Wedding Arrangements: 5 Fabulous Tips From a Professional Florist

The venue is booked, and now it’s time to decide on the most important element of your decor—the flowers. There are almost always certain factors a couple tends to overlook when it comes to choosing the right type of arrangements for their wedding. And often couples fail to visualize the whole reception room when making decisions. Guests will end up sitting at a table with a tall floral arrangement that obstructs the view of the New York City skyline or blocks the clear turquoise ocean. Kenji Takenaka, floral artist and master designer of Noir Hanna International, a premiere world-class floral design company in New York, shares a few tips on what couples should know before meeting with florists and making decisions.

Timeline … Book the florist at least six months prior to the wedding date. Couples want be certain to book their florist of choice, especially if the selected date is a popular one. Waiting too long may result in losing the first option.

Size … There are many factors to take into consideration when determining the right size floral table arrangement for the wedding. Couples should consider the look of the venue, spacing, table setup, and linens. “Bigger is better” may not apply for a particular venue.  Although flowers are a great focal piece for any wedding, floral centerpieces should fit the overall look.

Season-Friendly = Budget-Friendly … Ask the florist what flowers are in season around the wedding date to conserve costs. Requesting certain flowers off-season can hike up the budget. Flowers that are in-season will cut the cost significantly, without having to compromise the overall look of the centerpiece.

Listen to the Expert … Take a step back and leave it to the expert. Trusting the florist is imperative to achieving the best look for the wedding. Micromanaging can limit the vision of the florist. The florist has been hired based on the couple’s taste, now it’s time to leave it in the florists’ capable hands.

Reuse Flower Arrangements ... When deciding on ceremony floral arrangements, why not consider arrangements you can reuse for the reception? Don’t let the stunning ceremony arrangements go to waste. Arrange for your ceremony flowers to be moved to the bar for décor.