Short Notice Wedding Flowers

A close up of a beautiful wildflower bridal bouquet in an organic style in a mixture of whites, pinks and purples.

This summer has been our busiest summer to date – and what a wild, exciting ride it has been! Something new that we have noticed this year is an incredible increase in short notice weddings. We’ve had more couples booking with only 1-2 months to spare than ever before. The unexpected shift has been surprising, and while we’re curious what sparked the trend, we’ve been thrilled to design even more gorgeous weddings! With this upswing, we thought it might be helpful to share info on wedding flower timelines and the do’s and don’ts of short notice planning.

For most couples, the “ideal” timeline for meeting with a wedding florist would be around 6-12 months before the wedding. First, we do a large number of weddings every season. Even with our amazing, team – some weekends reach full capacity, meaning we cannot take on additional events. We never want to take on more than we can handle and risk compromising the care and attention every couple deserves. Booking early just helps ensure you get your top choice florist before those dates fill up.

Planning takes time, especially for weddings with large or unique floral installations. These may require extra logistics on how to build or transport. We may need time to source containers, urns, pillars etc to achieve your vision.

Most importantly, floral suppliers need a month’s notice to order the specific blooms you want. Flowers come from all over the world, and wholesalers are balancing orders for MANY florists across Alberta. Weather, storms, shipment delays can affect availability, and early planning increases the chance of securing your dream flowers.

However, while 6-12 months is ideal, we know life doesn’t always go by the book and we’re always happy to serve short notice brides to the best of our abilities!

DON’Ts

First thing is – don’t panic! Falling outside the “ideal” timeline doesn’t mean you can’t have beautiful flowers or be taken care of. A trusted florist will still work hard to bring your vision to life, even if it a little less time.

Also, don’t assume Calyx Floral Deisgn (or whoever your top choice florist is) can’t help you. While we do have weekends that are fully booked, many others still have wiggle room to squeeze in another wedding or two, depending on size. Our talented core team is also supported by an awesome network of freelance designers who can step in when needed. When in doubt, the best thing you can do is simply ask – we’ll always do our best to support you.

Finally, and we can’t stress this enough, please don’t settle for a grocery store bouquet. Those quick grab and go bunches are designed to be dropped in a vase, not carried down the aisle. Often the quality of the flowers is not the same as a professional florist. They may include flowers that don’t do well out of water, leaving you with droopy, wilted blooms on your big day. They’re also not designed the way a bridal bouquet should be, which means they won’t photograph beautifully – or hold up through hugs, photos and dancing on your big day.

Shorter notice doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on beauty or quality. With a little trust and communication, your flowers can still feel every bit as special as your day.

DO

If your wedding is in the 2+ months away, there IS still time to custom order flowers. You’ll want to prioritize booking a consultation and get the process moving quickly. Acting fast gives your florist the best chance of sourcing what you want.

However, if you are under that, there are two main paths to choose from, both great options.

1. Be flexible and trust your florist. Floral design is a form of art, and skilled designers are brimming with ideas. Share your colour palette, floral needs and overall vibe, then allow them to work with what is in season/available. It is helpful to share inspiration photos for style and tone – what one person calls “boho” may mean something entirely different to another. Once your florist understands you vision, and if you are open to how they bring it to life – you may end up with flowers even more magical than if you had planned every detail months in advance.

2. Consider our Bella Sprout Packages. Originally designed for budget friendly brides, these packages are also perfect for short timelines. There are a number of different styles/collections to choose from. Some of the collections have a few colour options available. Every collection offers an option for a bridal bouquet, bridesmaids bouquet, boutonniere, corsage and centrepiece and some of the collections also include additional designs like arch pieces or aisle markers. Because they use flowers that are readily available year round, they don’t require extra time for ordering. They’re also about 30% less expensive than custom designs.

The one caveat? These packages are NOT customizable. The designs are completely pre-planned to save time on consultations/ordering and creation. So long as you are okay with that, they are an incredibly easy, budget conscious way to get Calyx quality designs – even on short notice.