Wedding Florists Can’t (and shouldn’t) Promise You Specific Flowers

Mother Nature is Fickle

You’re familiar with global warming, yes? While it was never a good idea to promise a specific flower for your wedding day, it is even worse now. We are seeing increases in changed weather patters and major natural disasters (storms, fires, floods). There is also the usual, age old struggles of farming. Droughts, pests, too-wet seasons, etc. Sometimes crops just don’t make it. Or they are a little late to start or a little early to finish. And florists, have no control over those things.

Shipping is Tough

Let’s say mother nature doesn’t take down the dahlia you were hoping to use on your wedding day. The next step is getting it from the farm to your florist’s studio in good condition. Sometimes flowers are not properly maintained in the supply chain. They get too hot, too cold, or held by the USDA at the border and destroyed. So, even though your wedding florist ordered your blooms AND they got shipped, they never arrive at your florist’s studio.

The Juice Isn’t Worth The Squeeze

Sometimes the cost of a single stem of the flower you SWORE would make or break your wedding day means that your wedding florist would have to sacrifice a LOT of other flowers in your arrangements. It’s just not worth it. They would rather choose in-season, GORGEOUS blooms than jam in a peony that costs $75 and is the size of a walnut.

It’s Political (seriously)

With increasing political tensions between the U.S. and the literal entire rest of the world it is becoming increasingly difficult to reply on imported flowers. Which make up about 80-88% of all cut flowers. With the uncertainty around tariffs, wedding florists are anticipating more limited imports of flowers which will severely impact the variety of flowers available for your wedding day. It is nearly impossible to predict what they will be able to import even a few months from now.

Source Locally and Seasonally

When you select locally grown, seasonal flowers for your wedding, you’re making a choice that celebrates natural beauty while honoring the environment and your community—a fitting foundation for a day dedicated to growth, connection, and new beginnings. Flowers shipped from distant locations require extensive transportation, refrigeration, and packaging—all of which contribute to a substantial carbon footprint. When you work with local growers, your blooms travel shorter distances, often arriving fresher and requiring less energy-intensive preservation. Seasonal flowers naturally thrive in your region’s climate at the time of your wedding, eliminating the need for artificial growing conditions that consume considerable resources. Additionally, seasonal flowers are generally more affordable since they’re abundant and don’t carry the premium costs associated with importing or forcing blooms to grow out of season.