So wedding flowers are taken pretty seriously on the big day: the bouquet is often the focal point of the bride’s whole ensemble, and the bridesmaids bouquets give them something to hold and be distracted by as they walk down the aisle. Not only that, but the reception flowers are the things that usually add the dramatic and jaw-dropping decor effect that the couple is after. Here’s our guide to getting the perfect wedding flowers for you:

1. Know your florist: Make sure to ask for portfolios or check out the florist’s website and social media to see if they’ve got the vibe you’re looking for before you commit. Ask friends who they used and get a few quotes and have a few meet and greets to see who you gel best with.
2. Stick to your budget: Let your florist straight away what your budget is. Ask them what amazing things they can do with that amount of money, and don’t budge if people try to make you spend more. It’s really easy to get sucked into additional flowers and complicated arrangements that you really can’t afford.
3. Have a vision: Pass these ideas on to your florist. Know what styles you love and what colors you hate; be able to describe yourself and your expectations (‘minimalist’ or ‘chic’ etc) to your florist and give them pictures to help establish your vision.
4. Take your reception venue into consideration: Let your florist know where you’ll be getting married, and if she hasn’t worked there before, insist that she does a venue visit to get a good sense of the place. She needs to know if there’s an accent wall she must work around, how complicated the space is and what fitting s are installed for her to use.
5. Communicate your guest list: The number of people coming will dramatically impact the number of centre pieces required and therefore the numbers of flowers needed. If you’re having less people than most, maybe you can afford to fly those lilies in from China?
6. Get it all in writing: This is essential. Put together a contract for your florist to sign, including the cost, number of arrangements and time they will be arriving to set up on the day. Don’t hesitate to include the things you don’t want too, that way it’s there in writing if anything goes wrong.