How do you start planning you wedding flowers? Start with a clear vision. Sounds easy right? Yes and no. If you’re someone who knows exactly what your wedding day will look like - fantastic! Sometimes, however, it can get overwhelming, especially with the never ending #weddinginspo and ideas coming from every direction! Whether your vision is extremely clear (and we mean 20/20) or you feel like you’re going into this blind, here are some top tips on how to create and ensure a clear vision and how to start planning your wedding flowers through that vision.
The excitement and joy of getting engaged can quickly become overshadowed by the inevitable next step of Wedding Planning. As your wedding florist - we at Bituin are here to help you from day one. No matter where you are up to in your wedding planning, I will often start our discussions with this question:
“What is your vision for your wedding day?”
And by this, I don’t just mean, what is your floral vision, but your overarching wedding vision. With a vision in hand you should feel empowered to make decisions before even booking your first vendor. Having a clear vision means working towards a cohesive final outcome for the big day. For those without a vision, below are some ways you can come up with vision. For those who already have one, have a read any to see how you might refine it further.
Lean into the chaos of all the ideas
If you find yourself looking at wedding ideas in all different directions, try leaning into it. Create a pinterest or vision board and save EVERY photo you would love for your own wedding. After saving a few, stand back and look at the photos as a whole. What 3 things immediately stand out to you? What kind of images pop up again and again? For example, do the images have a mostly elegant and refined feel or something more laid back and rustic? Start with just three overarching topics or feelings that pop up right away and build on it from there. When you take a stand back you might find you may subconsciously have a vision in mind!
Involve your partner in planning the vision
When planning your vision, it’s also important to involve your partner as it’s their day too! As a super quick and easy peasy activity try this:
- Each person take a pen and paper
- Individually write down 3 words to describe their ideal vision
- Individually write down 3 priorities for the wedding e.g. flowers, photographer, entertainment, cake etc.
- Compare lists and see how aligned your visions are
This is a super basic activity but can be a good way to see if you’re both on the same page and are planning the same event! It may even help you to decide who will plan what. Maybe your partner thinks that a car is most important to them but it may not be for you - give them that task.
Stick to the vision and keep refining
It should hopefully be clear by now that having a wedding vision makes wedding planning a whole lot easier - and maybe even more fun! For example, if you’ve got a laid back outdoor barn vision, choosing a rustic table setting over a modern table setting seems so obvious.
Make sure you stick with your vision throughout the wedding planning process to keep it cohesive. Naturally though you may find your vision changes a little as you go about planning.That's ok and so normal. Refine that wedding vision and just make sure all the other items you’ve previously planned are in line with the refined vision. If you do however end up having a complete change of mind, you can totally do that too. You just have to be aware that you will probably have to start again or at least review every single thing you've planned so far to ensure it aligns with the new vision you've come up with.
Planning your wedding flowers, with a vision
Now that you’re a true visionary, let’s plan your wedding flowers! With your vision in hand, reach out to your trusted florist (maybe us in Melbourne!). If you would like to enquire about your wedding flowers with Bituin, head to our Wedding page to fill in the enquiry form.
If you feel that you want to develop or refine a specific flower vision (based on your overarching vision) before going to your florist you can also have a go at putting together another vision board or Pinterest board. This vision board would specifically be for flower inspiration.
Don’t forget to include examples of your wedding party flowers (bridal bouquet, bridesmaids bouquet, groom’s buttonhole, groomsmen buttonhole flower girls etc), ceremony flowers and reception flowers. Remember that the vision board can contain more than just flowers - you can add objects that you love and are inspired by. So don't limit yourself to just the flowers but ensure that the pictures you are saving inspires your flowers.
With the overarching vision in mind always front and centre you should find that the wedding flower vision board you put together is cohesive and ties in with the overarching vision.
From here you can take the vision board to your florist and commence the discussion with them on your wedding flowers. Trust me, they will thank you knowing that you've got a vision for the day. If your vision is not quite clear yet, your florist may also be able to help you refine it further. Sometimes, all you have to do is ask!
Even your vision can help you choose your florist
Remember that the pictures you have on your vision board are often edited and do not tell you what season they were made in (spring, summer etc), how they look in real life and how long the flowers have been out of water. It is important to note that flowers are seasonal and that each florist has their own design style.
You should ensure that the florist you chose is one that you like. If you're choosing a florist based on price for example, rather than your trust and belief in them, the flowers at the end of the day may be something you don't end up loving. A top tip make is sure you like your florist before you go with them. You need to be trust them to make beautiful flowers for your big day - so do your research and make sure they will fit in with your vision too.
TOP TIPS:
- Avoid a vision with specific flowers, rather keep your vision a vibe. Try to avoid specific flowers in your vision especially as flowers are seasonal and availability cannot always be guaranteed. Florists, such as us, work with what's in season and available and love to use the best and freshest flowers around. You should be able to trust them to choose the perfect flowers to execute your vision
- Communication is key. Just as with other relationships in your life, you should maintain good and clear communication with your florist. That way, there are no surprises for you and the florist and both planning your wedding on the same page.
- Do you like the florist? Whether it's the person you speak to, the business’ values or the images on their website or social media. If you can’t say you love or even like their work, you probably shouldn't be going with them.
Trust yourself and don’t sweat it
While I’m sure that the wedding inspiration you'll come across will be absolutely dreamy and beautiful, it is important to trust yourself and your vision. Make sure that you're planning your vision based on what you truly love and not just what's trending. You'll find every year or even every season there will be a new trend in wedding planning. Follow your heart and don't be too hard on yourself. At the end of the day, what is most important is how you and your partner feel on the day - not what anyone else thinks or whatever the next big trend in weddings is. So don’t sweat it if your vision is not perfect (or even if it is), your vendors (and that includes me, your florist) should be able to help you on your day so that you enjoy it.
Conclusion
Although I have intensely spoken about the importance of a clear wedding vision, what I'm hoping you take away from this article is that you will go into planning your wedding with a vision, no matter how clear or unclear it is.
Planning your wedding should not be something that you fear or want to put aside for as long as possible, it should be something exciting and something that you look forward to doing - otherwise the entire process will be a drag! A vision may help in ensuring you’re having fun and you’re not fearing the next decision to be made.
Remember to trust your gut and keep your partner involved. Take your vision to your trusted florist and let them help you create your dream wedding. Good luck!