🌸Wedding Florist Advice

Wedding floral can make or break an event design. We always encourage a prospective couple to start with a general style and color scheme and then it is best to trust your florist! One common mistake is getting "married" to a particular picture, flower, exact color. When a bride says "It's darker than mauve, but not light purple, more like a dusty plumb" red flags go up. Many times the floral piece that you have fallen for may be out of season and include rare varieties of flowers; those factors can drive costs sky high. An arrangement like the one below includes Parrot Tulips, and Blooming Hops, which are all available in spring locally making the cost affordable around $300 but this same bouquet request in December could easily press the $500 mark. Maybe the exact flowers you want won't do well in the hear or cold weather. Trusting your florist to execute the look inspired by a series of images you are drawn to allows them to have some creative freedom and budget flexibility. thereby saving you money and making your bouquets unique.

A common mistake I see couples make being uninformed of which flowers are available during each season. We have had last minute brides coming in the heat of August hoping for a peony and anemone bouquet. It's important to plan accordingly if there is a certain flower or look you're going for. This also goes hand in hand with planning in advance. It's always best to preorder your bouquet ahead of time to ensure they get the best flowers possible. Ideally, giving a florist at least a month in advance will ensure every detail exceeds expectations.

A lot of the time couples forget about getting boutonnieres and corsages for family members. (Mom's, Dad's, Grandparents, ect.) You don't have to go crazy and get every member of your family a flower but it is a nice gesture for the inner circle.

#1: Photoshoot Flowers Many couples getting married in Las Vegas love to take advantage of the area's breathtaking scenery or unique attractions such as Red Rock Canyon, Seven Magic Mountains or the Neon Boneyard for wedding photos. We think this is a great idea, and by all means, get with your photographer and schedule time into your wedding day to get out there with your wedding party or (if you're doing a First Look) with your spouse-to-be and take those photos. You'll be so glad you did! But here's our floral advice. Of course, since it's your wedding day, you want to have your bouquet, your bridesmaids' bouquets and the groom's boutonniere for the shoot. However, by the time you get back to the venue or your hotel, freshen your make up, and get ready to walk down the aisle, your flowers may have been out of water or refrigeration, (and out in the heat!) for several hours. My number one piece of advice is to ask your florist to make a duplicate bridal bouquet and groom boutonniere for you. Remember, you'll be taking photos after the wedding too! It is an additional expense, but you'll be glad you did it when you look at your wedding photos and you're not holding a limp bouquet!

#2 Double-Duty Flowers We all know that the cost of flowers can add up quickly. There are so many elements to your wedding day that may require flowers: ceremony backdrop, bouquets, boutonnieres and other personal flowers, aisle, cocktail tables, bar, centerpieces, cake, head table and so on! We always want our clients to get the most out of their floral budget, and we're always happy to suggest ways for flowers to do double-duty on your wedding day, when possible. Here are our favorite cost cutting tips: Use your bridesmaids bouquets as decor for a long head table (ask your florist to provide vases with water for the bouquets on the table, and ask your coordinator or maid of honor to be in charge of gathering the girls' bouquets after photos and placing them on the head table). Another great option is to transfer flowers or candles used along your aisle to the reception where they can be used as extra decor.

#3 When the Party is Over You may spend a year (or more!) planning for your Big Day, and no one wants to think about what happens after it's all over. For many couples, their Vegas wedding is a destination event. After the event, you'll (hopefully) be off to your fabulous honeymoon, and all (or most) of your guests will make their way home by plane or car. Very few out-of-town guests are going to want to schlep your centerpieces (as beautiful as they may be) home with them. So what happens to all those lovely flowers after the party is over? Well, in many cases, they may end up in the trash. (Cue sad music). However, if you make arrangements with your florist ahead of time, you can plan to have your flowers picked up and delivered to one of our many hospice, assisted living or other worthy local facilities in our neighborhood. Your local vendors call Vegas home and our hearts are here in the community. We are always happy to bring a smile to someone's face with some beautiful flowers and you can walk away after the your last dance knowing that the love (and money) you put into your big day will live on after you leave bringing joy to someone who will really appreciate it.

Some of the more common mistakes that couples make when planning for their wedding flowers include planning their wedding around a specific flower, especially when that bloom might not be in season or it might not be the best choice for the climate or environment. Dahlias and hydrangea are beautiful, but don't hold up well in the dry heat, particularly in a bouquet that's going to be out of water for most of the day. Choosing hardier flowers that will hold up for the length of your wedding day will ensure that you don't have wilting blooms in your photos. Your floral designer can steer you in the right direction in choosing the best blooms for your color, style and budget. Don't be afraid to give creative freedom to your designer; they just might surprise you in the best way.

"Three Common Wedding Floral Mistakes Couples Make" 1. DIYing your flowers...Whether or not you think you are able to DIY a floral arrangement, the issue here is the time you will have to put into it. Many couples think that DIYing your flowers will save you money, and while that may be true, the TIME you will spend creating something is taking away from your wedding day! Most people don't know, but on average, a Medium sized bridal bouquet will take a professional over an hour to make. Not to mention all the prep work and making sure the flowers stay alive and stay cold. Can you imagine taking time out of your special day to make something and then hours later when you're taking your photos you notice half the flowers have wilted or are already dead?! My advice...get a few quotes from florists who's work you admire, and start there! If you find yourself on a small budget, don't spend the money you have on flowers for your whole wedding party. Simply get your bouquet made exactly how you want it and enjoy the day that is meant to be worry-free! 2. Not being flexible with your flowers...Unfortunately, not every season offers Peonies! Trust your florist to take the flowers you love and find similar, just as lovely ones to use that won't break the bank! As common as they are, roses come in so many different varieties and colors and sizes so don't be closed off to them. 3. Not doing research... Before you contact a florist, do a bit of research and figure out what you love! You can create a pinterest board and narrow down from there. THEN contact your florist and tell them your vision. Trust me, the process will go smoother and faster. Another way to be prepared is to know your budget! Tell your florist upfront so there are no unfeasible ideas proposed.

1. Find a florist that listens! You have an idea of what you want to see at your wedding, make sure your florist takes the time to comprehend what you want. 2. Listen to your florist! They know which flowers are best for bouquets, centerpieces etc. There are many flowers that bruise easily or can't take heat. 3. Be flexible! A good florist can suggest changes to flowers to try to help you stay within your budget. 4. Photoshop! Realize that just because you see a blue flower on Pinterest, does not mean it exists in real life. 5. Have a starting point for your consultation. Bring in pictures and swatches to your consultation. We love to help and having an idea of where to start helps us know what look you want to accomplish.

Many destination weddings to not account for the heat in the summer in Las Vegas. Most of the more elegant flower choices are delicate flowers. Also, many wedding floral arrangements are built in floral foam such as decorations for the arch, some outdoor table centerpieces and aisle decorations. These do not have a water source where the stems are submerged in a vase of water. When it is 110 degrees outside these pieces have a life of about 1 hour before they start going downhill quickly. We understand that most brides are adverse to the heartier flower types such as carnations, daisies, etc. for their wedding and we don't blame them, but it is important to keep in mind that the consideration of shade and ceremony time will play a big role in the appearance of these flowers once they have been in place for about an hour. Plan for taking your pictures accordingly and make common sense time scheduling and it is still very possible to use delicate flowers in the summer, albeit for a much shorter duration than in early spring or fall.