THE WEDDING FLORALS EDIT - WITH DREAMBOATS & CAROUSELS - PART TWO PLANNING & LOGISTICS
Wedding florals are constantly getting bigger, with more wow-factor creations and installations showcasing increased creativity as they are used to intertwine, elevate, and transform spaces, rendering them almost unrecognisable. Florals are a pivotal element in our luxury wedding designs. One of the most gratifying aspects of overseeing a client's wedding is witnessing the realisation of our floral vision, breathing life and pure beauty into our events.
Kim from Dreamboats & Carousels is an expert florist who we have worked with over a number of years on many exciting projects. As the lust for an abundance of incredible florals at weddings grows each year I wanted to put together this piece to help you understand the level of skill, logistics, and monetary investment needed in order to have these gorgeous florals at your own wedding!
THE PLANNING & LOGISTICS OF WEDDING FLORISTRY
Creating your dream wedding florals involves extensive logistics and meticulous planning. As UK wedding planners, when we visit your selected venue, we seize the chance to explore the spaces. This exploration serves a dual purpose, allowing us to begin envisioning creative possibilities, taking measurements of specific areas and ensuring we comprehend any venue restrictions such as setup and de-rig times, supplier access, and where they may or may not allow floral installations. This process ensures that what we build into your visual design guide is logistically feasible. We can then provide your chosen florist with all the comprehensive information they need in order to quote accurately and assist in elevating your wedding florals with additional ideas before they also visit your chosen venue.
KIM SAYS
As we seek to create new and unique designs for every couple, we continually generate fresh ideas relating to the mechanics and build of each installation. All installations are created on site to enable us to design in situ, allowing us to design in harmony with the venue's features, such as incorporating pillars or staircase banisters. We do not use floral foam/oasis, opting instead for a combination of chicken wire, moss, metalwork, and individually test-tubed flowers ensuring freshness and longevity in the design.
Understandably this requires an extensive team of trusted florists to assist in bringing my vision to life. I have a fantastic ‘regular’ core team I use, and call upon additional contacts depending on the scale of the event, their availability, and the location of the event too. It’s worth noting that if the timings for access are restricted, an increased cost in staffing will be required ensuring the seamless delivery of the design brief within the allocated timescale, without compromising on its visual.
EXPLAINING THE COST OF WEDDING FLORALS
Part of my job as your UK wedding planner is to effectively manage my clients expectations when it comes to floral costs and realistically allocate budget for those floral elements and immersive wow-factor installs that my clients love. Knowledge is power and understanding the factors influencing floral costs is so important.
THE COST OF FLORAL STEMS - KIM SAYS
‘In the past three years, the cost of flowers has experienced a substantial increase, prompting a corresponding need for larger floral design budgets. Our reliance on imported flowers is driven by the substantial quantity of individual stems needed for each event, but this also exposes us to fluctuating prices, sometimes varying week to week.
The majority of our suppliers provide imported flowers, and if a client requests specific flowers out of season this can result in significantly higher costs and potentially lower quality so I always discuss and recommend seasonal beauties to work with. We adopt a strategy of over-ordering for each event, creating a buffer of flower supply, this is vital when working with a high volume of living natural products, ensuring we consistently deliver excellence and exceed expectations regardless of potential supply challenges.’
TIME-RELATED COSTS - KIM SAYS
The fee for our wedding floral design services reflects the comprehensive nature of our commitment, extending well beyond the physical flowers themselves. Administration costs include drawing bespoke elements for our clients, managing emails to finalise the details with wedding planners, ordering flowers and visiting local growers, as well as conducting meetings and site visits to ensure you are 100% happy with your floral brief and all the logistics have been taken into account. Physical preparations extend beyond the installation and delivery commencing at least three days before the wedding, crafting of structures, conditioning 1000s of flowers, and pre-assembling arrangements.
Post-event, our involvement continues with takedown, composting, meticulous cleaning of vases and vessels, and the reorganisation of our workshop and inventory for future events. This labor-intensive process spans approximately six days, requiring a dedicated and skilled team.
HIRE COSTS - KIM SAYS
Various background costs include expenses for van and equipment rentals, truss and rigging building, workshop space hires, and sundries such as silk-dyed ribbons and vases. It's important to consider these supplementary costs, which are integral to the seamless execution of our services and contribute to the overall operation of our business.
THE COST OF AN EXPERT - KIM SAYS
Like any creative who offers up their unique art, the level of creative talent they possess also contributes to the final cost. By working with an an established creative professional boasting a high reputation in the luxury wedding industry not only ensures incredible florals that perfectly reflect your brief, but also provides you with peace of mind throughout the process. I take pride in delivering an exceptional service that goes the extra mile for every couple and every wedding I design is an artistic labour of love.
CHOOSING YOUR WEDDING FLORIST
When selecting potential wedding florists, my primary consideration is is their floral style and its alignment with our design guide. I assess whether I believe they can not only meet but also elevate the creative brief we provide. Our network comprises of industry-leading florists whom we trust for their reliability, reputation, and talent, ensuring they are well-suited to contribute to your special day.
In the process of enquiring with florists I personally meet with each one to discuss all the elements ensuring a comprehensive quote. Due to the bespoke nature of floral quotes and the time invested by potential florists, we limit our final selections to a maximum of three. This approach respects both their time and efforts.
Comparing prices among florists is difficult given the varying pricing structures. Therefore, after narrowing down to 2 or 3 florists that resonate with your style who have the potential to execute your vision, and recieving their proposals the final decision often comes down to personal rapport, confidence in their visuals and moodboards, and then finally budget considerations. It's important to note that after choosing a florist, we have the flexibility to refine elements later in the planning process, providing a helpful guide rather than a rigid blueprint.
KIM SAYS
Establishing a personal connection with your suppliers before making a booking is crucial. It lays the foundation for trust and ensures that your unique style and wedding floral dreams are fully understood. Beyond appreciating their work, developing an understanding of their ethos is key to forging an authentic connection. Factors such as shared values in sustainability, transparency in discussing design possibilities, and their wealth of experience as industry-leading floral designers contribute to a seamless and enjoyable collaboration.