NH Wedding Photographer answers your burning floral questions!
I don’t know about you, but I don’t exactly have a green thumb. I love photographing all of the beautiful floral arrangements, but I am far from an expert. That is why I interviewed my friend Kait from In Bloom Weddings and Events where she lifts the veil and gives invaluable information and even some advice to future brides!
1. Where do brides even start? Should they scour Pinterest for inspiration? Should they have flowers in mind? When I first start to connect with my clients, I do ask if they have an inspiration or pinterest board. It gives me an overall feel of their ideas or the wedding of their dreams! Most of my brides have have a set look or feel, even if they think their board is all over the place. Once I have an idea of their style, I can offer floral suggestions based on their ideas and the time of year they are getting married. Some clients know exactly what they want, some have no idea. It is ok either way, we will be able to work with them and come up with beautiful ideas!
2. Do you suggest brides have decided on their wedding gown before they decide on a bouquet? Why?It depends- You can usually get an idea of what type of bouquet they will want based on their personal style and preferences. The bouquet will also reflect the overall setting of the wedding. It does help to know if the dress has any embellishments such as beading or lace appliqués. Specialty accents such as pearls, rhinestones can be incorporated into the bouquet or accented around the handle of the bouquet.
3. What are some of the different styles of bouquets?Here are a few of the most popular bouquets and styles for today’s brides:
Nosegay: A handtied bouquet that is round consisting of tight bunches of flowers, typically uniform in length and style. Example: A bouquet of all roses or all peonies. Biedermeier: Round bouquets consisting of tight and uniform flowers. They will have concentric circles around each type of flower. Very modern and unique. Example, Roses with a ring of babies breath around the edge of the bouquet, followed by greenery around the babies breath.
Cascading Bouquet: Loose and flowing bouquet, think waterfall. The bouquet typically has a teardrop shape. there are 2 different kinds of cascading bouquets. There is a formal cascade where the flowers are very clean, using flowers such as orchids, calla lilies and lilies and very little greenery. The second type is an informal cascading bouquet which consists of many different types of flowers. There is more greenery and it appears loose and free flowing. True cascading bouquets are typically used in high end elegant weddings or in garden weddings that have a vast range of blooms.
Posy bouquet: Small round handtied bouquet, perfect for a petite bride, bridesmaids and flower girls.
Round Bouquet: Round handtied bouquet, typically has more flowers than greenery. Handtied Bouquet: Handtied bouquets are more casual, typically having lots of greenery with a wide variety of blooms. Today this is the most popular choice of bouquets. It is often the style a lot of DIY brides create.
4. Being in New England, how do you go about getting flowers in season? I source my flowers locally when I can (May-October) from local flower growers. I do have several wholesalers that I rely on to get specific flower varieties and larger quantities of flowers or when the growing season is over. I have access to these wholesalers year round. 5. Do you provide photos or sketches of what the final product will look like?I use a template when I send over proposals that gives brides pictures, sort of like a collage, of the flowers and styles that they discussed with me or was included in their Pinterest board. I also provide additional pictures of ideas and suggestions based on their initial theme or style. If I meet clients at the studio, we go over specifics of flowers, greenery and styles in person and often times can provide them a mockup of a centerpiece.
6. What happens to the flowers after the wedding?Typically guests will take home centerpieces. I do work with several companies that are in the preservation business, so if the bride is interested in having her flowers preserved, she can coordinate with them before the wedding. Sometimes brides will let us know they do not intend to take their flowers home. If that is the case, we work with several nursing homes and assisted living facilities that we donate the arrangements to. 7. What is your biggest piece of advice from a florist to a bride?Trust us as the professionals! We are here to bring your vision to life. My favorite weddings, and the ones that are the most beautiful and memorable, are the brides who trust us and let us have creative control over floral choices. We will always maintain their overall color scheme and style but we have the opportunity to use the most unique and exceptional varieties we have access to! Sometimes I may envision using one flower, but when I am ordering flowers or I am at the market, I may see a flower that catches my eye or is exceptionally beautiful and I just have to use it because I know it would be perfect for them!
Thank you Kait! I know I learned a lot. If you are looking for an amazing florist take a look at In Bloom Weddings and Events!
