Bride-to-be Blogger Stephanie: Loving—But Overwhelmed By—Flowers

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So I met with my florist Rhoads Garden for the first time on Saturday. Three hours later, I walked out of our meeting totally spent. I completely underestimated what picking out wedding flowers would entail.

We began by discussing color palette through the photos I had cut out from magazines and Pinterest, which we proceeded to spread in a wild arrangement across the table—fully canvassing the surface. Also thrown into the mix was the swatch of fabric from my bridesmaid dresses.

We carefully examined each photo and tried to pinpoint similarities, as well as seek out inspiration. Based on our thorough review and the insight of our awesome consultant Shannon, we came up with a potential palette of both vibrant and jewel-toned and a softer one with pastel pinks and purples with some creams and greens. Nothing super definitive, but ideas to build off of. We then moved on to bouquets.

We determined that I wanted a mixed arrangement with some texture, not confined to merely a round bouquet of a single type of flower. I needed a lot of help getting to this determination. I know absolutely nothing about flowers. I don’t know their names. I don’t know what’s seasonal. I don’t know which pair well together. The only thing I can bring to the table is merely what I think looks pretty.

Shannon was hugely helpful in speaking in layman’s terms that I could comprehend and helping me flesh out my vision. So we came up with some ideas for what the girls’ bouquets would generally look like, as well as mine—which was the hardest to figure out. Do you stick with all white? Or do you try to subtly bring in hints of color from the girls’ bouquets? We decided on the latter for now.

So we’re about an hour into the appointment, and I’m feeling good. We’ve made some substantial decisions and covered a decent amount of ground. But we hadn’t yet gotten to flowers for the parents, grandparents, god parents, flower girls, and groomsmen; flowers for the ceremony (aisle, chairs, altar); flowers during cocktail hour; reception centerpieces; flowers by the cake; flowers on the place card table; flowers in the additional spaces beyond the dining room. So much for progress.

Two hours later, we didn’t even make it to the last three or four items on the list. It was at the centerpieces that my eyes started to glaze over. I was in no way bored. I just couldn’t retain any more flower information, couldn’t make any more decisions. I couldn’t keep track of which flowers were for which part. I was overwhelmed, and Shannon totally recognized it and couldn’t have been more understanding.

The great news is that she said our next appointment will be a “play date,” and I don’t think that in this wedding process so far, anything has sounded so fun! Based on the ideas we brainstormed on Saturday, at our next appointment, Rhoads will bring flowers, and we’ll play around with arrangements—evaluating colors, textures, and styles. I actually can’t wait for it! I think I will be able to process everything much more easily when it’s more tangible and concrete.

In the meantime, it was a great—yet long—starting point, and I certainly have a whole new appreciation for what wedding flowers involve.

How did you decide on your flowers’ color palette and what you’d do for your own bouquet? Were you surprised to find the floral part of planning overwhelming?

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