Framed Florals Interviews // Wedding Flower Care
I remember picking out my wedding flowers, marveling at the centerpieces, placing baby's breath in my bridesmaids hair, tossing my bouquet, driving back to Brooklyn with a car filled with flowers, and lastly pressing those same blooms. What I did with them in between, I couldn't tell you. (I'm ashamed!) And even as much as I love flowers, I can't remember what I did to ensure they didn't wilt or die the day of my wedding. Oh those wedding flowers, such an important aspect from such a momentous day! While my job is now on the other side of the wedding day, often times the next day, or day after.. I think, now more than ever, it's super important to care for those flowers to make sure they last until I get them! Remember, the better you care for your flowers, the better your Framed Floral piece will look!
I've asked some of my favorite florists to share some insider tips on keeping your flowers in great condition the day of, and after your wedding day. A big thank you to all the florists for their wise words. (Click their photos to be linked to their Instagrams, where you'll see some of the most gorgeous floral arrangements!) And another thank you to Jordan of Letter & Stone for letting me feature her lovely Dahlia sketch! (Click the image to pop over to her insta as well!)
Alma Flowers // Melissa
Melissa witnessed her mother's love for flowers and plants from a young age and saw how she delicately took care of them. She decided to start taking this flower love seriously about two years ago, and started her own company, Alma, earlier this year. Alma, literally means "heart and soul" in Spanish, and it is a Brooklyn-based online floral studio.
“When working with a bride, the number one thing I say, in regards to flowers, is “hydration, hydration, hydration.” I like to deliver each bouquet in a small clean vase with fresh water. You want to make sure that your stems are clean and no leaves are in that water, as that can produce bacteria. Generally, if possible, keep the ribbon or fabric off of the bouquet or suspended, as to not get it wet. You want to make sure that all of the stems are submerged. When you receive your gorgeous bouquet, make sure to keep them out of direct sunlight and in a cool room, if possible. As important as it is to keep them cool, do not keep them in the direct line of an air conditioner or in a fridge where fruit is also stored. The AC can dry your petals out and fruit emits a gas (ethylene) that can quickly age your flowers. I recommend speaking with your florist to find out the best way to care for the specific flowers in your bouquet. What works for one may not work for another! ”
Stemme Fatale // Ali & Jess
Ali and Jess have been working with flowers for three years now and have just branched out together to do their own thing! Stemme Fatale is based in New York City.
“It’s crazy when you look at a bouquet before all the wedding madness kicks off. It’s pristine, each flower is meticulously placed and fastened and tied together. You carefully bring it to the bride or planner as if it’s the most fragile thing in the world, and as soon as you walk away that beautiful bouquet is thrown into the chaos of a wedding day. That bouquet will likely be in the hot sun for hours during first look photos, passed to a maid of honor, left on a table during dinner, and finally tossed into a crowd at the end of a night.
One word of advice we have for a bride who wants to hold to tradition and throw her bouquet but also wants one to keep is to perhaps throw her own but take her maid of honors home with her. It will likely be slightly smaller than the original but have the same set of flowers. Either way, its a keepsake.
If the bride has an attentive multitasking planner, perhaps ask her to bring out a fresh vase of water and scissors after the initial parts of the day - she can lightly trim the flowers and put them in fresh water - this is the only way to keep your flowers alive! Also, try to keep them in a cool environment away from direct sun! This might be tough with an outdoor wedding but it’s worth trying if you want the flowers to remember your day by.”
Rosewood Florals // Alisa
Alisa has been working with flowers since 2012, first for illustration and painting, and then fell in love with arranging them instead! Her floral and event design studio is based in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and she travels to wherever flowers grow!
“Your beautiful bouquets can be enjoyed long after the ceremony with a bit of love and care. The #1 mistake people make with flowers in general is not keeping them cool enough. Keeping them in a nice shady cool spot will keep them happy. Avoid direct sunlight if possible! Chances are as you’re taking your wedding photos, the bouquet will be out of water for long periods of time. I always give brides a small vase of water to stick their bouquet in between photos. Ask your planner or florist to leave a few vases with water at the reception so that your bouquets can be repurposed as centerpieces after the ceremony. You’ll fill the space with more florals and the blooms will get to drink water through out the whole party. After the event, be sure to cut all the stems at a 45 degree angle and place in clean water. The key to keeping them alive as long as possible is to recut the stems every day and changing the water.Especially if any leaves get in the water, bacteria starts to grow quickly. It can be worth ordering a toss bouquet if your bridal bouquet will be filled with many delicate stemmed flowers such as sweet peas, ranunculus and anemones. ”
Good Seed Floral // Joanna & Taylor
Good Seed Floral Design has been happily creating with flowers since 2012. They are based in Portland Oregon and Austin Texas and love everything cute and small, their husbands, margaritas and house plants.
“When caring for cut flowers it’s important to make sure no leaves or thorns are below the waterline on the stems when you are putting them in water. This will make them go bad faster as it can contaminate the water. It’s also important to cut the stems with sharp clippers. Cutting doses at an angle is good as well! We also have a special solution that we dip certain more delicate flowers into right after we cut the stems and before we put them in the water. This is more time consuming, but it helps them to drink the water more easily! Dipping is good for flowers like hydrangeas and dahlias that need to drink a lot of water. On especially hot days, we use something called crowning glory that protects the flowers from wilting. It’s important to not spray that on flowers that have been super cold in the cooler though, make sure they are more room temperature or it will make certain flowers sad. (This is what we call it when they start to wilt! Haha)
I think it’s worth it to get two bouquets, one to toss and one to keep. There is so much time and loving thought spent on the bridal bouquet that it would be sad to toss it!
The following day, to prolong the lives of your wedding flowers, recut the stems and put them in fresh water. If they are in foam, make sure the foam has fresh water around it.
One thing that we were surprised to learn when we first started caring for flowers is that if you keep them in a refrigerator or cooler that has fruit in it, the fruit will make them wilt faster! So, if you are putting a corsage or something more delicate into a cooler the day of the wedding to store it, make sure no other food is in there with them.”