The 8 Steps to Choosing Your Wedding Flowers

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This is the first and most important step for how to pick wedding flowers. Your overall wedding budget will determine how much money you can set aside for your flowers, along with the types of flowers you can use in your arrangements, so sit down with your partner and decide what you're both comfortable spending.

1. Make a budget for your wedding flowers.

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Most couples spend around eight percent of their total wedding budget on flowers, but that number can vary depending on the types of flowers you order and how many arrangements you need. A bigger budget will allow for more elaborate designs and pricier flowers, while prioritizing certain types of greenery wedding ideas or other floral accents can be a beautiful and cost-effective 

1. Make a budget for your wedding flowers.

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option for couples with tighter budgets.

1. Make a budget for your wedding flowers.

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You’ll want to find flowers that fit your color scheme, season and budget, and hiring the right wedding florist will help you do all of that and more. It’s important to find a florist who understands what you want, because he or she is the person who will bring your vision to life. They’ll also be a lifesaver when it comes to providing professional input 

2. Find a wedding florist.

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about your wedding flowers and helping you make tough decisions, like choosing between garden roses and peonies. When you’re researching potential florists, check out their previous work and read reviews to get a sense of their style and their specialities (no two florists are alike!).

2. Find a wedding florist.

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Begin by brushing up on wedding flower trends, or browsing photos from real weddings and Pinterest. You might find floral arrangements that you absolutely love (and can show the pictures to your florist) but at the very least, you’ll develop a general sense of your likes and dislikes. Start making notes about your floral preferences, 

3. Gather wedding flower inspiration.

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including color, shape, texture, and style. Don’t be afraid to source inspiration from unexpected places, either! Re-watch your favorite wedding-themed movie, scope out the fresh flower section at your local market, or ask your family members about the flowers they used at their weddings.

3. Gather wedding flower inspiration.

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As long as you can share your general vision with your florist, he or she will take it from there and can suggest their ideas for your wedding flowers.

3. Gather wedding flower inspiration.

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You don’t have to become an overnight expert on wedding flowers, but if you don’t already know some of the basic blooms, it can be helpful to do a bit of research before meeting with your florist. While you’re gathering floral inspiration, take a moment to familiarize yourself with popular wedding flowers (roses, peonies, hydrangeas, lilies, and ranunculuses, to name a few).

4. Know the basics of wedding flowers.

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Also decide whether or not you want fragrant blooms—lilacs, freesias, peonies, jasmine, sweet peas, and gardenias are among the most perfumed wedding flowers. Knowing a bit of flower lingo will come in handy when you’re talking to your florist, and you won’t feel completely lost when they’re sharing their ideas for your arrangements.

4. Know the basics of wedding flowers.

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It can also be helpful to share any floral trends you do or don't like—for example, are you in love with the boho vibe of pampas grass, or is it a total no-go for your wedding day? If there's any type of flower or greenery that's off limits, be sure to fill your florist in on your preferences. 

4. Know the basics of wedding flowers.

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If you’re feeling completely stumped about your wedding flowers (we know there are a lot to choose from!), think of them in terms of color to help narrow down your choices. Dahlias, carnations, mums, roses, tulips, and lilies are just a few of the flowers that come in most colors. Other flowers, including peonies, lisianthus, hydrangeas, and anemones 

5. Use your wedding color palette.

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have a more limited color selection. Your wedding flowers don’t have to be an exact match with the rest of your decor, but you should try to choose blooms that complement your color palette. Look at the colors being used for your invitation suite, attire, table linens, and miscellaneous accents.

5. Use your wedding color palette.

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If you do want the flowers to be a perfect color match, be as specific as possible when discussing them with your florist—“coral pink” to you might mean light orange or blush to someone else. Provide paint chips, fabric swatches and photos of the decor so your florist can find the closest possible match.

5. Use your wedding color palette.

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If you or your fiancé(e) is carrying a wedding bouquet down the aisle, use that as a starting point for how to pick wedding flowers. Your bouquet is a statement piece that will likely appear in a majority of your wedding photos, so it’s important to work with your florist to design an arrangement that captures your style.

6. Start with your wedding bouquet(s).

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Once you’ve finalized the flowers for your bouquet, your florist can move on to the other arrangements, such as bridesmaid bouquets, boutonnieres, aisle markers, and centerpieces. These arrangements don’t have to be exact replicas of the bridal bouquet, but they should use similar flowers and colors to create a cohesive look.

6. Start with your wedding bouquet(s).

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Think about the types of flowers that are normally seen around the time of year when you’re getting married, for example, tulips and peonies in the spring, or dahlias and mums in the fall. There’s no rule that says you can only use flowers if they’re in season, but out-of-season blooms might be difficult for your florist to find and will generally mean a higher price tag for you in the end.

7. Pick flowers that reflect your wedding season. 

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In general, your wedding flowers should reflect the style and aesthetic of the wedding. If you’re having a formal black-tie wedding, your flowers should be on the more traditional side (for example, matching centerpiece vessels and tidy arrangements) so they don’t seem out of place. If your big day is more relaxed and informal, you can get a little creative with your flowers, 

8. Match the flowers to your wedding style.

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such as having mix-and-match centerpieces, handmade details, or looser, garden-style arrangements. Also keep in mind that the types of flowers you choose will shape the tone of your wedding. White calla lilies are timeless and elegant, while bright pink ranunculus are playful and peppy.

8. Match the flowers to your wedding style.

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Pick a few descriptive words (rustic, elegant, glamorous, boho, modern, etc.) to explain your wedding style to the florist. Describe your venue, dress code, and other decor you plan to incorporate.

8. Match the flowers to your wedding style.

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Learn more about how to organize a dream wedding and not go crazy