Finding your wedding floral style

One of the things I say to couples during floral consultations is that planning a wedding means being asked to become event producers overnight— it’s alright to be a little overwhelmed. Florals should be a place where they can get a reprieve from the logistics and get creative in a new way. That said, it’s still hard to know where to begin when asked to describe or identify your wedding floral style.

Here are a couple of starting points to get you on your way and have the most productive floral consultation.

Start with what you know you like—and hate. 

I always ask in my initial consultation for flowers the couple loves and would like to have if they’re available and in season. And then I very quickly follow up with any flowers or botanicals they are physically or emotionally allergic to. The latter is almost as important as a stem that will give you physical hives. This will help to rule out a lot and define your style, at least to an extent, for your florist. 

No shade to lily lovers, but I cannot stand Asiatic lilies and would never have them remotely close to me on my wedding day. Knowing that, my hypothetical florist would likely be able to rule out looks that would center a flower of that size and shape. (Important side note: If you love lilies, I will use them for you and not yuck your yum! We all like what we like.) 

Pinterest or moodboard

I always recommend Pinterest boards because even if you’re just going through things you like, even if they feel disparate, your florist will have something to refer to. In my calls, I often will screen share and go through photos so I can pinpoint aspects of what the client likes about the arrangement pictured. It helps us to tease out specifics that can help bring your vision to life. Clients who often claim that they are “all over the place” may have a lot more consistent likes and dislikes that come through on these boards to a trained eye. 

Remember that adjectives can be misleading

One person’s idea of “elegant” or “romantic” can mean something entirely different to someone else. Focus on much more concrete adjectives where you can: tropical, loose, structured, rose-heavy, neon, or muted. These are the words we can really run with. And to loop back to the previous advice, pictures are worth eons more than words in this business. 

Zoom out and tell us about you

Finally, don’t forget to tell us about the broader context of your ceremony and day. We always want to create things that are bespoke to what you want to highlight about your relationship. I’ve had avid hikers who loved the idea of wildflowers and arrangements that felt freshly picked on the trail. I’ve also had a couple who wanted an Italian garden vibe but knew their modern venue might be in conflict with this. We made a plan to ground the space in this theme using weathered stone vessels, gold compote vases, Italian ruscus, olive branches and other stems that spoke to the environment they want to create. 

We’re here to bring your vision to life. Don’t hesitate to share your ideas with us and let us translate them into flowers.