Your Local Wedding Flower Primer
All local Alaskan flowers in a large, lush, cascading bouquet.
As the summer winds to a close I’m reflecting on a very fun (but hot and smoky) wedding season.
For those of you looking to get married in 2020, I want to talk you through the how-tos and what-to-expect when using our local flowers for your wedding.
Sourcing
During the blooming months of summer (May through September) I source all my flowers for weddings and events from my garden and/or from my flower farming friends in the Matanuska/Susitna Valley.
My garden (Turnstone Farm) produces blooms from tulips to dahlias and a variety of smaller blooms and foliage. In addition, I love walking my local trails and alleys looking for foraging material.
Two of my other favorite farms are Brown Dog Farm and the Persistent Farmer. The former grows a huge variety of high quality blooms and foliage. The later is an expert in growing dahlias. Both are a very far trek from my home garden and studio but worth the drive when I need additional design material.
Design
My ideal wedding customer doesn’t necessarily need to have the local vision. But she/he must want something a little wild and edgy. Not because this is what you get with local, but because this is how I like to design! As the photo above represents, I like the bride to look like she’s holding a garden in her arms.
My happiest customers want a variety of floral textures and may have a color palate but aren’t in need of specific floral varieties.
Pricing
The photos of your wedding will last a lifetime! The flowers in your photos will forever represent your amazing day. Because of this, they are worth every penny.
Local flowers are not necessarily less expensive than the local wholesaler. Why?
Farming in Alaska is more expensive than many places in the Lower 48. We have to ship supplies, seeds, equipment way farther than most farmers.
I pay fair market value to the farmers I source my flowers from.
I pay my employees a living wage.
Every penny you pay for local flowers, however, supports your local Alaskan economy! Thank you!!
How to Book a Wedding
Booking a wedding with the farm is easy! Head over to our “Flowers” page and scroll down to the “Weddings” section. There you will be prompted to fill out a quick contact form. We will get back to you ASAP so we can talk about your flower vision.
Other Things to Think About
When visioning for your special day, look at lots of online images. Hone your ideal wedding bouquet/arrangement/etc. to one final image. As you scroll through all the great pintrest photos, remember most of the images you see online don’t necessarily represent what’s in season locally. Know that we can produce a floral piece that represents your style while not always getting you every flower variety you request.
If wanting to DIY-it with our bulk flower buckets, look at photos and count the number of blooms/foliage stems in each piece. This will give you a good idea of how many buckets you need for your event.