For this weeks Wedding Wednesday I’ve teamed up with the very talented Carly of BloomBar! Not only am I so excited to work with her, but I’m even more thrilled to say she will be doing the florals for mine and Eric’s wedding. I first found Carly on Instagram a little more than a year ago. I immediately fell in love with her work and knew I wanted the chance to work together.
Last week we went to the New York flower district to take a look at all the gorgeous blooms and pick some of our favorite flowers for a Spring wedding bouquet. Immediately, the smell of Peonies and Lilac greeted us as we walked into the first market.
I asked Carly some questions about how to find a kick-ass florist like herself, her favorite blooms and suggestions for bouquets outside of the Spring months.
When a bride is looking for a florist, what should she be looking for?
First – the fun part! – research, browse and Pinterest (if you Pin!) – just explore all of your options and the work of as many vendors as you like. I like to look at florists’ Instagram as well as their webpage. Instagram gives you a sense of their “on the go” or “in the moment” design, aesthetic, even personality, where the website offers a more cultivated, curated look at their finished product.
Next – the logistics and nitty gitty – make sure your florist is insured, has experience in weddings or large scale events, and has a contract that will protect both of your interests. The simple standards of excellent customer care should be in place.
The final piece is the fit – a phone chat or a coffee can really give you a sense of your comfort level with the vendor. This is a very special day for you, and as your florist, I want you to feel completely understood and well taken care of. It really is a relationship that grows during the planning process, so the more comfortable you feel with a vendor, the prettier the eventual bloom!
When you’re building a floral plan, what are the 3 add-ons you would suggest beyond the bouquets, boutonnieres and centerpieces?
I love to find unexpected floral touches that leave an impression, and what lasts long after the wedding?…the amazing wedding photos. So I try to identify moments that are really photograph-able – whether a really unique cake display with florals, a gorgeous escort card table or guest book floral install, or a pretty personal detail like a flower comb, crown or bracelet. Your photographer will love to shoot these special details and they will make a lasting impression in your photos.
Another fun add-on is take away blooms – they make great individual, customizable gifts for guests. BloomBar is the perfect blend of DIY with guidance and direction from a florist!
There are a lot of different kinds of bouquets, how can a bride pick the one that’s right for her?
Overall, consider what do you like to look at – something round and symmetrical or loose and cascading…a lot of bright color or a monochromatic palette. Bring examples of bouquets you like, and that will give your florist a ton of direction and inspiration. We want to see things through your eyes, so the more examples of size, shape, proportion and relative tightness/looseness of the blooms, the better!
If you could build any bouquet or centerpiece you wanted, what flowers and colors would you chose?
I am partial to shades of pink (in case you can’t tell from everything BloomBar!) so I always love to find new varieties of blooms in shades of pink for any flower project.
New projects and challenges are always welcome – I am beyond excited for a wedding we’re doing at a private estate in September that will include 4 floral chandeliers installed inside a gorgeous Sperry tent.
Flowers are very seasonal, can you give us the flowers you’d always suggest using in a bouquet in Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter?
Flowers are gorgeous, tend to be very expensive, and certain varieties are so season-dependent. I would say roses, garden roses and pretty greenery like seeded and rainbow eucalyptus are easily available year-round. With the global nature of the flower market, it is possible to get flowers out of season for your wedding, but at a great cost and heavy carbon footprint. With that in mind, I like to offer more in-season and even local options to clients:
Spring – ranunculus, sweet pea, peonies (from April to early July), jasmine, lilac
Summer – dahlias, zinnia, gladiolus, hydrangea, foxglove, lisianthus
Fall – dahlias (early fall), lisianthus, seedum, snapdragon, maiden grass
Winter – hellebore, cyclamen, late winter ranunculus (Feb-March)
For those of you wondering, the above pictures from top to bottom feature the following flower varieties: Peonies (first 3 photos), Lisianthus (come in lots of colors and are very lon lasting), Dutch Double Tulips of the ‘Sambucca’ variety, Anemones and Sweet Pea.
A special thank you to Carly for collaborating on this post!
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