Planning the flowers for your wedding is one of the most important parts of your big day. And choosing your New Orleans wedding florist is the first step in that process. The right flowers can magically bring together your event and become an unforgettable aspect of your wedding. Not only do flowers allow you to add decoration and your own unique sense of style, but they also symbolize rebirth and growth. You and your spouse are being reborn as a union rather than as separate people and you’ll grow together as a couple. Your flowers will be one of the things guests will remember most and by choosing the right New Orleans wedding florist, your floral planning will be effortless and delightful, leaving you with a mesmerizing wedding day designed exactly as you had in mind.
Steps for Choosing Your New Orleans Wedding Florist
Choosing your floral designs is one of the most exciting parts of wedding planning. After all, you get to spend time imagining then creating your own dreamlike wedding decor. Flowers are the heart of your wedding and they can create the perfect look you’re going for whether that’s romantic, elegant, rustic, or modern. When you think about your wedding flowers, you want the overall look of your wedding to make a lasting impression and finding the right wedding florist is key. The right florist can help bring your vision to life and help to guarantee that your wedding will not only be unforgettable for you, but for all your guests as well.
Depending on how large your wedding is, and if you’re planning it during a busy wedding season, you should start looking for a wedding florist for at least 6 months ahead of time to ensure your florist of choice will be available. Sometimes, florists can be booked up months in advance, which can leave you in a bind when it comes to your special day. Here are some of our tips on the best ways to choose your New Orleans wedding florist.
Determine Your Floral Wedding Style
Before you begin looking for florists, you should take the time to envision your perfect wedding flowers. A florist is always there to help, but this is your wedding, so you want to have an idea in mind, and you probably already do. Looking at Pinterest, Instagram, or different New Orleans wedding florist websites can help spark your creativity when considering what you want for your wedding. Pinterest can be very useful in bringing all of your favorite florals and designs into one place to help you get a better idea of what you really want. Creating a board just for different aspects of your wedding could be very useful. Think of your colors. Do you want rich jewel tones or creamy whites? What colors are your bridesmaids wearing? Do you like the overflowing wildflower look or are you interested in something more polished and classic? Are you interested in incorporating lush foliages and interesting textures? Would you prefer lush, over the top pieces or minimalist, low-key arrangements? You don’t have to be well-versed in the names of all flowers, but having an idea of certain styles and flowers you want to be included can help when you’re choosing your florist. A florist’s style can be seen in their portfolio and can help you determine whose aesthetic works the best with what you’re aiming for in your wedding.
Consider Your Venue
Your venue will have a huge impact on what flowers you need for decor. If you’re having an outdoor wedding, you might not need as many floral arrangements if the area is already abundant with flowers and vegetation. If your event is indoors with low lighting, you might want to fill the room with lots of colorful designs. Are you looking to say your vows underneath an arbor full of wildflowers, or next to a fountain glistening with freshly woven buds? Take some time to look around your venue and consider what you’re looking for before selecting your florist. Also consider the amount of space you have in your venue to work with. Adding multiple larger arrangements could make your venue feel overwhelming, but smaller arrangements in a vast space could make it feel empty.
Consider Your Floral Needs
Depending on your wedding, you may need a florist to make your arrangements and be done at that. Or you may need someone who can go the extra mile and create arrangements, bouquets, table pieces, and more. Some florists don’t offer delivery and set up or they only offer certain types of arrangements and don’t make things like hair pieces or other wedding day accessories. If this is something that you think you may be interested in, make sure you look into this when you’re in the research stage of finding a New Orleans wedding florist.
Avoid Mistakes
Making a mistake when in the florist search part of your wedding can really throw things out of balance. Don’t go to your florist with a disorganized vision of what you want for your wedding. Your vision board for your flowers can be useful if it’s cohesive. If you have quite a few colors and styles put together, it can cause confusion. You may need to have a talk with your florist to help set you in the right direction. Make sure that you speak up if you see something you’re unsure about, though.
Create Your Budget
Decor and flowers can be expensive, so have an open mind if you’re planning on going the extravagant route. However, a florist can guide and help you determine what can fit in your budget if you already have one planned. Most brides like to stick to about 10 percent of their overall wedding budget, but depending on how much you’re spending in other areas, you can decide to raise or lower this percentage. After all, it’s your wedding! Make sure to take any extra costs into account if you’re looking for delivery and set up.
Finding a New Orleans Wedding Florist
Now that you have your budget and floral styles in mind, it’s time to begin choosing your New Orleans wedding florist. The South has an abundance of rich and beautiful flowers and many of them grow naturally all over New Orleans. But if you’re looking for more exotic tropical flowers, you want a florist that can have those shipped in for your wedding. As you look through florists’ portfolios, choose one that has the style and look you’re going for. Is there a florist that creates that loosely gathered bohemian vibe bridal bouquet you’ve been dreaming of? Or have you found one that perfectly matches that extravagant cascading bouquet that’s on your list? Select a few florists that look like they can create the designs you have in mind and reach out to them to schedule a meeting. Getting recommendations from friends and family in the city is always beneficial.
Interview Your Favorite New Orleans Florists
Choosing at least two or three florists gives you several options. This is the time for you to learn more about their experience, style, and personality. Not every florist is the same. Each comes with their own unique technique and artistry. Bring lots of inspiration to show your florist. Having images of bouquets, centerpieces, and any other floral decor can help the florist share your vision. Don’t hesitate to bring pictures of the venue, dresses, or anything you feel your florist should have. Some brides to be bring in swatches of their dress color or of the bridesmaid dress colors to help with the design process. Always keep in mind that while your florist will appreciate the examples, they can’t always replicate the work in the photo. Due to some flowers being out of season, your florist will let you know what they can substitute to still give you that gorgeous design you’re looking for. Let the florist know what you want, and listen to their input and knowledge of flowers so you can both come to a decision on how to give you the most beautiful floral designs for your wedding day.
Study the Proposal
After leaving your interview, the florist will have a proposal drawn up that will be the basis for your contract. This will contain the details such as exact flowers, setup and breakdown costs, cost of materials, and anything else that was discussed in your meeting. If you spoke about many different ideas, you can ask for a “high-end” best-case scenario and a “low-end” bare minimum scenario to choose between. You can always mix both of these to pick an option in between. At this point, you’ll be deciding between several of your favorite florists and it’s up to you whose style you liked most and which will fit in your budget. Remember to keep in mind things like set up, delivery and the extra pieces (if you opt for them) such as cake toppers, background arrangements and more.
Pick Your Favorite New Orleans Wedding Florist
After you’ve reviewed the proposals and chosen your best match, don’t hesitate to speak to your florist about any concerns or elements of the wedding. As a wedding florist, we want you to be completely happy and thrilled with your wedding day and will do whatever we can to help make that happen. We know that your floral designs can be a huge part of your wedding day worries. We are there every step of the way, so choose the florist that will not only fit your budget and give you the designs you’re looking for, but also the one you feel most comfortable talking to and being at your side helping you plan your wedding.
Contact Leaf + Petal
At Leaf+Petal, we work with you to create your perfect New Orleans wedding, whether you’re planning something close and intimate or looking for an event on a much grander scale. As your New Orleans wedding florist, we help you with designing and creating a once in a lifetime experience. We’re known for our romantic garden style aesthetic, using the best florals that are in season, so we’d love to talk to you about what we can design for your special day. Contact us today so we can help you turn your wedding vision into reality.