Every bride dreams of that one special day, the day we wish to be perfect and magical beyond all other days. The road to making that dream a reality is paved with a few key elements. With my over 35 years of experience in the flower and wedding business, I always begin my relationship with a new bride by sharing the following guidelines. I hope you will find them helpful to you while planning your special day.
Budget
Communicate with your loved ones openly and stay in line with your collective comfort zone. Agreeing on your top priorities can help focus your budget — whether these are venue, flowers, food, photography, etc.
Scale
Begin your invite list with the key people who have had a true impact in you and your partner’s lives. Who do you wish to celebrate your love with?
Venue
Pursue a location that best fits your vision. Transforming a barn into a castle or a castle into a barn is certainly doable, but will require a lot of additional expense and effort — and at the end of the day, a barn will always be a barn and a castle will always be a castle. And no matter your vision, please do always keep in mind the ease and transportation for your guests.
Vendors
Trust your friend and family recommendations. Prior relationships can give you a sense of ease. You want to come to the table with all your vision. If you are a detail-oriented bride, do your diligent research and studying, bring your Pinterest boards and your reference binders. Show us the dreams only you have seen until now. But then allow us to hold your dreams and guide them to reality. Trust your vendors to have the experience and knowledge to execute for you.
Once you select your venue, think of your wedding as a larger house party, and this is your house. You’ll want to make sure your guests feel comfortable and joyous and create a memorable evening with your best dishes, linens, and an eye towards decor. Following the venue, the next most important element to make a wedding dreamy and magical lies in the use of natural elements — your floral design and your use of light.
Floral design for a wedding is often regarded through scale. This is a mistake — to use flowers well, you shouldn’t begin with scale, but instead with intention. Nature is a storyteller, so start with the question: what story do you want your flowers to be telling for you? The color, texture, and movement that flowers can bring to a room will create the beauty that lifts and moves a bride through her wedding day.
And don’t forget about candles. Candlelight is romance, it is a revelation in light and dark, it is magic, and it elevates every venue and design.
The most crucial advice I will leave you brides with, is to be your unique individual self. Don’t follow the trend that everyone else is following. Stay true to the visions within you and make your dream come true.
For more information about Au Ciel > au-ciel.com/
Minoo Hersini is the owner and creative director of Au Ciel Flowers since 1984, and founder of Au Ciel lifestyle boutique, which was established during the Covid-19 pandemic.
