by Susan, Hollyfield Design Inc.
So you’re having an initial consultation with a Bride who is interested in using your floral services for her upcoming wedding in NC. She’s sent you a completed questionnaire listing all the details and numbers for personal flowers, and what she wants for her reception. Also LOTS of Pinterest inspiration pictures of everything from Bridal bouquets to floral arches, tall and elaborate centerpieces for 16 tables, and greenery everywhere – across the top of a large tent, down each table and draping to the floor, as well as wound around the entry railings and thru the lantern groupings down the stairs. Peonies, ranuncula, garden roses, fresh lavender, even magnolia blossoms. It’s stunning.
But then you see the wedding date – August. And the floral budget – minimal.
Welcome to the world of Pinterest. Where dreams are built from thousands of pictures to match every Bride’s vision of her most special day. Where celebrity weddings are brought into our personal world with every detail and closeup; where photo shoots feature silk flowers (to look real) in colors that don’t exist in nature and that never wilt or droop before the Bride walks down the aisle.
No wedding vendor wants to crush a Bride’s dreams. No vendor wants to tell an excited Bride that what she has brought to the table might not work. So we kindly and patiently try to bring them down to earth with what is possible and figure out ways to give them as close to what they want as we can. And we hope that we can guide them toward a solution that works for everyone – the Bride with her vision, the parents who may hold the purse strings, and the florist who will put their talents and creativity into overdrive to insure everyone is ecstatic when the Just Married car pulls away and the lights are turned off.
Pinterest is an amazing resource for inspiration and imagery – a great place for a Bride to organize her thoughts, and curate her Board with a critical eye. What colors to choose? What style? What flowers? What emotions does she want to convey? The positives Pinterest has brought to our lives are vast. But it can also be overwhelming with its choices and misleading in its representations. Consider these points:
~ There is no pricing attached to Pinterest photos. Most Brides are not aware of what flowers cost and it’s the florist’s job to educate them and suggest ideas and alternatives that are pleasing and workable.
~ Most Pinterest photos are filtered and/or color-changed. ‘You mean there are no teal roses? But they’re in this picture.’
~ Many Pinterest photos feature silk flowers in colors that don’t reflect reality
~ When photos are from professional shoots, they may include flowers that look good for the camera but won’t hold up in summer all day for photos, ceremony, and reception. Oftentimes large amounts of the flowers are ordered to make sure and get the one bloom that is Perfect.
~ Photos don’t tell you which flowers are in season and readily available for a Bride’s wedding date vs those that need to be ordered in from another state or country.
The bottom line is that, unless your budget is unlimited (like a Kardashian), Brides need to come to a floral consultation with an open mind and let design professionals make suggestions and be creative. Choose a florist you trust and feel a connection with who can bring the fabulous vision to life! (and by the way, greens are not free!)