Wedding Flowers: Reality vs Instagram


If you’re planning a wedding, congrats! The early stages of wedding planning can be so exciting, but they can also be a bit overwhelming.

With so much wedding content online—from Instagram to TikTok to Pinterest—it’s a lot to process. It's easy to fall into comparison or disappointment when you start talking to vendors and realize the wedding you’ve pinned is out of budget.

Here are a few recurring themes we've picked up on in our experience talking with couples:

 

Filtered Flowers 

There are so many talented photographers out there, and all of them have a unique style that is authentic to them. However, that often means that the photos of flowers that you’re saving for inspiration aren’t true to color. And that’s okay! It’s just important to keep in mind that real flowers have variation and may not look exactly like a filtered instagram post. 

 

Artificial Floral Stems 

It’s becoming increasingly popular for couples to rent artificial blooms for their big day. When shopping for a florist that works in real product, it’s helpful to stay away from inspiration photos that contain fake flowers. 

Not sure if the photo you like includes artificial flowers? If the flowers are incredibly vibrant in shade, like dark blue or vibrant purple, they’re likely fake. As a rule of thumb, if you’ve never seen a flower that color in nature, it’s probably artificial.

 

Styled Shoots VS Event Days 

Those stunning inspiration pictures that make you wonder, "How did they do that?" are often styled shoots. While it's possible to recreate what you see in styled shoots, it may cost more than expected. These shoots are designed for that perfect shot, and not real life. For example the back of the flower arrangement is bare, with mechanics showing. For your wedding day, we’d need to account for a 360-degree view.

Styled shoot photos are meant to inspire, not necessarily to replicate. Adjustments may be necessary to fit your vision and budget best. Keep in mind that while we aim to achieve a similar effect, some changes might be needed for practical reasons.

 

Availability

These days, we can count on most florals to be available any time of the year. But available doesn’t always mean the best quality. So if you’re a big lover of peonies, consider getting married in May, June, or November. And if those months don’t work for you then consider being open to substitutions like garden roses. 

 

Misinformation

With all the wedding content on social media, it can also be easy to get swept up in misinformation. One misconception that we see is the idea that babies breath and greenery are less expensive than flowers. The truth is that that’s not so much the case anymore! Ever since babies breath became popular at weddings that price has gone up, and it takes a lot more stems of babies breath than you would think to cover a space. The moral of the story? Have a babies breath wedding because you want to, not because you think it will save you money.

 

So go forth and pin wedding inspiration to your heart’s content! But keep in mind that everything is not always what it seems. We will always try our best to make your flowers exactly as you imagined. We’re here to help make your wedding day as beautiful and special as you’ve always dreamed.