Wedding Flower Elements to consider. How do I start planning my wedding floral design?
How to plan for wedding flowers
I’m Engaged! Now how the heck do I plan my wedding flowers?
New Year’s celebrations often lead to new engagements. Around this time of year we get many new wedding flower inquiries, and we’re here to help get the ball rolling!!
The biggest question we are asked are “what are your wedding flower packages?”. At Petal Town Flowers, we believe that every bride and groom is unique, and for that reason, we don’t offer packages. We prefer to work with our clients to determine their style, color palette and to cover all the elements of your wedding to match your floral vision. We don’t have a minimum, we can cover your grand or intimate wedding! In that way, we are able to create your custom wedding florals to match your style, budget and vision.
“But where do I start?? “
The short answer is this: Most weddings include similar elements to their wedding floral design. When contacting your potential wedding florist, you will be asked about the following:
Style of your bridal bouquet. Would you prefer Cascade, Posy, Hand Tied, Nosegay… All good questions! We’ll help you figure it out :-) And in what color palette? Would you prefer lots of green foliage or more floral? Do you want soft muted colors or some bright pops of color?
How many people in the bridal party? Typically people have the same number of Bridesmaids (who carry bouquets) and Groomsmen (who wear Boutonnieres). However, we’ve seen a lot of mix and match lately!
Will you need corsages and boutonnieres for extended family members such as your parents, grandparents, ushers, officiants, readers? Will there be flower girls or ring bearers? If so, are they old enough to carry a basket without flinging petals all over, or would a tiny bouquet and flower crown be a better choice?
Where will the wedding ceremony take place? Outdoors, Indoors. Winery, Ranch, Beach, Golf Course. This will likely determine the style of your wedding flowers, which may be Classic, Romantic, Modern Minimalist, Bohemian… more to figure out! The location of your ceremony may include an arch or arbor, a chuppah, a grove of trees, a vineyard, a crashing ocean. Depending on your setting, the flowers and elements people typically consider are altar flowers or ceremony markers (wine barrel toppers or stands), aisle petals, seating floral (which could be detached and repurposed to your reception).
Will your reception be indoors or out? And how many tables? The recent trend has been for the bride and groom to sit at a Sweetheart Table, and the guests at either round tables or rectangular farm tables. Depending on the size, quantity and style, your centerpiece flowers can range from small and simple to many and large, or even a combination. For round tables, you could consider low arrangements, or a tall or “see-through” style. For rectangle farm tables, garland runners are popular, or line your table with rows of smaller vases and candlelight. Non-traditional floral centerpieces may include lanterns, terrariums, floating flowers or candles…
Cake flowers, dessert table, cocktail tables, bar flower arrangements and a Welcome sign! These are all details that are often added to the floral design.
“Ok, thanks for all of that, but I still don’t know where to start… “. Another thing I encourage our clients to do when they are first planning is to get on Pinterest and create a board to start pinning your ideas. You may have no idea what you like (or don’t like) until you start seeing things online. As you create your boards, your vision will begin to pop out to you and you’ll have a much easier time making some decisions. Then all your ideas are in one place and you can easily send the Pinterest link to your florist to use as a vision board for planning.
At Petal Town Flowers we know that this is a journey. The wedding planning process takes months in most cases, and things change. Most of our brides and grooms book their date with a small deposit, but the ongoing design may continue until several weeks before your wedding when you know your headcount and have picked all your accessories (such as table linens and bridesmaid dresses). We are flexible and encourage a creative dialog.
If you are newly engaged or would like to get your wedding flower process moving, you can easily download our wedding flower questionnaire from our website, or shoot us an email with any questions and we can help get you started.
Congratulations and happy wedding planning!
Highlands Estate Cloverdale. Wedding arbor flowers, bridal bouquet mauve, blush, cream with loose eucalyptus greenery.
2020 Newly Engaged? How to plan for the cost of wedding flowers.
Usually what is on everybody's mind is "how much will this wedding cost?", and the question we get most is "how much do your wedding flower packages cost?"
Congratulations! You're engaged! That's great news! Now for the (sometimes) overwhelming part of planning your romantic wine country wedding. Usually what is on everybody's mind is "how much will this wedding cost?", and the question we get most is "how much do your wedding flower packages cost?"
My immediate response is that every bride and groom is different in terms of style, color palette, and the floral pieces they require. For that reason, Petal Town Flowers doesn't do wedding flower packages - we create custom wedding flower designs to match your unique vision and style. Sounds expensive? Well, it could be, but usually we can tailor your choices to match your budget.
Why do wedding flower costs vary so much? Flowers are living breathing things, and they are sensitive to seasonal availability and to swings in market pricing (like red roses around Valentine's Day). Choosing peonies over dahlias will have an impact on your cost, depending on the time of year. Flower trends also affect market price, which affects your ultimate cost. When eucalyptus garland becomes popular, the market price of eucalyptus goes up.
