Wedding planning can feel like an endless stream of decisions. From choosing a venue and a color scheme to creating a guest list and all your gorgeous wedding flowers, making decisions will soon feel like a full-time job. Luckily, the wedding professionals at Walter Knoll Florist Weddings & Events are here to help make wedding planning easy, fun, and seamless. Before you can decide between DIY wedding flowers, a full-service design, or a la carte, consider the size of your wedding, timelines, budgets, overall wedding aesthetic, and the types of flower bouquets and arrangements you need. Be sure to review our ultimate guide to wedding flower services and packages below so you can be confident with the path you and your partner choose.
Types of Wedding Flowers
Before selecting the ideal floral services for your wedding, it is important to understand the different kinds of arrangements and bouquets you might want for your big day.
Personal Flowers
Personal flowers include hand-tied bouquets, boutonnieres, wristlets, corsages, floral crowns, etc., for brides, grooms, bridal party members, parents, grandparents, and godparents. A tip from the experts is always to leave room in your budget for exceptional personal flowers because they are the most photographed throughout your day compared to other wedding blooms.
Ceremony Flowers
The flower arrangements chosen to enhance the beauty of your wedding ceremony are also the first pieces of décor that your guests will admire. Set the tone for your day with stunning floral arches, arbor swags, large altar arrangements, and aisle markers that will lead you to your love.
Reception Centerpieces
Moving into cocktail hour and the wedding reception, centerpieces are another essential floral item. From small arrangements on cocktail tables to large and inviting arrangements on guest tables and either a head table or sweetheart table, no wedding feels complete without alluring centerpieces.
Flower Installations and Special Décor
Other showstopping flower designs you can choose for your wedding are flower installations, floral walls, hanging arrangements, and more creative and out-of-the-box pieces that your florist will help you imagine and bring to life. These types of floral elements are sure to wow wedding guests and make a statement.
Types of Wedding Flower Services
DIY Wedding Flowers
DIY, or do-it-yourself, wedding flowers are the most cost-effective way to dress your wedding in beautiful blooms. Once you gather your supplies, you create and set up your own personal flowers, ceremony arrangements, centerpieces, and more that will reflect your vision. Choose a DIY flower package if you have simple wedding flower ideas, are hosting a small or micro wedding, want to keep your wedding flower cost at a minimum, enjoy having the freedom to design and create, and are planning your wedding in less than six months.
A La Carte Wedding Flowers
A La Carte wedding flowers are a popular path for brides and grooms since you pick and choose only the flowers and décor that are most important. This package or service allows you to work with a professional florist without committing to an extensive wedding design. Select a la carte if you are having a medium size wedding, are looking for flexibility, want to control or customize your budget, need the essentials plus a little extra, have time to set up your flowers, and are planning your wedding within a year to six months in advance.
Full-Service Wedding Design
Full-service wedding designs take all the pressure off you as a bride or groom. With a full-service package, your florist will design and create the wedding of your dreams without you needing to lift a finger leading up to your wedding or the day of. In addition to personal, ceremony, and reception flowers, full-service designs include rentals and décor like candles, lanterns or cylinder vases, linens, chairs, or flower installations, depending on your style, theme, and ideas. A full-service wedding design is right for you if you are having a large wedding, want all the bells and whistles on top of the basics and essentials, want your florist and designer to guide you every step of the way, prefer your florist to deliver, set up, and breakdown your flowers and décor, and are planning your wedding at least one year in advance.
Wedding Flower Costs to Keep in Mind
You probably already have a good idea of which route you want to take for your wedding flowers. However, before committing to a package or service, consult your budget and ask your florist some critical questions. While the flowers will cost one thing, the services you choose, in addition to each bloom, will help determine the overall price for your wedding. Some packages may already have built-in service fees, such as labor, design, and set-up fees, while others may not. Before sending in a deposit, check if your package deal includes all the services you need or is simply charging stem by stem or arrangement by arrangement.
Wedding Flower Timeline
Timing is a significant factor that will lead you to the ideal type of floral service for your wedding. The more time you have to work with a florist, the better. Having at least one year before your wedding date will open the door to more options and services you can take advantage of. Check out the timeline below to see how far in advance you need to order your wedding flowers.
- Planning and Consultations – One year to nine months
- Putting Down a Deposit – Nine to six months
- Choosing Flowers – Nine to six months
- Ordering Flowers – Six months
- Creating and Arranging – Week of
- Setting Up at the Venue – One day or day of
We know that planning a wedding isn’t a piece of cake, but the experts here at Walter Knoll Florist Weddings & Events strive to make your wedding planning process as fun, easy, and stress-free as possible. If you are still unsure which package or direction to go in, reach out to our wedding professionals for more insight, to discuss your personal needs, or to set up an event flowers consultation.
