First of all, let me start by reassuring you that everything in this post is basically a guide of the ideal situation! Do not worry and think "oh my god they will be full for my date in 3/4/5/6 months!!" - just get in touch and we will let you know straight away if we are available or not!
So, on to the all important question - when to organise your wedding flowers?! This is one that all of the magazines, in my opinion, get totally wrong!
I have read lots of wedding mags and even more online checklists, and I would say that the most common answer to that question is "6-9 months before the wedding" - WHAT!?!?!?!?!
This is CRAZY!
Now, don't get me wrong, I have been known to sort wedding flowers in much less time than that, and so if you are getting married in the coming months and haven't sorted your flowers out, it doesn't mean that we are unavailable! We just always advise giving us as much notice as possible, as that means that you can secure your date, secure your price and get the flowers you want for your big day!
The answer is always a difficult one, because there is also such a thing as "too soon"! For example, we are currently in March 2019...if you are getting married in August 2021, then at this stage that is too far out for us as it is over 2 years away. At The Countryside Florist, I quote my price and I stick to it, which is the way I feel is most honest and best for couples. But this does mean that over 2 years in advance is too far for pricing, as anything can happen flowers wise! This year especially is difficult with Brexit looming, as we are told to expect an increase in flower prices, but no idea how much that may be as yet! For this reason, my quotes for 2021 will not be opening up until after the outcome of Brexit!
So as a guide, I would say that for a popular, sought after florist, you need to be enquiring around 12-18 months before the wedding date. This won't be the case for everyone, but for us, our dates in peak season can fill up incredibly fast! We have dates in 2020 which have been fully booked for a good few months now. The reason we encourage early enquiry and booking, is because it gives us all so much more time to get organised with anything that may need specially sourcing, such as the perfect table centrepiece vase for example! Also, as lots of people like to get organised early, the dates can become booked up, so it is always a good idea if you have your heart set on any supplier, florist or not, to avoid disappointment then the sooner you can get in touch the better.
If you think you may change your colour scheme in that time, then that's no problem. We allow colour changes up to 8 weeks before the big day, which means you have plenty of time for any tweaks, but you can rest easy knowing your florist is booked!
Just this last week we completed a beautiful wedding at Cross Butts in Whitby, for a lovely couple who only contacted us the week before the big day! We often get enquiries for dates 6 months in the future, and this is never a problem, if we have the date available we will always invite you to come and see us!
So in summary, the earlier you organise your flowers the better, especially if you have a specific florist in mind. But, it doesn't mean to say that you can't get beautiful flowers, off the florist of your dreams, closer to the date, just that the later it gets, the rarer that may be.
I hope this helps the planning for your wedding flower journey! To start the enquiry process with us, please have a read of our weddings page:
www.thecountrysideflorist.net/weddings
And then complete our online enquiry form:
www.thecountrysideflorist.net/wedding-contact
Thank you for reading! x