, you may also need to give up the idea of some of the pro work you’ve seen on Pinterest. A little more homemade look may be exactly what you want, which is great. You just need to be ready to accept the limits of your own skills and let go of those Instagram-perfect designs. If you or a family member has experience with flowers, you may be able to elevate a bit more.

Where to get your flowers if you DIY:  

• If you are in our area and your event takes place during the growing season you can pick your own local flowers from Stratton’s Cutting Garden in Pullman WA.

• Here at Melliflora, we supply already cut DIY kits of flowers in your color palette. You keep the buckets to make it all extra easy.

• If your wedding or event is off season, Safeway has an excellent floral section. You can also order specialty flowers from Costco. If you can make it to Spokane, Trader Joes has a fantastic floral section that is always amazingly affordable.

• Use in season blooms to stretch your budget. Do you absolutely have to have peonies but your wedding is in September? It’s possible, but you are going to pay for it.
  Hard.
  Learn what is blooming at the time of your event and capture the moment.

Option 2 Middle of the road A La Carte:

Just as the name implies, with an a la carte option, you simply pick clearly priced items from a menu, share your color palette and your general design vibe and the florist will take it from there.

 If you don’t need elaborate set up at the event, and you can be flexible on the designs, an a la carte option is a great way to go. You will get more elevated design work than if you do it yourself and you will save a lot of time by leaving the work to a professional.  But it is more budget friendly than a full service wedding. In exchange, you need to find a florist who’s work you like because you are trusting them to make something beautiful without a lot of consultation with you.

Many of our clients combine a la carte with the DIY route. Couples pick up buckets of flowers three days before the event to do their own centerpieces and ceremony flowers. They then get their personal flowers like bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres from our a la carte menu- getting the best of both.

Option 3 Full Service Florals

If you have big floral dreams and need to just relax and enjoy your day, a full-service option is the best route for you. It will be the most expensive of the three options, but a good florist will lavish you with time and attention. You can be involved in every detail of a very custom design. The florist and their team will be on hand at the event for set up, break down and making sure every detail is perfect; freeing you to fully enjoy the day.

Melliflora only does weddings a la carte, but we supply many local florists and can make recommendations. That way, you can get all the benefits of the full service experience while still supporting locally grown if your event is during our season.

If you decide to go the full-service route, a florist is one of the first vendors you need to connect with. They book up very early in the season and they need long lead times to get everything in place. We have our favorites around town and are happy to make recommendations that are a good fit for you.

5 Terms demystified:

Finally, once you start talking with your floral professional, you will hear a lot of terms that may be unfamiliar. Here are some of the most common. Getting familiar will help you plan.  

Personal flowers: are any flowers that go with a person. Once handed off, they belong to that person and are a little gift from the event. Examples include bouquets carried by brides and bridesmaids, boutonnieres, flower girl baskets, flower crowns, and wrist corsages.

Ceremony flowers set the stage and make the ceremony itself memorable. They can include floral arches or huppahs, florals on the ends of pews or lining the aisle, large arrangements in vases framing the ceremony, or  rose petals for tossing.

Reception flowers  are typically arranged in vases to decorate the party space after the ceremony. They can include centerpieces to decorate tables, arrangements on the escort card table, floral decorations for the bar or buffet. It is sometimes possible to repurpose some of the ceremony or personal flowers to elevate the reception. If you go with large vases of flowers to frame the ceremony, they can simply be transported to the reception for their second act. I love to put vases on the Sweetheart and VIP tables so that the bride and maids have a place to put their bouquets during the meal and so that those bouquets can then do double duty as a centerpiece.

 Culinary flowers  There is nothing quite like fresh flowers to take cakes or other displays food to the next level. But, be careful! Not all flowers are edible. Make sure that you choose from a list of blooms that are also safe to eat when you mix them with food.

 What’s a pomander?  A pomander is essentially a ball of flowers attached to a ribbon. They can make stunning decorations for your reception or a clever alternative to a basket for your flower girl. They are a great option if you are using dried flowers.

 Do you need a tossing bouquet? If you plan to toss a bouquet at your reception, you absolutely need a special bouquet for that event. Once you’ve handed everyone their personal flowers, you can’t take them back. And whoever catches the bouquet gets to keep it. A tossing bouquet is its own thing. You can have your florist make something affordable but still lovely to toss.

Bouquets come in many styles This little article from “The Knot” breaks them all down. It is a great thing to review before you start talking to a florist. 

Have fun!

Planning florals is one of the most creative parts of your process and they are the element that elevates your day from an ordinary party to a once in a lifetime magical moment. We love weddings at Melliflora. So, have fun and let me know if you need help.