Where to Begin with Wedding Flowers: A Comprehensive Guide for the Overwhelmed Bride According to Brisbane Wedding Florist - Iris and Elle

Feeling overwhelmed by choosing your wedding flowers? Look no further!Brisbane Wedding Florist Iris and Elle provides essential tips for navigating wedding flowers and finding your perfect floral style. From creating a checklist and establishing a budget to defining your colour palette, this guide will simplify your journey.

Discover how to turn confusion into confidence as you embark on your floral journey!

1. Pinpoint your vision through inspiration

Use platforms like Pinterest and Instagram to gather inspiration. Look for images that resonate with you, focusing on not just flowers, but also colour palettes and styles that reflect your overall wedding vision. Online blogs can also offer great ideas. For the more hands-on-bride, using magazines to create physical collages and vision boards is a good way to get started.

The goal of your inspiration gathering is to define your colour palette & style/vibe... But how do you do this?

Iris & Elle recommend focusing on two essential elements: colour palette and style. Choose a curated colour palette of up to four colours or five shades to create a cohesive look. Gather inspiration images not only for flowers but also for stationery, decor, and dresses that share this palette. This approach helps your florist understand what your dream wedding florals look like so they can narrow down flower varieties that are in season and available for your wedding date.

Tip 1: Keep your wedding location and venue in mind The venue can significantly influence your flower choices. For garden weddings, opt for softer colours and whimsical styles. In contrast, industrial venues may benefit from brighter flowers to stand out against darker backdrops.

2. Create a Checklist for Wedding Arrangements and Bouquets

Start by listing all the floral arrangements you’ll need and the quantities for each item —bridal bouquets, bridesmaids' bouquets, table centrepieces and ceremony installations. Don't forget the finer details that add magic to your day but are easily forgotten, like petals for tossing and the baskets or paper cones needed to hold them. This checklist will help you visualise your floral needs and ensure nothing is overlooked. It also gives your florist opportunity to guide you from their experience of what is worth spending on vs where to save.

Tip 2: Make an itemised list of all the flower arrangements your dream wedding would include rather than excluding items for the sake of saving costs. At Iris and Elle we provide an itemised quote for you to add or remove items and work with you to stick to budget and maximise your floral impact. We love the motto of making the florals work 'smarter not harder'. For example, many of our couples think that their budget will not include flowers for both ceremony and reception; however, by repurposing larger installation pieces at key photographed points we make their wedding have 'more' flowers for less. The worst case scenario is that you end up opting to reduce the number of arrangements prior to being given a final quote - best case scenario, you are pleasantly surprised by how far your budget will go.

Tip 3: Avoid falling for "affordable" trends. We often receive requests for bud vases, not because couples truly love the style, but because they believe it's a cost-effective option. However, the cost of the vases and the number of single flower stems needed to make them visually appealing can add up, often equaling the price of a few stunning arrangements. Plus, thin glass vases on mass are precarious!

3. Establish a Budget

Determine your maximum budget early on. This will guide your choices and help your florist suggest options that fit within your financial plan. Remember to factor in delivery and setup costs, especially for larger installations. We're here to help and we have the experience to guide you where to splurge and save.

Tip 4: Splurge on arrangements for key-photographed spots like the arbor or a designated photo location. Save on flowers for  less photographed locations like the gifting table or in places that you have already spent in other ways like customised welcome signs.

Tip 5: More is not more. Depending on the look that you envision for your dream wedding florals, sometimes less is more. We adore the look of simple and elegant single stem bridesmaid bouquets. This style of one flower made chic with a long ribbon is a timeless option for the budget-conscious bride.

4. Timing is Key: When to Arrange Your Flowers & Engage a Florist

For large installations, aim to start planning your flowers at least six months in advance, as most florists can only accommodate 1-2 weddings per weekend. For simpler bouquets, a month is usually sufficient. If you find yourself in a last-minute situation, some florists may still be available a week before, but options may be limited for unique flowers. There is a lot more involved behind the scenes, including finalising your vision and quote and then securing the flowers with growers. This takes time and is stressful when left to the last minute.

5. Keep Seasonal Availability in Mind

Be flexible with your favourite florals. If you've got your heart set on one ideal flower and it isn’t in season, it limits your vision. Start with a list of must-haves and absolute no’s to give your florist insight into your preferences. This allows them to propose seasonal flowers that align with your vision - in the case of flower varieties, trust the experts.

We might be a bit biased, but we believe that with these tips, you'll find joy in the process and come to see choosing your flowers as the most magical part of your wedding planning!

Ready to bring your dream wedding flowers to life?

Contact Iris and Elle today, and let’s start planning the perfect floral arrangements for your Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, or Gold Coast wedding!