2020 Trends and Wedding Season

Happy 2020! A bit late but so excited as we have already kicked off our 2020 season with the most amazing wedding using a palette of dusty pinks, dusty blues, navy blue, apple red, blush and Colonial red. It was at Mount Vernon and it was amazing, complete with lush pewter compote centerpieces. Love the Colonial touch and the personal color palette.

Here are a few tips about trends we see for 2020, working with us and how we love personal details on your wedding day flowers.

What tips do you have for couples when it comes to picking their wedding flowers?

I love telling my couples to look at colors/blooms they love, what's in season, designs that fit their venue and the details (linens/place settings, overall décor for bridal and bridesmaids) and also find blooms that have meaning for them, even if they don't have to be super fancy blooms. I had a bride whose husband brought her daisies from Trader Joe's each week, so we had a few blooms in her bouquet and centerpieces along with ranunculus, dahlias and garden roses.

It's all a matter of being open and explore different ideas. I have a couple that collects succulents and succulents will be part of their chuppah in October, so it's always fun to see what details/colors you like and how to incorporate them, and not just follow trends.

What do you wish couples knew about flowers that would make your job easier?

Love when my couples have picked a few ideas as inspiration, color patterns, when they find weddings online within their season, it's a perfect way to start talking about the overall design. I created a floral checklist that I send when I get requests, and once clients filled them out its amazing how quickly we design the overall look and also look at different price points and budgets. Also, keep an open mind, we love Pinterest, is so adictive but having option open to get the look you want is so important. And also be yourself, following trends is so fun, but you will run into a lot of weddings looking just like yours, you want to remember how beautiful and unique your wedding day was!

What trends do you see for the 2020 wedding season?

For centerpieces, a lot of requets for natural material pampas grass and flowy greenery and grasses along with containers made of stone/cement/wood, we are moving away from mercury glass details. For flowers vignettes for tablescapes with multiple vases, different size/heights and tons of free style/loose blooms - not too structured. We also see a lot more bleached, dried and painted florals details and tons of décor for ceremony that is easily repurposed at the reception i.e. super lush arbors that are moved behind bride and groom, or living aisle décor that goes in front of the band or behind sweetheart table, couples really are focusing on the ceremony. There is such a great movement in the floral wedding industry to use locally grown products and I love that, the flowers are perfect, and they last so much more and we create great connections in our community with local floral farmers.

What trend are you most excited about for 2020?

I am in love with the natural materials, pampas and grasses, and the natural stone containers, and the emphasis on sustainable designs using less floral foam products and adding more locally grown blooms as well. And I hooked on living aisles, it's such a pretty way to add florals to your ceremony and bring color, plus love that we get the repurpose it too.

What advice do you have for couples who are trying to stay within a certain budget when it comes to flowers?

I try to emphasize having great floral points that can be reuse, and be open to substitutions. Carnations for a while got a bad reputation but growers are coming up with amazing colors and there are new techniques to work with them.

If you love garden roses but they are too much for the budget you have in mind, and you don't want to have store bought caliber roses, be open to different choices within the standard roses – some even look like garden roses. Chatting with your florist about the options is very important.

If budget is limited, emphasize a few big pops of florals within the reception, a 1/3 to ½ of them so you can emphasize that section of your budget and include lush designs you love with unique flowers like garden roses, peonies, anemones, ranunculus, and design the rest with vignettes of candles and touches of greens.

How far in advance do you typically book out?

We usually book out weddings 1 year to 8 months before, and we work throughout that time to make sure we get the exact look our clients want, and we make changes along and work with their budget and overall vision to make it so special. When we work on a wedding, we are in constant communication with our couple, from the time you email us or contact us to inquire about our services until wedding day, sometimes I see something on Instagram or Pinterest and I DM my couples, just to let them know I've seen a super cool new design that may fit their vision better, it's an ongoing relationship.

What is your favorite thing about being a wedding florist?

I love seeing everyone at the reception go “wow” it makes me so happy, I know my couples want a fairy tale unforgetable design and when it happens I know their guests have love it, and they feel so special. And I get excited when flower boxes arrive, there's nothing more exciting that knowing they will transform into a complete wedding within 3-4 days. See it all come together is magical!

What is your favorite element to design?

I love designing table centerpieces and bouquets, seeing the tablescapes come together with the linens/place settings is such a thrill! And I love designing the bridal bouquet, and when you have a bride that gives you ideas of what they like but gives you a bit of freedom is perfect, they come of so amazing!

What is your favorite flower to work with?

I love ranunculus, it's one of my favorite flowers, love how they are bouncy, so happy, come in such bright as well as delicate colors, and they sort of speak for the other blooms in a design, they tell you where they want to go, so it's a fun detail.

What other tips and advice do you have for couples when it comes to picking their wedding florist

Chat with a few, phone chats are great, if you have time visit them, bring tons of inspiration, and see what weddings they have done in our venue or a similar venue with a similar design. And if you have a special design, see if they are excited to explore new designs ideas. And give them a chance to work with you. I got excited when I got my first request for a living aisle, something I wanted to do for a while, and my couple trusted me, and it was beautiful! The same with a bride who wanted designer floral trees for her secret garden wedding, even though she had a limited budget we explore ways to make them happen, she gave me the most fun, most exciting design to date, you want a florist that feels excited and committed to your vision, I always tell my team there are no do overs so it has to be perfect, and we try to enjoy each wedding for its unique personality!