💐 Behind the Stems: The Heart and Hustle of Wedding Flowers

🎂 It’s My Birthday!
Today, June 10th, I’m celebrating another trip around the sun — and what better way to mark it than by sharing a little bit of my own story? I fell in love with wedding flowers back in 2022 when I designed and grew the florals for my own September wedding. That experience was the spark that started it all. So in honor of my birthday, I’m reflecting on where this journey began — and sharing one of the most meaningful weddings I’ve had the privilege to design since.

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If you’ve ever received a wedding bouquet — or even just admired one from afar — you know how magical it can feel. But what you don’t see is everything that happens behind the stems: the early mornings, the late-night arranging, the hauling, the hydrating, the emotional weight, and the joyful tears.

This May, I had the honor of designing wedding flowers for one of my very best friends. It also happened to be just two days after the most demanding weekend of the year for flower farmers: Mother’s Day.

And yet, I said yes.

Because there was no way I could let anyone else do her flowers.

The Wedding of a Lifetime — in More Ways Than One

From the moment her mom and I picked up the flowers (Scott at Kennicott Brothers is amazing if you’re looking for a wholesaler, I cannot recomment Kennicott enough!), I knew this was going to be something special. I cried more than once — not from stress (though there was a bit of that!), but from the deep emotion of being part of something so meaningful. These weren’t just “event flowers.” These were made with love, trust, and so much care.

Designing wedding florals is always a labor of love, but when it’s someone you know deeply, it becomes something more. Every stem I placed carried memories, intention, and heart.

And, to make things even more fun? I was also the matron of honor. Balancing both roles — floral designer and MOH — was no small feat. I was switching between floral apron and formal dress, buckets and bouquets, laughter and logistics.

Picking up our floral order from Kennicott Brothers in Grand Rapids, we both cried!

The bride’s mom was the true MVP of the day—none of the flowers would’ve come together the way they did without her. I’ll always treasure the full day we spent together and her generous, helping hands.

What Really Goes Into Wedding Flowers?

A lot of folks don’t realize just how much goes into pulling off wedding florals. So here’s a little peek behind the scenes:

🌿 Planning & Vision:
It starts months — sometimes a year+ — ahead of time. I work with the couple (or in this case, my bestie) to understand their vision, color palette, vibe, and flower preferences. We consider seasonality, availability, and how to make the florals feel them.

✿ As a farmer-florist, I sometimes start planning a year in advance — growing specific varieties based on the couple’s vision and seasonal possibilities. But bloom timing is never guaranteed, which is why flexibility and a color palette-focused approach are key. In next week’s blog, I’ll share more about what it’s like to grow and design wedding flowers — and why working with a local flower farmer can make your florals that much more meaningful.

📦 Sourcing & Prepping:
There’s the sourcing — sometimes from my own fields, sometimes from other local growers, sometimes from our trusted wholesaler — and the timing has to be just right. Flowers are living things. They need to hydrate, open, and reach their perfect moment of bloom. That part is pure orchestration.

🛠 Mechanics & Movement:
From bouquets and boutonnieres to large-scale installations, wedding florals require real mechanics — chicken wire, floral foam alternatives, tape grids, water sources, clamps, zip ties, and sometimes literal ladders. It’s architecture meets art. (See below for a few of my go-to supplies for working with flowers in any setting.)

⏳ Time Pressure:
Wedding florals are created in a tiny window — often in 1–2 days before the event — so they’re fresh and vibrant. That means long hours of nonstop work leading right up to delivery and installation.

🚚 Transport & Setup:
Then comes the careful transport (hello, vehicle full of sloshing buckets) and on-site setup. You're battling wind, heat, timelines, and sometimes unplanned surprises (like needing to build a last-minute arch installation in a thunderstorm — yes, really).

💗 Emotion:
And finally, the emotion. Seeing your work on display, watching the bride walk down the aisle holding something you created — it’s overwhelming in the best way.

Designing wherever needed—yes, that’s a bowling center! The bride’s parents own it, and its giant cooler was a game-changer. One more piece of the puzzle we made work while I balanced being both the florist and a member of the wedding party.

Why I Still Say Yes — Even When It’s Hard

Was it exhausting? Yes. Would I do it again? Without a doubt.

There’s something sacred about creating florals for a wedding — especially when you know how important the day is to someone you love. It’s not just about pretty flowers. It’s about crafting something that will live in people’s memories, wedding albums, and hearts.

Photo credit: Nicole Jenrow, Details and Daydreams Photography

A Reminder to Other Creatives

If you’re a creative entrepreneur or fellow flower farmer: this work is hard, but it’s also heart work. It’s okay to honor your limits. It’s okay to say no sometimes — or to say yes because it matters that much to you.

I’m still tired, still recovering, still planting (hundreds of dahlias, thousands of annuals, new berry rows, and too many perennials to count!). But I’m also full — full of gratitude, pride, and the humbling joy of being trusted with someone’s most important day.

Here’s to what happens behind the stems — the sweat, the emotion, the love, and the beauty that blooms from it all.

Congratulations to the beautiful couple! It was such an honor to stand beside you and bring your floral vision to life. Thank you for trusting me—my hands, my heart, and my creative eye.

Bonus: 🌿 My Favorite Floral Design Tools & Supplies

Whether I’m arranging at the farm, on-site for a wedding, or designing in a borrowed space (hello, bowling alley cooler!), these are the tools I always have on hand. I’ve linked a few of my go-to items below—tried, true, and flower-farmer approved.

Essential Design Tools:

• Floral Clippers – Sharp, ergonomic, and perfect for everything from delicate stems to sturdy dahlias.

  • I love Modern Sprout’s floral shears—especially during dahlia season when I’m regularly dipping tools in a bleach solution between plants to prevent the spread of disease. When I need something quick and handy, I also reach for these basic snips (just a heads-up—they do tend to rust). If you're looking to stock up, this option is a great value!

• Floral Tape – The waterproof kind is a must for bouquets and installations.

• Chicken Wire Roll – Ideal for sustainable mechanics in centerpieces and foam-free design.

• Floral Frogs (Kenzans) – A game changer for bud vases and ikebana-style arrangements.

• Floral Wire & Green Paddle Wire – For boutonnieres, arches, and everything in between.

  • 24 guage floral wire — I use these or something similar to wire ranunculus and other delicate or top-heavy blooms such as anemones, peonies, tulips, etc. (this is a must especially for ranunculus)

• Floral Adhesive — Ideal for securing blooms in boutonnieres, corsages, and hair pieces without wire or tape.

• Crowning Glory Flower Spray — A finishing touch to add sparkle and elegance to your arrangements—perfect for weddings and special events.

• Zip ties - for heavy duty thick bridal bouquet stems

A Few Extras I Love:

• Flower food — not a necessity, but I do use it

• Gold Bullion Wire — I use this for flower crowns, I prefer Oasis bullion wire

• Corsage Elastic Wrist bands

• Pocket Boutonniere Sleeves

Thanks for being apart of our journey!

With muddy boots and a full heart,
Alex