How to Choose Your Wedding Flowers When You Don’t Know Where to Start
If you’ve just got engaged and the idea of how to choose your wedding flowers feels exciting, overwhelming… or completely baffling – you’re not alone.
Most couples don’t come to me knowing the names of flowers, what’s in season, or how much they should spend. And honestly? You don’t need to. Choosing your wedding flowers isn’t about having the right answers straight away, it’s about knowing where to begin.
So if you’re staring at Pinterest wondering “Where on earth do I start?”, this one’s for you.
You Don’t Need to Know Your Flowers Yet
Let’s start with some reassurance: you don’t need to know your roses from your ranunculus, or arrive with a fully formed colour palette and floral wish list.
In fact, some of the most beautiful weddings I’ve ever designed started with couples simply saying, “I don’t really know what I like – I just know how I want it to feel.”
That’s more than enough.
Your florist’s job isn’t just to provide flowers; it’s to translate feeling, atmosphere and personality into design. The clarity comes through conversation, not perfection.
Start With Feeling, Not Flowers
Before you think about specific blooms, ask yourself a few simple questions:
Do you want your day to feel calm and peaceful, or bold and expressive?
Soft and romantic, or sculptural and dramatic?
Light-filled and airy, or intimate and candlelit?
Minimal and refined, or layered and abundant?
These answers matter far more than whether you’ve pinned peonies or hydrangeas. Flowers are simply the tools – the feeling is the foundation.
Colour, Texture & Shape Matter More Than Specific Blooms
One of the biggest misconceptions about wedding flowers is that it’s all about choosing the right flowers. In reality, what makes designs feel luxurious, considered and personal is:
• Colour: how it behaves in your venue and lighting
• Texture: softness, movement, contrast, depth
• Shape: loose vs structured, wild vs refined
An all-white bouquet can feel dramatic and confident. A colourful arrangement can feel soft and romantic. Texture often does more of the heavy lifting than colour ever will.
When thinking about colour, ask:
How will this look by candlelight?
In shadow?
In photographs?
Great florals glow; they don’t compete.
Pinterest Is a Tool – Not a Rulebook
Pinterest can be a wonderful starting point… but it can also be where couples get stuck.
What Pinterest doesn’t show you is:
• Budgets
• Seasons
• Venues
• Logistics
• Scale
• Or how designs actually feel in real life
Instead of trying to recreate someone else’s wedding, use Pinterest to spot patterns:
Do you keep saving soft colour palettes?
Textured arrangements?
Minimal spaces?
Statement installations?
That’s your style speaking – and it’s far more useful than copying a single image.
Think in Mood Boards, Not Checklists
Rather than listing “bridal bouquet, centrepieces, arch,” think bigger:
How do you want guests to feel when they enter the space?
Where do you want to create impact?
What moments matter most to you?
When florals are designed holistically, alongside lighting, styling and the architecture of your venue, everything feels intentional rather than pieced together.
This is where working with a florist who understands both design and atmosphere makes all the difference, and why you should check if yours carries out a venue visit with you.
(I do!)
You Don’t Have to Have It All Figured Out
January is full of newly engaged couples worrying they’re behind, late, or doing things “wrong”. You’re not.
The best designs come from collaboration, trust and time. You don’t need to arrive with answers, you just need to be open to exploring what feels right for you.
That’s where the magic happens.
Your wedding flowers shouldn’t feel like a tick-box decision or a Pinterest copy-and-paste. They should feel like an extension of you – your style, your story, your celebration.
If you’re newly engaged and feeling unsure where to begin, that’s actually the perfect place to start.
Planning your wedding and want guidance, not overwhelm?
I specialise in creating thoughtful, atmospheric wedding florals and styling across Scotland – designed around feeling, not formulas.
✨ 2026 & 2027 enquiries are now open
✨ Explore more inspiration over on Pinterest
✨ Or get in touch to start a relaxed, no-pressure conversation
Photo Credits: @mastersphotographyuk | @eilidhrobertsonphotography | @photosbyzoeweddings
