Riots, pandemics, climate disasters, oh my! Wedding flowers are in short supply. Picking wedding flowers right now can be really daunting, especially when it’s hard enough to find a florist with availability for your COVID-rescheduled date three-times-removed.

If you’re still looking for a florist, we’d certainly love to hear from you and get you on our schedule. But if you’re worried about how you’re going to get the flowers you want when all you hear about is mass global shortages, we’ve got the perfect thing right here.

Here’s a guide to planning a beautiful wedding in the face of unprecedented floral shortages.

What’s Causing Global Shortages of Wedding Flowers?

If you’re not up to date on what’s been going on in the floral industry, here’s a quick catch-up. First, Ecuador is the #1 global exporter of roses – the most romantic of all the flowers – but they haven’t been able to keep up their supply. Why? Since 2019, the president of the country has been rolling back economic policies like subsidies and the general population has been hurting. To this day, the Ecuadorian people are facing food and fuel shortages so oppressive that riots have led to many people’s death.

The shortages are only made worse by the global pandemic, which brought the world to a grinding halt, including floral suppliers. Not to mention, climate disasters across the world, such as droughts and fires, have led to a very difficult few seasons for farming and gardening. As a result, prices have skyrocketed and florists everywhere continue to scramble to get their hands on the perfect blooms, often having to settle for substitutions.

To top it all off, 2022 is the busiest wedding season on record since the 1980s. The increase in demand comes from tons of couples desperately trying to get married after COVID canceled their original dates. Both newly engaged couples and weddings left over from cancellations for the past two years have led to events every day of the week at all hours of the day. The wedding industry is desperately hustling to make sure every couple is taken care of to the best of its ability – but it’s been crazy!

Can I Still Get the Wedding Flowers I Want?

First things first: We don’t want you to be discouraged. Couples everywhere have been having beautiful weddings, even for their micro weddings! Flowers are beautiful because they’re flowers, and florists will do everything in their power to create the perfect arrangements for your special day. At the end of the day, the best piece of advice we can give you is to have faith and trust your florist. Here’s how.

1. Trust in Your Florist’s Industry Experience

If there’s anything we’ve learned over the past couple of very difficult years, it’s that it’s best to stay open-minded. You’re hiring expert wedding vendors because they’re just that: experts. When you sign the contract and send your deposit, it should be a sign that you put your full faith in their abilities and trust that their expertise will bring you a beautiful event.

You may not know all the ins and outs of the floral business, but they live and breathe wedding flowers. They know the blooms that they can confidently get for you, and they know which ones will require a bit more creativity. When you discuss your wedding vision, come with an open ear and a positive outlook that your arrangements will end up gorgeous, no matter the difficulties!

2. Build a Wedding Vision Based on Color Scheme and Style

Some couples get really set on having specific blooms for their arrangments. We totally understand – we have our favorites, too, and attaching sentimental value to certain flowers is very common. Right now, though, those blooms might just be totally out of the question. If that’s the case, you have two options: settle for letting your florist use faux flower substitutes, or create a mood board based on color and style rather than specific blooms.

As opposed to saying “ONLY WHITE ROSES,” allow the floral designer the freedom to create something truly unique and beautiful. This is their talent and profession, so giving them creative freedom could produce arrangments even more beautiful than you ever imagined. Florists can use what they know about the couple, love story, seasonal availability, and more to create a one-of-a-kind event that’s sure to wow the couple and their guests.

3. Raise Your Budget

Not everyone wants to hear it, but the floral industry is not immune to the global skyrocketing prices, inflation, and shortages of products. To begin with, you very realistically need 10-20% of your total wedding budget these days dedicated to your event floral decor, and that’s just an average. If you have a higher table count and a champagne standard vision, maybe even more than that.

If you’re not comfortable totally giving your wedding florist carte blanche, they’ll be more than happy to work with your budget by offering alternatives and substitutions. Just be understanding and realistic during the planning process!

Trust Garden in the Pines to Bring Your Dream Wedding to Life

Looking for the perfect wedding floral design team to plan your wedding? Inquire with Garden in the Pines for your wedding and event floral decor – we can’t wait to tell your love story through your design aesthetic, no matter the hurdles we need to jump through to achieve your vision.