Floral designers

I have a garden in New Jersey that blooms profusely in spring and late fall; my Vineyard garden is a delight in summer and early fall. But my roses and peonies and hydrangeas do not have the extraordinary range of colors, nor can I produce the varieties, that the floral designers on the Vineyard procure for weddings and other events. It takes an artist with imagination and training to envision what colors and textures can be put together. They are true artists, separate from garden-variety amateurs.

What every bride should know before choosing a floral designer:
• The floral designers I talked to (and there are more than are listed here) want at least six months to a year to translate your dreams into reality on your wedding day.
• Flowers are a big part of the event, so consider everything from the rehearsal dinner to the Sunday brunch.
• Make a list of your favorite flowers.
• Check out pictures on designers’ websites.
• Book early for weddings in September – an especially busy month.

The PDF you can download below will show you the pages as they appeared in the magazine.

[Originally published in the 2008 issue of Martha's Vineyard Magazine's Island Weddings; reviewed for updates in 2012.]