Flower power

On a cold Saturday afternoon,  my mom, and I paid a visit to Bob's Floral to sort out the various wedding flowers.  I figured this would be about a 45-minute meeting, tops, due to my highly specific floral vision.  I would march right in there, lay it all out for Bob, who would inevitably praise me for my organization and exquisite taste, and then we'd be outta there.

Well, I quickly realized that maybe my vision wasn't everything it was cracked up to be.  Three (!!!) hours later, we had most of our wedding flowers selected.  Let me start at the beginning.

My hydrangea-heavy wishlist was lacking a bit something according to Bob.  His flowers generally have more pop, pizazz, color, depth, whatever you want to call it.  So multiple balls of hydrangeas were kind of blasé to him.  He then walked me through his portfolio of previous bouquets, and I realized that he had a point.  The simple bouquets didn't photograph stupendously well, nor did they really match my personal style.  My hydrangea vision got the axe about 10 minutes into the meeting.  A full hour later, I finally decided on my bridal bouquet and accompanying bridesmaids' bouquets.

My bridesmaids will be carrying a combination of green hydrangea and lavender roses (right... lavender roses, as in purple flowers, as in the sole type of flower I was opposed to.  He showed me a photo of a bridal party wearing purple dresses and carrying bouquets with lavender roses, and I was sold immediately.  Apparently I'm not the floral know-it-all that I thought I was.  Go figure.)

Hydrangea (via Fiore Farms) & Rose (via Flowers for Her) 
Collage done by me

My bouquet will be made of the same two flowers, plus some white mini calla lilies.

Calla Lilies (via I Do Inspiration), Hydrangea (via Fiore Farms) & Rose (via Flowers for Her)

Collage done by me

Here's a picture that's pretty close to what my bouquet is set to look like, but minus the berries, with lighter purple flowers, and with green hydrangea instead of roses:

Image via Stadium Flowers

We then spent the next two hours sorting out church and reception decor.  Our church aisle will be decked out in clusters of baby's breath with some white ribbon, kind of like this, but in clusters instead of a wreath:

 Image via Ruffled / Photo by Leigh Miller Photography

The big tripping point was the centerpiece.  When we left the meeting, some of the details still needed to be sorted out for the final version, but the basic outline is a centerpiece with submerged lavender roses and mini bouquets of hydrangea.   Think along these lines, but with roses in the tall vase instead of orchids:

Image via TheKnot / Photo by Meghan Doll / Centerpiece by Floral Logic

Here's my grand floral round-up, comparing my decisions before meeting Bob to the finished product.

            Then

• No purple flowers
• Hydrangeas are #1
• High & low centerpieces
• BM bouquets small, with 1 flower type

           Now 

• Lavender roses as far as the eye can see
• Hydrangeas are filler around the roses and calla lilies
• All centerpieces the same, with high & low elements
• BM bouquets are fuller, with multiple flower types

Once again, apparently I'm not the masterful floral artist I originally assumed.

So, my advice to fellow brides-to-be: spend some time thinking about what flowers you like and what flowers you want to be featured in your wedding, but go into your florist meeting with a partially open mind.  The florists are professionals for a reason and know what pairings work well, what flowers will photograph flat, and those sorts of details.  Stand your ground if something's important to you, but also listen to hear what guidance they're giving you.  Oh, and most importantly, do not expect your consultation to be quick, especially if your goal is to figure out all of the flowers in one meeting!

Did your vision about certain wedding details change once you met with your vendor?