CURATING FLORALS BY THE CALENDAR
BY SHANNON PALLIN, FIORE OF PENSACOLA
A luxury florist’s guide to in-season blooms There are many layers involved that make that perfect peony a reality on your wedding day. Behind the scenes are long hours of creating in real time. While local farm-grown flowers are always a favorite and add to the richness of each arrangement, the reality is many flowers have to be imported to keep up with volume and demand. We try to educate our clients on seasonal availability, which is different in every region. What holds up in the summer in Florida is very different from what will hold up in Michigan. We want the time of year and your location to set the tone for the florals that we choose. We are always asking for an inspirational Pinterest board, mostly for style and color palette, so we can choose the right flower for durability and market availability required for successful life span of a flower. It pains me to see dance floor photos with wilted flowers on the tables because the selection wasn’t working. Hydrangeas, for example, can wilt when it’s too hot outside. In this case, we would choose to make a gorgeous arrangement in complimenting colors of market-available flowers and pop in a few faux hydrangeas. This way our arrangements hold up for the entire day into the late night hours. Many hours are also spent conditioning the flowers when they arrive. We start working on flowers 5-6 days before the event to ensure the quality that is expected when paying for a luxury item with an elevated design. Your florist should be helping you make the choices that work best for your vision. Flowers that are in season support a stronger stem and better color variations, and they are readily available for shipping. This helps to make the arrangements more artistic, while reducing the footprint and creating a more responsible and sensible outcome. We are curating a palette of blooms that work together harmoniously, while being one of a kind. My advice is, if you have your heart set on a specific flower, talk to your local florist and base your wedding date on that flower’s season. Otherwise, there are amazing substitutions! Our job is to make your day beautiful and seamless with the beauty of the flowers. Fiore is a full-service luxury florist in Pensacola specializing in bespoke weddings, events, and custom florals. Learn more at fioreofpensacola.com COASTAL WEDDINGS MAGAZINE | 19