Today’s blog is inspired by luxury wedding planner Elegante by Michelle J. Having worked with some of the UK and Europe’s best wedding florists to style stunning weddings, Michelle shared her expert and insider tips on choosing a wedding florist on her blog. I loved the advice she gave, and wanted to share it with you!

Deciding on your wedding look and style

Before you approach a florist or start looking for inspiration for your wedding flowers online, decide and agree on the style of your wedding. Do you both love elegance and minimal styling (for example, in your home)? Perhaps you love statement design, big and bold or colourful displays (what’s the artwork on your walls like?) Think about flowers you’ve bought each other in the past: have they been wild and wonderful, muted and natural in tone? Extravagant or simple and romantic?

Look together at real weddings online. Get an idea for your colour palette and overall look and feel of your wedding. It could be country charm, inspired by the destination where you’ll be wed, modern and chic or artsy and eclectic.

Then you can start to look at the options for your wedding flowers.

Choosing a florist you trust is key

Different florists have very different styles and approaches. Some are really modern in both the look of the flower arrangements they create and the way they run their business. Others are more traditional – and it’s your choice which you prefer.

The look of your wedding flowers

Modern bouquets and arrangements can be structured and compact, or wild and organic. Consider a rose bouquet: it could be a tight bunch of beautiful blooms with few leaves and no other flowers, in a clear palette of two or three colours. Or it could be a mixture of roses and leaves dotted with stems and seedheads and smaller flowers for texture, in a variety of summer colours. Both are effective, but it’s likely one will appeal to you more. Florists also have their preferences, and a floral designer who works with wild and spectacular arrangements would be the wrong choice if your tastes are more refined and traditional.

Think of colours to match your wedding palette. If you’re leaning towards vibrant and bold colours, look for a florist whose creations jump out at you for their hues. If the colours you’re thinking of for your wedding are more muted, natural and romantic, look for floral designers whose socials and online portfolios tend towards those tones.

And all the time you’re looking online at photographs of wedding flowers, note the designer: where are they based, could they be an option for styling your own wedding?

A note on wedding flower inspiration online

Pinterest is a fabulous place for wedding inspiration, as is instagram. These platforms have incredible images and can be a wonderful resource – but be aware of AI generated content. The floral images that can blow your mind might just be fake, or unachievable at your venue or within your budget. How to tell if a wedding flower image is AI? Look who’s posted the image and who it’s attributed to. A few of the top wedding creators on insta are AI-driven. If a photo on Pinterest or instagram is linked to a specific florist, then you can trust the source (and that the creation isn’t an impossibility!)

Dealing with your wedding florist

A really good wedding florist will excel at floral design, have amazing knowledge of flowers and seasons, and run a business that gives clients a fabulous, stress-free experience. Communication is key. When you’re looking for a wedding florist, and especially if you’ll be dealing with them personally rather than through a wedding planner, be sure you’ll have an open channel of communication that works for you.

Choose a wedding florist who is honest and open, and who gives you the amount of information that you need about your florals. If you have your heart set on your gran’s favourite flower, or one you remember from your dad’s allotment – those specific details will be so important. Alternatively, if you’re happy for your florist to construct something wild and wonderful to surprise you on the day, communications won’t need to go into great detail on design, but will cover the logistics and costs of your wedding flowers.

How to get the most from your wedding flowers

Trust is everything. Once you’ve found a florist whose style you both adore, and whose approach you enjoy and are comfortable with, you’ll know your wedding flowers will be beautiful. Ask what you need to about your flowers, and trust the advice from your experts. If you choose a wedding florist who’s never worked at your venue before, they’ll have recommendations for structures and arrangements to suit the interiors (meadow style arrangements around a staircase, for example). Your wedding planner will also be able to advise on what works beautifully in your space, so do ask for recommendations and suggestions from both!

You can also ask your wedding planner to recommend floral designers. Planners have a wealth of knowledge and will consider things you might not have thought of – from a Plan B for wet weather (which might involve hastily creating an adapted floral arrangement indoors) to the logistics of getting florist’s vehicles to a remote island wedding venue!

“At Elegante by Michelle J weddings the flowers tend to be a real focal point, and we put a lot of time and consideration into ensuring our couples work with the right florists to achieve the cohesive, flowing aesthetic they desire. When it comes to the question of how to choose your wedding flowers, our years of experience and deep-rooted connections with fabulous industry florists help our couples bloom – and we want to help you, too.” ~ Michelle Jacobs, Elegante by Michelle J.

Choosing a florist for your destination wedding

I would very strongly recommend hiring an experienced wedding planner if you’re marrying overseas and looking for amazing wedding flowers. The logistics and negotiations between venues and florists can be complex and time consuming if you try to manage this by yourselves!

Michelle mentions that options for wedding flowers in venues in Europe can be more limited. Venues are more likely to have lists of approved suppliers you’re expected to choose from – but if they don’t suit your style it might not be an ideal situation to deal with alone. There’s also a likelihood that your venue’s chosen florists will be stylists too, bringing in their own decor from glassware to table linens. This can be helpful, but in some cases restrictive too.

There is the option of flying in a florist you love, especially if you’re having a luxury wedding and your budget allows. Always work with a florist who’s comfortable working overseas, and has experience in doing so! It will be crucial to work with your wedding planner who will coordinate with your venue and florist to ensure this can happen.

“If you are working with a wedding planner they will help you understand the kinds of florals that will work with your overall wedding vision and plan. Developing your desired aesthetic and atmosphere for your wedding day properly means that, when it comes to choosing your wedding florist and flowers, each element makes sense alongside the rest.” ~ Michelle J.

Are there alternatives for couples who don’t like flowers?

There are other options for styling your venue without flowers, although they rarely have the effect that real florals will. You could consider dried flowers or paper art installations, but they don’t have the softness and texture of floral design, which can really soften the aesthetic and add wow factor to your venue.

Fabrics can bring softness and colour to your wedding venue, with thoughtful styling and approach to design. Draped fabrics and silk ribbons for table styling could work as a beautiful alternative to florals, and it’s a look we’d love to see here at English Wedding! Having said that, it would look even more wonderful with greenery so it’s definitely worth discussing alternatives to wedding flowers with your wedding planner!

Do check out all of Michelle’s insider tips for choosing incredible wedding flowers at https://elegantebymichellej.com