Everything You Need To Know About Wedding Flowers

Flowers are arguably the most important element of your wedding decor. Not only can they completely transform the look of a wedding venue, but they can also be an important accessory to complement your wedding dress. From bouquets to floral installations, there are many pieces to consider and colours, textures and shapes that can tie together your wedding theme or colour palette. We spoke to Tellie Hunt, Toronto wedding and event florist and owner of Hunt & Gather, to give us the scoop on how to work with your wedding florist to ensure you get the exact floral look you'll want for your big day, as well as some tips to ensure the whole process goes smoothly.

How does a couple go about choosing their florist?  "I think the most important thing is to find a florist who’s style suits your vision. When you have vendors that you trust, it can take a lot of weight off of your shoulders. This also allows your vendors to be creative which is when they will put out their best work."

How important are flowers when it comes to the look of a wedding? "I think that people are steering more towards using florals as their only decor. It is a way to transform a space and give guests a unique experience (especially when there are installations involved.) They can also be a way to warm up a venue and make it unique to your wedding."

What are some of the most important floral pieces a couple should consider for their wedding? "I would say bouquets, centrepieces and something for the ceremony space. Without bouquets it can be hard to know what to do with your hands in photos and when walking down the aisle. Although it isn’t necessary to do florals for the ceremony, I always find that it is a great way to tie separate spaces together and give the event an overall cohesive look. It is always a great idea to create something for the ceremony that you can re-purpose from the ceremony to the reception."

What are some flowers that are beautiful but often overlooked for weddings? "We source a lot of our product from local farmers who grow really unique smaller blooms such as Cherry Caramel Phlox and Tobacco Flower. Sometimes, I find that floral arrangements are focused on larger blooms that give you “more bang for your buck”. I think that the smaller “airy" blooms are integral to giving pieces dimension and shape."

What should a couple be aware of when it comes to setup of their flowers? "I think that a lot of people are unaware of the work that goes into delivery and why it costs what it does. Some of things that can be overlooked are packing the flowers into boxes, renting a van, loading the van, unloading the van, multiple staff members, gas and finally tear down. When multiple drop offs are required we may have to drive to the reception venue,  the brides house, the grooms house, the church, back to the reception venue and then return to pick up the church pieces. Flowers are something that should be delivered by the florist. Sometimes things can get damaged in transit or shift positions. We always come prepared with a bucket of extra flowers to replace any broken or dehydrated stems and ensure every centrepiece looks perfect before placing them on the tables."

How often should a couple be communicating with their florist during the planning process? "I tend to have one initial meeting with my clients to provide them with a custom quote. From there, we go back and forth by email until a month prior to the wedding. Things tend to change within that time period which is why I find it best to amalgamate everything into one final meeting. Things that you may want to email your florist about along the way include: 1) A change in design which may significantly effect the overall cost of the florals. 2) If you need recommendations on other design details such as chargers, linens or napkins. I love working closely with my clients for these details as it is integral to creating a cohesive look. 3) Getting pricing on items you may want to add to the wedding."

Is it weird to keep the flowers after the wedding? Do you encourage guests to keep the centrepieces? "Because clients have shifted to using more unique containers for their centrepieces, the vessels are usually rentals. This being said, taking home florals can come down to guests pulling out a few blooms from the centrepieces that they would want to take home. We leave some of our flowers (i.e.: roses and spring flowers) out of the fridge so that they open to their largest and most beautiful stage. Because of this, they look perfect for the wedding but would not last much longer afterwards. If you would like guests to take home the centrepieces, you can always ask your florist about purchasing the containers which may add $10-20 to each piece."