It’s hard not to start stressing over the details when planning your wedding isn’t it? And, as such an integral part of many weddings, flowers can be sat right up there on the list of ‘things to worry about’.
Today on the blog we bring you a 3 part series from a flower company that knows a thing or 2 about wedding flowers! And the 1st in the series will allay all those wedding flowers worries…
Advice provided by Hiding in the City Flowers.
Why are you sat there stressing about planning your wedding flowers? Don’t, there’s honestly no need if you’ve chosen a reputable florist. It all starts with the basics which is picking the right florist for your job.
Most experienced and trustworthy floral companies offer a range of flower arrangement options for any occasion, including weddings.
However, with so many choices available on the market, finding the appropriate flower company for your wedding day can be challenging.
Thankfully, there are some ways to help you choose the perfect florist for your needs. For example, you should make sure you look for a proven track record, (look at their Instagram and website feeds and check there’s a real difference in shots and not just staged photoshoots) and then your floral wishes will come true because they are the experts. You can also check some reviews from reputable third-party review websites to know if they’re reliable and trustworthy.
However, if you are still panicking about the potential for disaster (you gloom mongerer you) then check out some of the most common fears we see at Hiding in the City Flowers and how you’re florist can help you navigate them.
1. Weather worries
Above all else, bad weather is the number one fear for any bride that we asked. As a Bride, the last thing you want at an outdoor summer wedding is a downpour and even if you’ve opted for a winter wedding, chances are you’re envisaging a crisp winter chill, as opposed to it lashing with rain.
However, you’ve got to face up to the fact that here in England the chances of a shower or two are pretty high and we get a lot of brides-to-be worrying about what will happen to their outdoor floral displays should the heavens begin to open. At Hiding in the City Flowers we’re all about prepping with a plan B… just in case – so if your outdoor reception has to be relocated indoors on the morning of the ceremony, we’ll already have spaces and a plan in mind to accommodate everything.
Luckily, bringing the outdoors in is actually ‘so hot-right-now’, so your oversized floral arch won’t even look out of place in your ballroom, it’ll probably look better!
2. Hay fever
Believe it or not, this is a common point that comes up during our consultations. If you, your groom, or any of your wedding party suffer from hay fever, it’s definitely going to be a topic that’s playing on your mind.
Jokes aside about wedding snaps of red noses and bloodshot eyes, unfortunately, a majority of flowers do contain pollen and foliage’s do too. Stocking up on hay fever tabs isn’t the only thing we say you can do. I would suggest getting your florist to use non-pollen or low-pollen flowers where possible, tropical green leaves are great ways of getting a statement look but without any pollen.
The good news is, excessive foliage is a trend that’s taken the world of weddings by storm, so your big day will be bang on trend should you choose to max out on greenery.
3. Colour matching
A lot of our brides don’t care too much about colours being exact but just as many do. For those that have chosen to have their bridesmaids all in matching tones/dresses, I understand how obsessive it can be creating Pinterest boards, trawling Instagram and pouring over dress swatches. If you’re part of the latter camp, it’s highly likely that you’re going to want your florals to match dresses.
What you can do is take a colour swatch to your florist in the first instance so they can see the shade for themselves. Don’t be expecting the colour of your flowers to be the exact Pantone of your bridesmaid dresses because obviously, flowers are natural products and you just can’t put a request into Mother Nature to make a punchier pink Dahlia I’m afraid.
Here at Hiding in the City Flowers, we always weave in a spectrum of shades of your chosen colour to give the bouquets more depth and interest, meaning they will work beautifully with your dress choices.
4. Wilting
Let’s be frank. If you take a flower out of water for 15 hours it will wilt by the time the 1pm bell rings. But there are things that we do to make sure that doesn’t happen too early. All our flowers are hand selected and chosen the day before your wedding (unless they need time to open). This means they are fresh. We don’t run a shop so never use leftovers. It’s all specifically bought in for you!
When your florals arrive with you on the big day, make sure they’re not placed in direct sunlight, don’t have them in the room where all the hairdryers are running and take them out of their water/preserved packaging as close to the ceremony as possible. Ask your florist for a spare vase filled with water for the bouquets so they can go in there after the ceremony.
We’ll take care of all of the bigger floral displays, making sure they have adequate water if necessary and do everything possible to keep them looking vibrant. But remember, if it’s a scorching summers day, there will be an element of things wilting unless they are drinking from a vase of cold water.
On the other hand, if you want your flowers to be as fresh as they should be, you may consider working with a flower company that provides fresh flowers directly sourced from growers and offers same-day flowers and roses delivery. This can help minimize the risk of wilting since flowers will be freshly delivered for your wedding.
5. Number of flowers
When all of your wedding elements only come together in one place on the day, fears about it not all working within the space are so common for brides. But, these concerns should melt away with a bit of careful planning.
If you’re hoping to have lots of display flowers to decorate your reception, it’s important that your florist gets to see the space he or she has to work with. Now that doesn’t mean inviting them along for a viewing (although I’d be happy to have a stroll around a fancy manor house), but providing a photo of the reception room and any adjoining spaces along with all of the dimensions would be a good start.
We are then able to precisely plan out the size, structure and amount of floral displays the venue will require, meaning that’s one less thing for you to worry about.
7. The cost
There’s no skirting around the fact that flowers come with a bit of a price tag thanks to the fact they are classed as luxury items, but their cost definitely isn’t something you should stress over.
We have brides with a range of different budgets coming to us and it’s our job to achieve something amazing that works for your price range. We can make your florals as minimal or as lavish as you like, depending on how much of your wedding budget you have to dedicate for fabulous florals, but you do have to be realistic.
Just because you get a cheaper quote shouldn’t mean you should jump to use that florist. Be careful, you are paying for experience, quality of product and level of service.
Sarah Loughrey-Jennings, owner of Hiding in the City Flowers
Such fantastic floral advice – we hope it’s helped to alleviate some of your wedding flower fears?! Please do come back for the next instalment in the 3 part series…
About Hiding in the City Flowers
Hiding in the City Flowers was launched in London in 2013 by Sarah Loughrey-Jennings. They create floral designs for weddings, events and other occasions. Their signature wedding style is relaxed and unstructured florals that are perfect for ultra-cool brides.
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