Frequently Asked Questions & Tips

Blooms Floral Design is an independently owned and operated floral studio specializing in wedding floral arrangements. We are proud to work with couples from across Upstate New York communities including, Saratoga Springs, Albany, Lake George, and beyond. We have experience in wedding floral design for every type of venue and setting and are here to bring your vision for your day to life!

Planning your big day and choosing the right florist can be a big decision, so we’ve put together a few tips about ordering wedding flowers and some answers to our most frequently asked questions. If you have further questions or would like to schedule your consultation, please fill out our Contact Us form today!

When should I book?

A minimum of a year out from your wedding the your best time to start collaborating with us on your design ideas, get estimated pricing, and make sure to have your day blocked out on our calendar. While we do book our “open dates” much closer to the wedding date, a year out or more will better guarantee our availability. It also will give you peace of mind that you have one less thing on your wedding to-do list!

Most local specialty vendors (florists, photographers, DJ, etc) in the area are only going to take one event a day, so we suggest that if you meet and like a vendor, book them….don’t wait and take the chance that someone else will take your day. 

How far do you travel?

Blooms Floral Design works with couples and in venues across Upstate New York, including communities in Washington, Warren, Saratoga, Albany, and Rensselaer counties. Our service area is not limited to these areas! While we primarily serve couples across the Greater Albany area, we have created and delivered custom wedding floral designs all over the northeastern part of New York, Vermont, and New Jersey.
 

What does Blooms do to be more sustainable?

 We compost all of our dead heads and trimmed stems instead of tossing them into the garbage. We make sure to recycle cardboard and other delivery materials that come in.  As a shop we offer a lot of rentals which cuts down of the waste by using some of the essentials over again and keeping them out of the landfills.  As a wedding only shop we only order what we need for each wedding day so there is much less waste at the end of the day.

Where do your flowers come from?

We compost all of our dead heads and trimmed stems instead of tossing them into the garbage. We make sure to recycle cardboard and other delivery materials that come in. As a shop, we offer a lot of decoration rentals, which helps to cut down on waste, the amount you have to spend on accessories, and keeps items out of landfills. When you schedule a consultation and work with us, we will work with you to determine which items we can provide to you day of!

As a wedding-only floral shop, we only order what we need for each wedding day, so there is much less waste at the end of each event.

Flowers just die!

We do, on occasion, hear that “flowers just die, so I don’t want to spend a lot on them.” This is so wrong! 🙂 Your flowers will last long after the music is turned off, the open bar is closed, and the food is finished. Flowers will be in the amazing photos that hang on your wall and preserved in your albums that you will show to generations of family for years to come. They set the creative mood that showcases your LOVE and will truly last forever. Plus, the real ones will be around to enjoy much longer than the champagne toast! lol

How much should I budget for flowers?**

If you are wondering about what the cost of your wedding flowers will be and it feels like a bit of a mystery, we are happy to give you some guidance.
 
**Please note there is a large range of design ideas that can match almost any floral budget you have. These prices are just to give you a starting point.
 
If you already have a budget in mind, come prepared to share. We love knowing where you would like to be price-wise; it helps us direct you to ideas and flowers that work better for you. 
 

Full Day Floral Industry Standards for our area are as follows:

Bridal Party – Flowers start at $1,000

This includes; the couple, attendants, and parents on both sides!

Flowers start at $1,000 and go up from there. This amount is determined by the number of people in the wedding party, and the flowers used when designing for them.

Ceremony Flowers – Start at $600.00 and go up.

The $600 would be the starting price for two altar arrangements or simple arch floral.

Reception Centerpieces & Floral Arrangements

Centerpieces and reception floral arrangements have a large price range.

An easy way to start your budget is to look at what you are paying per person for food/drink at a venue and use that same amount per table. If you are paying $150.00 per person for food/drink at a venue, a $150.00 centerpiece will match that venues ambiance. You can do all of the tables the same or use the combined total amount and split it up in different ways.

Ex: 10 tables x $150.00 = $1500.00.
Use that $1500.00 and break it down to have 5 tables with candles and greenery for $75 each and then have 5 tables with tall fuller arrangements at $225 each.

Finishing Touches

There are other areas that will be enhanced by flowers on your wedding day, like cocktail hour, signage accents, pass tray floral, flat lay flowers for your photographer, cake, and special creations to elevate the ambiance of your venue. These are the extras that can make a big impact on your floral story that have to be budgeted for too. 🙂

**Please note there is a large range of design ideas that can match almost any floral budget you have. These prices are just to give you a starting point.

Fill out our contact form to set up a free consultation, and let us simplify the whole thing. We’ll make sure you know what the costs are — no mysteries. 

Fill out our contact form to set up a free consultation, and let us simplify the whole thing.  We’ll make sure you know what the costs are – no mysteries. 

 

wedding party with Blooms Floral Design flowersWhat does your floral shop specialize in?

  •  
  • Hand-Tied Bouquets
  • Cascade Bouquets
  • Boutonnieres
  • Corsages
  • Ceremony Arrangements
  • Reception Centerpieces
  • Pomander Balls
  • Pew Bows/Chair Flowers
  • Wedding Arches
  • Vases and Baskets
  • And so much more
 

What wedding decoration or accessory rentals do you provide?

We have a large selection of rental items.  For your ceremony we rent arches, pedestal stands, wine barrels and some silk ceremony arrangements. For the reception we have a large collection of glassware, candles (both real and a high end LED), lanterns, pedestals, table numbers, table runners and other design elements that we rent out.  It may be more economical to rent from us than to purchase things yourself. 
 
 

Why should I hire a professional wedding florist vs. DIY?

Leave your wedding day to the professionals. DIY projects are great for other times but not your wedding day. Don’t spend your wedding morning setting up DIYs. Let us do the work for you so you can spend every second of your day worry-free and enjoy time with your friends and loved ones. **This goes for every aspect of your day. Hire professional vendors to take care of all of your wedding day needs so things go perfectly, and you only have to enjoy being in the moment!

 

Should I share my photo and pins with my florist?

If you have an aesthetic or specific look dominating your Pinterest board, show us! Florists can get a better idea of what you like by what you show us. 

Don’t worry if all of your photos don’t match your colors; if you find something attractive, tag it. As professionals, we see things differently. You may be choosing the same flower or design style. Regardless of if you bring photos or Pinterest examples to your consultation, we’ll work with you to capture the floral look you want!

To preview or not to preview?

Contact us to learn about our exclusive preview options.
 

Do you have tips for planning the perfect wedding day?

Yes, here are a few things “Mom” might not have had, but we think are important!

Hire a videographer to create a professional video of your day!
VIDEO!!! We highly suggest that you hire a professional to create a video of your big day. There are so many moments you will miss or just not remember and having them in video format is just amazing. Not sure check our our Facebook page for just a few we share during the year, and you will be sold!!

A wedding planner can make the planning process a lot easier.
Wedding Planners can be an amazing help on your wedding day. They can help you plan from start to finish and everything in between. Or if you have almost everything planned but need help making sure everything you planned goes as you hope, they can make sure that happens too.

Put your vendors’ knowledge to work
We have been working in the wedding industry for decades, and we know what’s available and some of the best places to get things.

If you are looking for something specific, like where to get your hair done or how to afford the photo booth that you didn’t budget for, ask us. We may have the tip you are looking for and have worked with a full range of vendors in our area!

Have additional questions? Fill out our contact form!