Finding pretty pictures that match your color palette and theme, and communicating them to your wedding florist is just part of the battle. Here are 9 important wedding floral tips to help you make great choices when ordering and handling your flowers.
- Using Flowers for Pre-Ceremony Photos
PC: Amy Atkins Photography
Don’t expect to keep your bouquet out of water for five hours of pre-wedding photos in desert heat, and then walk down the aisle with it, still pristine and awe-inspiring. Wilted and missing flowers make a pretty bad impression as you walk down the aisle to your beloved. Know that your flowers may be hearty, but you owe them immaculate care.
PC: Matt Tyler Photography
- Consider Ordering a Toss Bouquet
Decide before the wedding day whether or not you plan to toss the bouquet. If you do decide to observe the tradition, request a small tosser bouquet (often complimentary or offered at a very reduced price) from your florist so you don’t have to toss your own.
3. Decide in Advance if You Need a Floral Preservation Service
It’s much less common today than in the past, but there are still a limited number of companies that preserve bouquets and boutonnieres as keepsakes. If you decide you want to have yours preserved, research the company well before your wedding. Order a “kit” if necessary and make sure you follow their recommendations and requirements for preparing and shipping your flowers after the wedding. It is often too late to decide that you want floral preservation after your wedding, so consider this in advance.
PC: Randy Barnes of Alpine Wedding Photography
- Get Boutonniere Help
Need your boutonnieres pinned on, but you have no idea where to start? If you don’t have a wedding coordinator, and your florist is not on site when you are ready to pin, see if your friendly photographer can help. This is a secret skill of many of them, and they are often glad to oblige.
5. Know You Can Re-enact Boutonniere Pinning Photos
An added suggestion to number 4…if your heart was set on a picture of someone special pinning your boutonniere, but that person can’t be located in time (or doesn’t know how), simply ask your photographer to shoot a re-enactment of the pinning. Your VIP can simply put their hands on the boutonniere gently and it will look exactly like he or she pinned them on to begin with.
- Double-Check Your Personal Flower List
Wondering who needs a corsage or boutonniere? Generally, anyone playing an official (but unpaid) role in the wedding should be identified as an honored guest with some kind of flower. This can include wedding party members not carrying bouquets, groomsmen, parents, grandparents, guest book attendants, greeters, soloists, readers, and anyone else you think should be honored. Ask your florist to label each one with an actual name, not just the role, in case anything should go missing?
PC Brides Magazine
- Consider the ages of your children.
Take child attendants’ ages into account when ordering their flowers. Some children are simply too young to wear flowers with sharp pins that could be pulled out and even swallowed. Others might not be ready yet for a full-size bouquet, but might be better off carrying a nosegay or basket of flowers.
- Know the Church or Venue’s Floral Policies
It’s never okay to disregard your church or venue’s floral policies, so read them carefully and ask questions about anything you do not understand. Do not plan to throw rose petals if there is a policy against them. Many venues prohibit the use of floral wire or anything that could scratch pews or furniture. Don’t try to sneak wire in. Find a different method of attaching your floral decorations.
- Designate Someone to Move Your Flowers
Unless you make specific arrangements and pay for the involved labor, your florist would not usually return between the ceremony and reception. Make arrangements for your wedding coordination team or responsible family friends to move things like altar arrangements and pew decorations to the reception if desired. Note that while it’s true that you can sometimes reuse ceremony flowers at a reception, it is very difficult to ensure that the flowers arrive before your guests, so it is often not your best option.
Need more floral tips? Check out our gallery!