Choosing a Wedding Date

With the whole year stretching out before you, choosing a wedding date can seem daunting. Or maybe you've already chosen and are just gearing up for the wedding. In that case, feel free to skim the rest of this newsletter, but don't skip it! You may still learn something about what to expect from the date you've already chosen.

Of course there are plenty of reasons, both practical and sentimental, to choose a wedding date, but I'm going to focus on those that have to do with flowers. I don't know when the anniversary of your first date falls, or when you'll be able to gather your whole family together most easily, but I can tell you when you're going to have the best luck with your flowers.

1. Avoid holidays! Every year, around this time, we start getting phone calls from brides who are planning Valentine's Day weddings. But while it may sound romantic, it's one of the year's least practical times to get married. Because it's one of the biggest flower holidays, flower prices go up for Valentine's Day, and availability goes down. Our growers are concentrating on pink, red, and white flowers, so you may be out of luck if you want mango, purple, goldenrod, or chocolate, and you may pay more for the colors that are available. It's also still winter, so if you're in a cold climate, the weather may affect not just your wedding but also FedEx's already-busy delivery schedule.

2. That brings me to my second point: avoid winter! Not only are the best flowers in season during the spring and summer months (like peonies, hyacinth, parrot tulips, and lisianthus), but there's no snow, making travel easier for both your guests and your flowers. Plus, planning an outdoor wedding can be a great way to save on both flowers and the cost of renting your space, and everyone knows that sitting outdoors is no fun in February.

3. If you've got a particular flower in mind, check its season. Flower-wise, this is the only possible reason for ignoring my second point (although other emotional or logistical concerns may trump these floral rules), because if you want Amaryllis, you're going to have to get married in the winter. But if it's Peonies you love, it's going to have be late May or early June. And if it's Daffodils, early spring is the only time of year those lemon-hued beauties will be blooming.

Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions, about this newsletter or just about wedding flowers in general. Many flowers have their seasonal availability listed on our website, but if you're not sure, don't hesitate to call and ask! You might also want to browse our Wedding Newsletter Archive, which is an amazing resource. If that doesn't help, just give me a call. I'm here all day Monday – Friday, and I'm always happy to hear from brides or grooms-to-be!

Thanks for reading, and here's to a healthy and happy 2008!

Best Wishes,

Andrea Ashmore
andrea@flowerbud.com
Event Flower Specialist
Flowerbud.com