Houston Wedding Florist Advice; Tips From The Pros
"What are some of the more common mistakes that many couples don’t account for when planning for the flowers at their wedding?"
Surprisingly, one of the most common mistakes we see is when brides leave the flower planning to the last minute. Sometimes it’s a bride who assumes she can pop in on a Wednesday afternoon and order some bouquets for the weekend, other times it’s someone who thinks that DIY means picking out the flowers a day or two before the wedding (and then learning a harsh lesson about how long it takes to craft a few dozen centerpieces!). It’s amazing that people planning a wedding that might have been in the works for over a year too often don’t involve a florist until far too late in the process.
Another frequent error is falling into the Pinterest/Instagram trap. Many of these photos are filtered, edited, or just simply created by people with a celebrity’s budget. We can’t all have celebrity’s flower wall on a normal person’s wallet.
-Scent & Violet
Brides often look at websites and social media platforms like Pinterest for inspirations for their wedding flowers, which can be very helpful. I think peonies are the most commonly requested blooms that are only in season domestically in the late Spring-Summer months. They are imported at some other times of the year but are much more expensive and sometimes disappointing.
If a bride wants peonies but they are out of season we offer lovely fully bloomed specialty roses that have a high petal count and a ruffly edge. We tend to them all week so they will open fully by the wedding day. These roses are a great substitute when peonies are not an option and our brides are thrilled with the lush “peony” look without the peony price tag!
Another common issue is brides who want to use a lot of greenery and garlands (which is a lovely look and in vogue right now) thinking that greenery is less expensive than flowers which is not always the case. In our consultation process, we educate our brides about their floral choices and find a way to achieve their vision within the confines of their budget.
-Fleur de Vie
The most common mistake I see is couple's not being candid with their florist about they're budget and what they are looking for. Money can be a hard thing to talk about but if you're on a budget be honest so that your florist can give you a true idea of what you can afford and which pieces will be the most impactful to have on your wedding day. For most people their wedding is the first time that they are purchasing a large quantity of flowers and they have no clue where to start, but that's where your florist comes in. You need to trust your florist and they can help guide you from your Pinterest ideal to something that is still gorgeous but more reasonable when it comes to your specific price range. Or offer you way to achieve your ideal flowers on certain pieces while cutting back on others. Being open and honest with each other comes in handy as your florist is able to recommend flowers that are in season or similar to what is being requested but maybe a portion of the cost. We can also help guide you on the most common items that are purchased and help ensure that you don't skip certain items such as cake flowers, a toss bouquet, or personal flowers for the officiant or others involved in your big day. Personally the floral pieces that we put together are crafted specifically to each of our brides/grooms and the more we know the more we can achieve what is desired.
One of the other more common mistakes that I see is when it comes to ordering boutonnieres and corsages for family members or other people involved in the wedding. It's one of those things that someone close to you can take as a personal offense if they do not receive one and they feel they should, but at the same time their cost adds up fast when you're trying to include everyone. I try to tell my customers to be very open with those in their family and ask their opinion or let them know ahead of time that they will or will not be receiving one. I find this especially true when it comes to mothers & grandmothers.
-Busy Lil Bee Floral
There are two of the largest mistakes that I see in the industry. There are "wedding floral budgets" that are being published for brides to go by. For the most part, these are wildly inaccurate as well as vastly unrealistic. Some of them have received such a negative response by floral vendors, that they have been removed. They completely set the bride up for being let down by giving her and her family unrealistic expectations. We posted a sample price form on our web-site to give brides an idea on price ranges so that they have a better idea of what they are looking at with an estimate.
The second thing rarely planned for is doing a wedding in February or around Mother's Day. In February-the week before, week of and week after Valentine's day are the worst possible times for floral. The flowers are older than normal due to the high volume of cropping, and the prices are 3 to 4 times higher-so you are paying at least 3 times as much for old flowers. Mother's Day is only slightly less in the prices and quality of flowers. Most people think that it is the floral vendors that are raising the prices to make a profit, but-the cost for us to get the flowers at least triples and the flowers you try to order for the wedding may or may not be what you get.
-Poison Ivy Floral Designs
Compiled by Houston Party Ride