Dear readers,
This article is dedicated to wedding flowers, wedding flower companies and the importance of wedding decorations.
Photo: Les Anagnou | Flowers: Decorelle | Styling: Anastasiia Halla
At Dream Weddings Europe, we not only plan and manage your wedding day, but we also have wedding styling expertise and try to meet all wishes and needs of our couples in terms of the wedding decor.
In our experience, we've realized that it is often challenging for couples to envision floral decorations, fully comprehend floral trade and craft, select the right colours and types of flowers and understand the costs and investment.
Nonetheless, floral wedding designers and wedding decor experts are fundamental to creating a romantic atmosphere at the wedding.
The right flowers and floral design can turn any location into a unique, unforgettable wedding setting.
To help us shed some light on how couples can better manage the flower decoration at their wedding and all the new contingencies of the flower business in a post-COVID-19 reality, we have interviewed Vera Flenova, CEO at Decorelle.
Decorelle is an event, and floral design company based in Portugal founded in 2015. Besides their experience with weddings, they've had the chance to collaborate with several world-known floral designers such as Karen Tran, Guerdy Abraira, and Eric Chauvin. Vera and her team work primarily with weddings in Portugal, from the Algarve to the Douro, in the Azores and Madeira and sometimes even in other European countries.
Decorelle creates floral decorations for events from small and cosy to larger-scale events with 700 guests. Their mission is to deliver that wow factor that couples will remember forever.
Let's dig in some secrets of the wedding flower business Vera kindly shared with us.
DWE: It can be challenging for couples to choose the variety and colour of flowers for their wedding. How do you usually advise them?
Vera: The first thing I do is ask the couple if they have some preferences, for instance, which flowers they like or dislike. Because it has always been hard to predict the market variety availability in advance, my couples leave it up to me to define which flowers to use on the wedding day. This unpredictability has increased since COVID-19 because there are so many new factors to consider. In Decorelle's final presentation, I present a flower selection based on my experience. If the bride or groom wants to change anything, we discuss it together.
I always advise my couples to consider the wedding venue, season, style, and size regarding the colour palette. Still, of course, they are free to choose according to their personal preferences. I'll always be there to advise and guide them.
DWE: What kind of method do you use to plan the whole venue decoration?
Vera: I consider the location and style of the venue, technical possibilities, season, and timelines. Then, I create the final inspiration mood board and, from that point, I make the lists of flowers and materials needed, technical instructions for the team, and timeframe of the assembling.
Photo: Muravnik | Flowers: Decorelle | Styling: Anastasiia Halla
DWE: What is the best advice you can give to a couple organizing their wedding on their own? How can they choose the perfect flowers?
Vera: First, I think the best advice would be to leave it in the hands of professionals and give the guidelines, such as favourite flowers, colours you like, flowers that you would like to avoid, and the budget you are available to spend. Second, I advise requiring a proposal according to their needs. This way, the couple will receive advice and maybe new ideas they may never have thought of.
DWE: What kind of impact had COVID-19 had on the flower business?
Vera: The COVID-19 pandemic had a considerable impact on the flower business. When all events were cancelled during the lockdowns, producers of flowers had to throw away vast amounts of flowers. As a result, when everything started coming back to normal in 2021, there was a crisis in the flower market - some suppliers had to close their companies, others didn't have enough flowers for the rising demand. As a result, the price went up 2-3 times and for some flowers like ten times. This autumn was the most challenging moment, when there were a lot of events all over the world and not enough flowers. Thanks to our usual supplier, who managed to make all possible and impossible, we had the best quality flowers for the weddings we decorated; however, it was defying in terms of budgets.
Photo: The New York Times | Workers throw flowers into a crusher in the Netherlands
DWE: Regarding seasoning, is it possible to get any flowers all year round?
Vera: I would say that flowers like roses, carnations, and eustomas you can easily have all year round, although wholesale prices may differ. On the other hand, some flowers are available only during a particular season. Flowers like peonies and tulips, for example, are also available to buy at any time; however, during their low season, quality varies and can't be compared to what you'll get during the high season. Producers use different technics to preserve them, including freezing technics. I would always advise working with seasonal/all-season flowers. There are also flowers like anemones, cherry blossoms etc., that are not at all available apart from their blooming season.
DWE: We imagine that the most popular question that clients ask you is about the prices and budgets. We also understand that it's almost impossible to give any precise information or tips about it. However, what is your answer when prospective clients ask you about it?
Vera: Yes, this is a difficult question to answer. I would probably say that considering a mid-sized wedding with 100 guests, the budget for flowers should be at least 20% of the wedding day budget. It's very average, but maybe it will help someone to get an idea.
DWE: Is there anything else that direct clients usually ask you?
Vera: Yes, clients often ask how our work unveils on the wedding day and right before it. I reply that flowers are usually ordered around ten days before the wedding (so usually after that it's impossible to change anything), and based on the size of the wedding we start to work with them 2-3 days before the big day (yes, flowers are very long-lasting). In most cases, we deliver most of the arrangements ready straight from our atelier. However, whenever
possible, the best option would be to work at the venue, so flowers don't need to be transported and risk damage; yet, it is essential to have a suitable cool place with air conditioning, which is not always available.
Regarding ceremony decor, it is always assembled at the venue on the wedding day, so we start it according to the wedding timeline to be ready on time.
We always discuss assembling timings with our couple/wedding planner.
Dream Wedding Europe thanks Vera for the interview, and we cannot wait to see Decorelle’s future creations!
Kind regards!