There’s nothing like walking into a floral shop and getting a fresh, cool, floral breeze wafting across your face. Add in the excitement of designing the floral arrangements for your upcoming wedding, and every eager groom– and bride-to-be may find this part of the wedding planning process to be one of their favorite experiences together.
Planning Your Floral Arrangements
When it comes to planning for the wedding flowers of your dreams—Betsy Monson, owner of Staker Floral—advises couples to first start looking at pictures to get an idea of their style and colors. Specifically, she recommends getting a wedding dress first, because that selection dictates a lot of the wedding’s style choices. Once you’ve made that choice, you’re ready for the help of your florist.
Monson further advises that couples coordinate their floral arrangements 3-4 months prior to the wedding.
“Engagements don’t last long here, and a year in advance for your flowers is kind of far so you don’t know what the trends are going to be,” she said. “You might change everything about your wedding in between then.”
Wedding Floral Trends
Speaking of wedding trends, the staff at Staker Floral has seen it all.
“The last two years it’s been blush, ivory,” Monson said. “Years ago, it used to be all roses tight in a bouquet but in the last five years or so, bouquets specifically have gotten a lot bigger, a lot ‘flowy-er’...and then a lot of greenery throughout the whole wedding, the greenery that’s muted…like eucalyptus.”
Monson has also seen a lot of light pinks, light blues and white.
“Ninety percent of the weddings lately have been these colors,” she said. “There’s also a big trend to put fresh flowers on cakes.”
According to Staker Floral designer and employee Christy Kay, locally sourced flowers are a really big trend right now.
“We have a lot of local growers that we buy from, and we can support people here in the community,” Christy said. “Sometimes it’s not even a matter of a specific flower or color, it’s just what’s locally available. People like to use that and that’s a cool option that hasn’t been available in the past.”
The past year’s weddings have reverted back to much more traditional styles. If required to predict the future of the industry, Kay believes weddings will soon swing in the opposite direction, with much more unique looks. Staker Floral has already had some brides choose greens without flowers, selecting edgier looks, instead of the traditional balanced bouquet currently in style.
Something else that has shifted in trend over the years is the concept of the “first look.”
“In the 80’s when people would get married, they wouldn’t have the groom go with them for their pictures,” Monson said. “But now, couples do the ‘first look’ so the grooms have a boutonniere for the first look, and that’s really important to think about.”
About Staker Floral
Showcasing a variety of locally grown flowers as well as nationally and internationally shipped selections, Staker Floral—a company in business for over 100 years—offers selections to accommodate all kinds of occasions and all kinds of budgets. “We try to have something for everybody price-wise. We can do high style or traditional, and our weddings are always so individual,” says Monson.
“As a whole, we are a lot more modern and a lot more chic,” Kay states. “We can do traditional too.”
Also, as a whole, Staker Floral has a much younger employee base, giving them an upper-hand as they do their part to follow trends on social media. They keep a close eye on what’s trending, including colors and flowers and design for all clients, but especially for weddings. This attention to social commentary also allows them to keep all of their designs and containers current.
Monson’s favorite part of running the business is giving back to the community.
“I really like it when we do a couple’s dance flowers [in high school], and then they come back two or three years later and let us do their wedding,” she said. “I love my ‘return customers’ and seeing them in different life stories.”
For More Information
Staker Floral
1695 Ponderosa Dr. • 208-523-7950
www.stakerfloral.com
Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.