welcome to my journal

Your engaged!  Congratulations!  Planning your Sunshine Coast wedding is SO exciting. One of the first things you will decide together is your wedding date.   Have you considered how this might impact your wedding flowers and what you need to consider before choosing your wedding date?

There are many reasons why we choose our wedding date. My husband and I chose the anniversary of our first date so that we only had one anniversary to celebrate. Perhaps you’ve chosen your wedding date because your favourite Sunshine Coast wedding vendor is available. You booked your wedding date in March, because Autumn is your favourite season. Or you are a teacher and so you book a wedding date that is in school holidays.

Aside from these usual considerations, have you thought of it from a wedding flower point of view? The date you choose could impact your wedding flowers and their cost and availability. It’s not often that we put much thought into this. So here’s my advice on wedding flowers and what to consider before choosing your wedding date.

Seasonal availability on the date you choose

The first to consider before choosing your wedding date is a pretty obvious one, seasonal availability. Many couples may already have a wish list of flowers they love, however what you want you may not always be available. Sure, what is not in season here on the Sunshine Coast is often in season elsewhere in the World, although you should know that imported flowers typically cost more. Say you are marrying in April/May on the Sunshine Coast and you really want peonies. Peonies are not in season in Australia at that time, so your wedding florist will have to import them. You will need to budget for the higher cost of imported peonies. However, if you marry in November when peonies are in season, the likelihood that you can have them in your bouquet is greater (and a little more budget friendly).

Usually when talking seasonal availability we are referring to what is available locally. The expertise of your Sunshine Coast wedding florist will come into play here.  They will know what is in season and available at the time of your wedding.  By using  seasonal flowers and foliages you will not only be making the most of your budget, your flowers will be fresher and you will be supporting local businesses.  Here at Bloom & Bush, we have built relationships with local growers and wholesalers. We work closely with them to source the best quality seasonal flowers for your Sunshine Coast wedding

Consider the Seasons before choosing your wedding date

Still talking seasons but from a different perspective, this time the weather. It’s something you may definitely want to consider before choosing your wedding date. The weather here on the Sunshine Coast is perfect for weddings almost all year round. Autumn, Spring and more frequently Winter are all good options.  Just keep in mind that popular dates, particularly through March – May and September – October can book out 12-18 months in advance. So be sure to book your date as soon as you know you want it if it falls in those popular peak periods.

That leaves Summer.  I love Summer!  It’s the perfect weather to be poolside with a margarita in hand. Summer for flowers however, is not so great.  The Bloom & Bush studio is air conditioned and our flowers are kept in flower fridges to keep them cool. However, when removing flowers from the cooled space into the blasting heat, they will still suffer stress. Take into consideration the time it takes to set up your ceremony plus the time in between set up and when your guests arrive. Potentially your flowers are sitting for hours in the hot afternoon summer sun. That all leads to a little flower stress and my anxiety levels hitting the roof! 

If you really have your heart set on a wedding date through summer, consider a Sunshine Coast wedding venue that offers an air conditioned space for both your ceremony and your reception. That way you, your guests and your flowers stay cool and happy.

Choosing your wedding date on a Hallmark Date

Whilst it sounds incredibly romantic to have your wedding day on Valentines Day, the reality of choosing a special occasion date comes at a cost!  You may find issues with affordability, product sourcing and supplier availability.  On Valentines Day, and similarly Mother’s Day, there is a huge retail demand for flowers. With demand outweighing supply, your Sunshine Coast wedding florist may not be able to get the wedding flowers that you want. Often wholesalers reduce the variety of flowers stocked with the focus on providing only the most popular product lines. So the romantic wedding bouquet full of abundant seasonal blooms with lots of variety & colour may be difficult to achieve when there is only an abundance of red roses available at Valentine’s Day.

More increasingly, preorders for events & weddings during Valentines and Mothers Day weeks are put on hold. Without the option to pre-order, your wedding florist can only choose flowers that are available on the market floor. With so much demand, the prices are also pushed up! This can sometimes equate to up to 20-30% more than what you might usually pay any other time of the year. Be prepared for these prices to remain inflated 1-2 weeks either side of the these dates.

If you really have your heart set on having your wedding day on Valentine’s Day or the second weekend of May, you will need to factor this into your budget.

Special Occasion Holidays and why you might what to consider these before choosing your wedding date

Something you should most definitely consider before choosing your wedding date is the holidays. Like most, wedding vendors and growers take a family break over holiday periods. Often local and International supply chains are wound back, sometimes up to a month through the Christmas season. Most wholesalers also put a hold on pre-orders during this time. The consequence is that supply is limited and you may not get the flowers you want for your wedding day.

Some couples may choose a public holiday because most of their family and friends are available. However, you must consider that weddings held on public holidays will also incur additional costs due to the public holiday surcharges for staff.

Will your Sunshine Coast wedding florist be available?

More and more, wedding florists on the Sunshine Coast are choosing not to accept weddings throughout Summer due to the heat and flower supply.  You may also find that your preferred wedding florist does not offer dates to couples either side of Valentines Day or Mothers Day. To avoid disappointment, reach out to your preferred Sunshine Coast wedding florist as soon as you know you would like to work with them.

Having an understanding of your wedding flowers and what to consider before choosing your wedding date will mean your expectation of costs and availability will be more realistic.  Work with your Sunshine Coast wedding florist, who will be able to navigate you through everything to consider.

Join our flower community to receive wedding tips and flower inspo for your Sunshine Coast wedding.