THE NEWELLYWEDS No. 5: FLOWER POWER

Happy Wedding Wednesday! It’s crazy to think how much the world has changed since our wedding. We definitely didn’t think we would be dealing with a global pandemic in our first few months of marriage. It breaks my heart to think of the brides that have had to cancel and reschedule their weddings. I hope that this series at least provides some help for those still planning. If you struggling to figure out what to do for your upcoming wedding, Wedding Wire has offered guidance!

Today I thought I’d talk about flowers! I absolutely love fresh flowers. Every week I try to get fresh flower arrangements for the house. I just love being surrounded by them. I knew that I wanted us to have plenty of arrangements and installations for our big day. I wanted to share some of my favorite images of our floral decor but also thought it would be fun to have my florist, Adeola of Bea Morad, share some fun tidbits!

(1) Can you share a little bit about yourself?

I love all things vintage: clothing, furniture, movies, and reality TV.  Good food makes me happy and travel plans excite me.  For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed creating. I grew up drawing, painting, sewing, and sculpting.

 What drew you to floral design?   My entry into floral design was very organic. I started off arranging flowers for small events for my family and friends.  When putting together events, I realized that I really enjoyed the floral portion of the planning and design.  I decided to focus on the floral end of things and really hone in on my skills.   As I stated prior, I have always loved to create. When it comes to creating, the final result is always my driving force as I find it to be the ultimate satisfaction.  What drew me to floral design was being able to bring a design to life, which I found to be incredibly rewarding.

(2) Can you explain the design process when you work with a bride?

After getting an understanding of the bride’s style, the three things that I consider during the design process are space, color and vibe.

Space

I always keep the space in mind when considering the possibilities.  For example, I consider the ceiling height of the venue when deciding on the height of the centerpieces.  I also consider any unique features that would be nice to highlight such as a vintage barn door or antique fireplace.

Color

This part of the process is when I grab my color wheel and pantone cards and I go to work putting together a color plan as it relates to the blooms most likely to be incorporated. I also take into consideration the space being designed and how the colors will work within that space.

Vibe/Feels

I call the staging of the space the vibe portion of the design process.  This is because the way in which the space is staged determines the vibe of your event.   For a sexy and mellow feel, I would incorporate an abundance of candles.  For a party vibe, I would focus on installations above and/or surrounding the dance floor.  The vibe is a very important element to consider because it has a lot to do with the couple’s personality, what they want their day to feel like and the experience they want for their guests.

 (3) What advice would you give a bride who is meeting with a potential florist?

There are 4 items that are important to touch on when meeting with a florist.  These items include making sure that the florist is a style match, discussing expectations, reviewing the contract, and keeping an open mind.

Style match

Before reaching out to a florist, I recommend that you make sure that the florist’s design esthetic matches up with your style.  Floral design is a form of art and no two arrangements will ever be the same.  It is important that you love your florist’s design esthetic because it helps to put your mind at ease and rest assured that they will execute your vision perfectly to your liking on your big day.  This is the first and most important step to building trust with your florist.

Ask Questions and Discuss Expectations

Make sure that you discuss your expectations and ask questions regarding the process.  Do not make any assumptions.  For example, if you are someone who needs to see the design ahead of time for piece of mind, ask the florist how mockups are handled.  All florists have their own policies regarding mockups. Knowing your florists preferred mode of communication is very important. 

Go Over the Contract

It is extremely important to review the contract with your stylist prior to signing.  Ask your florist for a sample contract to review.  I for one make it a priority to go over the contract with brides in order to make sure that they understand the terms.  As a bride you want to know what the stipulations are regarding date changes, if there are any costs associated with changing your design, what the florist is and is not responsible for, and at what point design changes are prohibited.  These are just a few things that may be covered in a floral contract.

Keep an open mind.  

Your florist is the expert so make sure you fully leverage their expertise and lean on them for their input.  For example, remember that some blooms are seasonal; be open to suggestions from your florist on the blooms, which will be in season at the time of your wedding.  Lean on your florist to provide suggestions for the type of blooms that will work for your overall look.  A lot of times, keeping an open mind will even save you money. 

(4) What is your favorite floral style?

I would say that when it comes to my favorite floral style, I lean towards a non-traditional free form, abstract style.  I love for flowers to appear as the do in nature, not super structured and stiff.  I love movement.   To be able to see movement in a still arrangement or bouquet is absolutely beautiful.

(5) What floral trends do you see for weddings in 2020?

Greenery

Greenery can be just as lush and opulent as flowers.  Expect to see a lot of greenery from garlands to tabletop trees.  This trend is a great way to wow your guests with an unexpected and nontraditional look.

Lots of floral installations

Designers are going BIG with their designs.  Ceiling designs, grand ceremony backdrops and arches are all the rage right now.

Wearable flowers

From floral tattoos to jewelry, expect to see a lot of unique use of blooms.  Floral design is a form of art after all so it isn’t just relegated to tabletops and bouquets.

Monochromatic arrangements

I love a monochromatic look.  Whether it is a head to toe outfit or floral design, a monochromatic moment always looks luxurious.   It also draws the focus to other aspects of the design such as texture and movement, which I for one think is refreshing.  

Bleached and colored flowers

From bleached plumosa fern to painted craspedia, manipulation of floral elements will be on the rise.  While there is debate surrounding the idea of altering the natural state of flowers, I personally love the idea of arranging bleached greenery with blooms and keeping the overall design monochromatic.  I’m here for this trend    

Cascading flowers

Whether cascading off a table or off the side of a mantle, I expect to see lots of cascading blooms.  It adds drama to any design.  I am all about a dramatic floral statement

(6) How much of your budget do you think a couple should expect to spend on florals?

 Budget is a relative.  The amount of your budget you should expect to spend on floral really depends on the vision you have for your floral look.  If you are a bride who’s main focus are your personal flowers and short medium arrangements for her guest tables expect to allocate an average of 8% of your overall budget to floral.  In the alternative, if you would like to incorporate a few large-scale floral elements such as an arch along with a combination of tall and short arrangements, 20% of your overall budget is a more realistic percentage.  Again, this is all relative.  The scale of the floral elements along with the type of flowers incorporated will affect your budget.  Some brides will spend as little as $500 on floral while others might spend as much as $50k.  One area that I recommend not to skimp on is the bridal bouquet.  This is because some of your most memorable pictures will be of the bride with her bouquet.  Pick a style and look you love and run with it. If you have to cut your floral costs somewhere, don’t cut it here.      

Thank you Adeola for taking your time to share so many helpful tips and insight! If you are looking for a florist for your wedding day or event, I highly recommend Bea Morad!