Some flowers are large and loose, which will take up more space, and some flowers are very dense and will require more blooms to fill your bridal bouquet. Choosing the style of your bridal bouquet can slightly impact the overall cost, but the largest component of the cost is in the design labor. For that reason, choosing "cheaper flowers" doesn't necessarily reduce the overall cost by much. What makes the most difference is in the size and density of your floral pieces multiplied by the quantity you desire. For example, a loose and airy bridesmaid bouquet will cost slightly less than a tight compact bouquet, but when you multiply that by four bridesmaids versus eight bridesmaids, you will start to see a larger difference.
So what is the bottom line? While we don't like to quote costs before we understand your specific elements, we can offer a range in pricing to give you a basic idea:
Bridal bouquets will range from $150 up to the $250 range
Bridesmaids bouquets will range from $55 to around $100
Flower Girl baskets and crowns are around $45 each
Boutonnieres (the "man flower") are $20
Corsages (either pinned or wrist) are $35
Ceremony flowers depend on your venue, your style etc -
Arch, arbor or chuppah flowers start at $100
Wine barrel toppers, large altar arrangements etc start at $95
Aisle bouquets are around $45 each
Petals for aisle are around $120
Centerpieces vary widely, depending on size, style and the floral element -
Short simple country style will be between $55 to $75 per round or square table. Farm tables will depend on the length and number of florals per table. The longer the table, the more space to cover.
Low and fuller will range between $65 to $85
Garland is charged by the foot and depends on if it's loosely placed, or woven, and if it includes flowers or only greens.
Tall, large, full will start around $85 and go up depending on many factors
For the budget savvy bride or groom, some things to consider to keep your costs lower -
ask about renting the vases for your floral pieces. Typically no one needs 15 square vases after a wedding is over. Florists love to get them back and will often reduce the price of the flowers if the vases are returned.
re-purpose ceremony flowers for the reception. Sometimes you can re-use the aisle bouquets for cocktail tables, dessert bars etc. Altar or Arch pieces can be snuck into reception areas while your guests are moving from one space to another. Ask the venue coordinator about relocating flowers.
add votive candles, which are less expensive than flower arrangements and can fill the space between or around your floral centerpieces.
A lot to take in? If you'd like to get the ball rolling, the best way is to complete our wedding questionnaire. The questions will prompt you to think about your design and the elements you are looking for. Another great tool is Pinterest - create a board and start collecting ideas and inspiration from the vast web. Once you are ready, we can create a custom flower quote for you, which you can continue to refine until about a week before your wedding.
Happy Wedding Planning!
Wedding flowers Trentadue Winery. Copper arch flowers. Bridal bouquet full greenery plum mauve flowers.
Newly Engaged? How to plan for the cost of wedding flowers.
Usually what is on everybody's mind is "how much will this wedding cost?", and the question we get most is "how much do your wedding flower packages cost?"
Congratulations! You're engaged! That's great news! Now for the (sometimes) overwhelming part of planning your romantic wine country wedding. Usually what is on everybody's mind is "how much will this wedding cost?", and the question we get most is "how much do your wedding flower packages cost?"
My immediate response is that every bride and groom is different in terms of style, color palette, and the floral pieces they require. For that reason, Petal Town Flowers doesn't do wedding flower packages - we create custom wedding flower designs to match your unique vision and style. Sounds expensive? Well, it could be, but usually we can tailor your choices to match your budget.
Why do wedding flower costs vary so much? Flowers are living breathing things, and they are sensitive to seasonal availability and to swings in market pricing (like red roses around Valentine's Day). Choosing peonies over dahlias will have an impact on your cost, depending on the time of year. Flower trends also affect market price, which affects your ultimate cost. When eucalyptus garland becomes popular, the market price of eucalyptus goes up.
Some flowers are large and loose, which will take up more space, and some flowers are very dense and will require more blooms to fill your bridal bouquet. Choosing the style of your bridal bouquet can slightly impact the overall cost, but the largest component of the cost is in the design labor. For that reason, choosing "cheaper flowers" doesn't necessarily reduce the overall cost by much. What makes the most difference is in the size and density of your floral pieces multiplied by the quantity you desire. For example, a loose and airy bridesmaid bouquet will cost slightly less than a tight compact bouquet, but when you multiply that by four bridesmaids versus eight bridesmaids, you will start to see a larger difference.
So what is the bottom line? While we don't like to quote costs before we understand your specific elements, we can offer a range in pricing to give you a basic idea:
Bridal bouquets will range from $150 up to the $250 range
Bridesmaids bouquets will range from $55 to around $100
Flower Girl baskets and crowns are around $45 each
Boutonnieres (the "man flower") are $20
Corsages (either pinned or wrist) are $35
Ceremony flowers depend on your venue, your style etc -
Arch, arbor or chuppah flowers start at $100
Wine barrel toppers, large altar arrangements etc start at $95
Aisle bouquets are around $45 each
Petals for aisle are around $120
Centerpieces vary widely, depending on size, style and the floral element -
Short simple country style will be between $55 to $75 per round or square table. Farm tables will depend on the length and number of florals per table. The longer the table, the more space to cover.
Low and fuller will range between $65 to $85
Garland is charged by the foot and depends on if it's loosely placed, or woven, and if it includes flowers or only greens.
