Dear Petal’s Edge,
How early is too early to get my bouquets and boutonnieres before the wedding ceremony? I want them to stay fresh for the ceremony, but I also want them to be in my early photos. I’m getting different advice from my coordinator, photographer and florist.
– Christine G.
Dear Christine,
This is always a tricky question for us. Our answer, as the florist, is always going to be that you shouldn’t have your personal flowers until just before the start of the ceremony because our primary concern is that your bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages look as fresh as possible for the wedding. We also recognize that can be very unrealistic. Many of today’s weddings like to take both scenic and group photos ahead of time in order to be present for as much of the reception as possible, as well as detail shots during their getting ready period.
It is important, when thinking about flowers, to remember that they are fresh, living things with a very short lifespan, both in and out of water. Just as you wouldn’t buy a bouquet of flowers at the grocery store and leave them in your car for hours afterward, the same goes for your bouquets. Flowers in bouquets, even those built in foam holders, are not in water. It’s also important to manage your expectations, since flowers start dying the moment they are cut from the plant. If you want the flowers for your early pictures, don’t expect them to look amazing at the end of the night or to double as centerpieces later. It’s not a big deal if grandma’s corsage is looking sad during dinner so long as it was looking good during the ceremony and photos.
So with that in mind, we advise working with your photographer and florist (and possibly coordinator) to organize the timeline so that you can get your personal flowers as late as possible in the day. We will warn you – you’ll get differing opinions. In our experience, photographers and planners don’t know that much about how fresh flowers should look. We’ve had photographers place a bouquet on a hot black car and fry the flowers. We’ve had photographers take stunning photos of wilted flowers and not know the difference. Our couples invest a great deal in their wedding flowers, and we want to make sure you get the value of your investment.
We advise getting them no more than about two hours in advance of the ceremony, depending on the types of flowers and the time of year. Flowers don’t like heat, so having them outside for a long time in hot weather is not a great idea. Alternately, they will freeze if the temperature is under 32 degrees. Some people will say to just put the flowers in water; however, it’s important to realize that the ends of the stem seal when out of water, and you have to cut them again for the flower to properly rehydrate.
Ask your photographer to give you an idea of which photos need to have bouquets in them. For example, flowers probably aren’t necessary for your “getting ready” photos. They may not even be necessary during your first look. Additionally you don’t need more than about 10-15 minutes to distribute flowers and pin on boutonnieres, so don’t ask your florist to bring them significantly in advance of the start of your photos. Trust that your florist will be on time. Florists are well aware of the traffic issues in their city and generally plan for traffic delays, so it is not necessary to build in extra time for them running late. This just adds extra time that the flowers will be out of water.
Finally, being out of water is only one of the factors that contribute to wear-and-tear on flowers. Handling is also a problem when it comes to bouquets and boutonnieres. Advise your bridesmaids to be careful with them during before ceremony pictures. Don’t put them down on warm surfaces (like cars) and avoid bumping them against things. Consider bringing along vases of water that you can put the bouquets back into when they are not in use (provided your bouquets are hand-tied and not in foam holders or wired). With boutonnieres: guys, don’t put on and take off your jacket a million times. No hugging until after the ceremony!
I hope that helps! Best wishes with your wedding!
Do you have a question about flowers or wedding planning? Send us your question in the comment field or by email (to info@petalsedge.com, subject line “Ask the Florist”), and we’ll include it in a future round of Ask the Florist!
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