Figuring Out Flowers - Our First Florist Interview

Our first interview was so lovely! If y'all know me by now, y'all know I was ready to sign that day and forgo the other meetings. But, as usual, Mr. Kettle and Momma Kettle encouraged me to go to the other meeting I'd setup in order to "explore my options." Whatever, we'll go to the meeting and see what the other people have to say.

This first meeting was with The South Loop Floral & Events Gallery. They really have some beautiful stuff there.

I woke up late and still had to go pick up Grandmother Kettle. We didn't get there until about 5:45. The appointment was at 5:00. On-time fail. When we arrived, Momma and Mima Kettle were both there, discussing some things with the florist. They hadn't gotten to into though because they were waiting for me.

We dove right in and discussed so many things. I was in love in roses. I still am. There's just one hiccup. My desire for a sea of roses for the wedding...?


Image via eFoodAlert Blog

Yeah, well, that didn't seem to be a real possibility because roses apparently cost double around Valentine's Day. And here I thought they'd be easier to acquire because growers prepare for the need for larger numbers of roses. I wasn't too keen on paying double just to have all my roses, so I started looking through books to see what other flowers struck my fancy.

All I came up with at first were beautiful-but-out-of-season-and-therefore-also-expensive tulips. I know I tend to have expensive taste, but darnit, this was not a good start. Everything I looked at that looked similar to a rose but not quite turned out to be a rose just opened all the way, or just from a different angle. I finally buckled down and forced myself to be open to more options.

Mima Kettle had graciously offered to pay for the bouquets, bouts, etc. for the wedding party. This is because she's amazing! She likes the look of roses too and once she said she thought they'd make a good base flower, I immediately felt better. I didn't feel like I was starting from scratch with my inspiration for flowers. That made it much easier to find great flowers.

Fast forward to four hours later. Yes, you read that right hive. We were at the florist for 4 hours. Those people must've really wanted our business if they sat there talking flowers with us for 4 hours!! We talked bouquets, bouts, corsages, ceremony decorations, receptions decorations, aisle runners, and we had come to pretty firm decisions on them all.

I won't go into all the details here, but I will tell you what flowers I ended up choosing. I thought I'd go into there, pick out a couple of their pre-arranged setups and move on with my day. I should have known better because nothing we've done with this wedding has been off the pre-prepared menu options.

Image via Keisha's Creations Blog

The ivory-colored roses in this bouquet are called Vendella roses. Those will be our base flower for all the ladies' bouquets (including mine) as well as the groomsmen, bridesmen, and groom's bouts, and the reception table decorations.

Image via BuyFlowersOnline

This bouquet features green roses. I wasn't too keen on the roses at first, but I've been dying to find a way to get some green into this wedding. This will really look fantastic next to the other ivory, white, and purple flower options coming up. This flower will be in all the bouquets except mine, the best mens' bouts, and in the table decorations.

Image via Only Roses

This champagne rose will be featured only in the corsages for the Hostesses (aka female ushers, still sorting out their title).

Image via Landscape-And-Garden

These white cymbidium orchids will be appearing in my bouquet, in the mothers'/important womenfolk corsages, fathers'/important menfolk bouts, and in the groom's (increasingly extravagant) bout.

Image via Fifty Flowers

 This green cymbidium orchid will be seen in the mothers'/important womenfolk corsages.

Image via Hydrangeas Hydrangeas

These green hydrangeas will be making an appearance first in the ceremony decoration bouquets that will serve as a sort of altar. That arrangement will be doubling as the table decorations for the two parents' tables at the wedding. They will also be in the table arrangements for all the reception tables.

Image via Pictures 13

 These white freesias will come into my bouquet, the groom's bout, and the table decorations for the reception.

Image via 1 Stop Florists

White lilies will be just like the green hydrangeas and will be in the ceremony decoration bouquets that will serve as a sort of altar. That arrangement will be doubling as the table decorations for the two parents' tables at the wedding. They will also be in the table arrangements for all the reception tables.

Image via pBase

This lovely bright flower is called Status. In purple, these little babies will be everywhere! They will serve as filler in basically every floral arrangement in the wedding.

Now, I have an obsession with greenery and twiggy-looking filler, so we'll be having some sort of wintry greenery (that's yet undecided) that will serve as the greenery in all bouquets, bouts, and corsages. Also, the reception table decorations will have both bear grass and curly willow. Lastly, I want some sort of berries in there. Don't ask why, I just do. I didn't want red though, so we got another pop of green!

Image via Lubz's Floral Design / Calla lilies are not my thing, but this is a great bouquet that shows all the unique things you can do with bear grass.

 I had the following picture in my floral inspiration post. It was very hard to find a lot of photos online of what I wanted. Most have the curly willow outside the vase, not inside, like how I want it.

Image via Flower Girls of Tulsa

Image via Pen + Posy Blog

Beautiful winter greenery options, though I was looking for something that looked more like a Christmas tree...


Image via Save-on-Crafts

Green berries! I think they will look lovely in the bouquets, bouts, and table decorations.

 After typing out all these flower selections, I'm starting to see how we could have been at that florist for four hours. 4 hours!!! So much time. But there are so many people in our wedding party, figure out the different combos of flowers took one hour by itself.

The price quote they gave us was well within the budgets that we all had in mind, which was awesome! I'm glad I compromised and included more flowers than just roses. This first florist worked so hard, they are going to make the job of the second florist so much easier.

To sum up the day, here is a cartoon I drew just for you hive.

I don't know if it would be better to go in to the second florist with a fresh slate or to go in armed with my hard-earned flower decisions. I don't want to be closed off from more inspiration, but I also don't want to spend another 4 hours of my life, Momma Kettle's life, Grandmother Kettle's life, and Mima Kettle's life sorting out flowers again. We'll see what happens Thursday, I guess.

How many florist meeting did you have? Did you flower choices reflect your floral inspiration?