You’ve picked your palette, chosen your style, and fallen in love with your dream bouquet - but how do you bring that vision to life while staying within budget and on schedule? In this final part of our wedding flower series, we’re digging into the logistics behind the blooms: from smart budgeting and seasonal choices to booking your consultation and what to expect next.
Blooming on a Budget: Setting Realistic Floral Expectations
Wedding flowers are more than just “the bouquet” - they often include centrepieces, ceremony arrangements, boutonnieres, flower crowns, and even floral installations. It's easy for costs to add up quickly. That’s why we recommend couples start by determining their overall wedding budget, then allocate 8–12% for florals (depending on how central flowers are to your aesthetic).
When you meet with your florist (hi, that's us!), be honest about your budget and priorities. Are you dreaming of a lush floral arch, or are centrepieces more important to your guest experience? We’ll help you make those decisions - and suggest creative ways to get the most beauty for your budget.
Go with the Season: Smart & Sustainable Flower Choices
One of the best ways to keep your floral costs manageable - and reduce your wedding’s environmental impact - is to choose in-season blooms.
In-season flowers are not only fresher and more vibrant, but they’re also more affordable and require less shipping, making them a sustainable choice.
For example:
Spring: tulips, ranunculus, hyacinths
Summer: peonies (early!), garden roses, dahlias
Fall: chrysanthemums, amaranthus, calla lilies, sunflowers
Winter: roses, evergreens
We’ll guide you on which seasonal stems align with your colour palette and design vision.
Timing is Everything: Your Floral Planning Timeline
To ensure everything runs smoothly, here’s a quick overview of what to expect when planning your wedding flowers with Oleander:
6 - 12 months before your wedding:
Reach out to us and request our Signature Wedding Services email to get started. Complete the included Wedding Questionnaire so we can learn more about your day.
Next Step: The Consultation
Once we receive your questionnaire, we’ll schedule a 30–60 minute consultation (in person, over the phone, or via Zoom). This is where we explore your vision, talk about logistics, and determine if we're the right fit for each other.
Within 7 business days after your consultation:
You’ll receive your initial quote and visual proposal, outlining your floral plan and investment.
To secure your wedding date:
We require a $200 non-refundable deposit to move forward with booking and design development.
Closer to your wedding:
We’ll reconnect to confirm final guest counts, design updates, and day-of details like delivery timing and set-up logistics.
From first consultation to final petal, Oleander is here to make your wedding flowers beautiful, thoughtful, and entirely you.
Let’s bring your vision to life!
Visit our wedding page here to get started.