Tall, large, full will start around $85 and go up depending on many factors
For the budget savvy bride or groom, some things to consider to keep your costs lower -
ask about renting the vases for your floral pieces. Typically no one needs 15 square vases after a wedding is over. Florists love to get them back and will often reduce the price of the flowers if the vases are returned.
re-purpose ceremony flowers for the reception. Sometimes you can re-use the aisle bouquets for cocktail tables, dessert bars etc. Altar or Arch pieces can be snuck into reception areas while your guests are moving from one space to another. Ask the venue coordinator about relocating flowers.
add votive candles, which are less expensive than flower arrangements and can fill the space between or around your floral centerpieces.
A lot to take in? If you'd like to get the ball rolling, the best way is to complete our wedding questionnaire. The questions will prompt you to think about your design and the elements you are looking for. Another great tool is Pinterest - create a board and start collecting ideas and inspiration from the vast web. Once you are ready, we can create a custom flower quote for you, which you can continue to refine until about a week before your wedding.
Happy Wedding Planning!
A holiday engagement is something to celebrate! Time to plan the wedding flowers!
Holiday Engagement? How do I find a wedding florist? Petal Town Flowers can help make the planning process so easy!
Congratulations on your engagement! Not sure how to start the planning? Time to pull out your Google machine and start searching :-)
Typically, brides (and some grooms) dream of their future wedding day, but when it finally comes to planning, it can be overwhelming. Where to start? Who to contact? How to contact? We can't answer for all of the details, but hopefully Petal Town Flowers can make the wedding floral planning super easy.
The best way to get started is to create a Pinterest board. Collect photos and ideas from around the web that you like, or even think you like. Look up your favorite celebrities weddings, your favorite wine country venues, even your favorite bohemian ranch in west Sonoma County. In fact, you may be surprised how your style changes as you discover more flowers, color palettes and venue styles. You can check out our Pinterest board to give you a head start!
Although it's best to have your venue in mind when you request a wedding flower quote, it's not necessary. Flowers are flexible and we can accommodate a change of venue with no problem (providing it's still in the San Francisco Bay Area or the Sonoma/Napa Wine Country :-) )
After you have a vague idea of the style or color palette you like, download our Wedding Flower Questionnaire from the Petal Town Flowers Learn More page or click here: Wedding Flower Questionnaire . This will help you think about your bridal bouquet, how many bridesmaids bouquets you will need, how to spell the man-flower thingy (boutonniere) and so much more.
We love to communicate with our brides and grooms. Send us an email with questions, photos, pinterest links... we will help you through the creation process so you end up with your style on your day.
Happy New Year from Petal Town Flowers and have a great time planning your wedding!
2017 Summer Weddings in Sonoma County, a variety of venues.
Sonoma Wine Country offers so much variety in wedding venues, styles and wedding flowers. Whether your wedding theme is rustic, traditional, country chic or romantic garden, we can customize your wedding flowers to match your style.
Sonoma County Wine Country is an amazing place to get married. The sun shines brightest in the later summer months and we welcome many destination brides and grooms to share their special day with us. The venue options are vast and Petal Town has had the good fortune of providing wedding flowers to many of the amazing wedding sites our wine country has to offer.
When couples come to Sonoma and Napa, they mostly imagine rolling vine covered hills and weddings nestled in the vineyards. We have that. But if you're looking for something just a little different, a more unique and intimate venue, there are many boutique hotels and restaurants with amazing courtyards, outdoor fireplaces and water features. Olive leaf garland draped across fireplace mantles dotted with bold colorful flowers and flickering pillar candles, vibrant local dahlias, garden roses, hydrangea and ranunculus combined with local seeded eucalyptus placed on the guest tables.
If you're interested in bringing a bit of the grand South to your wedding, check out some of the old Manors and Estates that you can rent for your wedding. Sweeping lawns, covered porches, shaded patios allow you to have your ceremony under large oak trees, then cross the lawn to celebrate with catered meals and dancing in the courtyard under string lights and starlight. Lush draping local greenery and blush colored local flowers can line your king's tables, place your leafy green bouquets in vases along the table's edge to display for your guests.
Rustic refurbished barns and country ranches are a big trend for your country chic boho style wedding. Backyard bar-b-que catered by some of the finest, paired with local wines and upscale microbrews are filling up our wedding calendar this year. Local colorful dahlias, hydrangea, garden roses and seeded eucalyptus display beautifully in spruced up mason jars and milk bottle bud vases. Line the farm tables with loosely placed garland, dotted with freshly cut local roses ranunculus.
Such a variety of venues!
Fireplace decor General's Daughter. Bold flower colors nestled in lush green eucalyptus garland.
Lush gardens and sweeping lawns at Madrona Manor in Healdsburg. Bouquet of flowing green foliage with pops of bright coral ranunculus mixed with soft blush garden roses.
Rustic Cow Track Ranch, Boho Chic meets backyard ranch wedding.
Milk bottle vases with local wild flowers line farm tables for rustic barn wedding centerpiece flowers.