5 ways to go the extra mile for your guests

Part of a fabulous wedding is thinking about the experience your guests will have. I like to have couples walk themselves through how their guests will experience the wedding day. From entrance to exit.

#1 How to Go The Extra Mile for Your Guests: Shower Them With Flowers

Flowers make people feel loved, honored and well cared for.

You can shower your guests with flowers in a variety of ways:

1. Corsages for the extra-special women.

2. Boutonnieres for the extra-special men.

3. Beautiful flowers on the table while your guests dine. This could come in the form of a garland, cluster of bud vases or luxurious centerpieces.

4. Wow them with lush and romantic backdrops. This could come in the form of floral arches, floral walls and extra-lush arrangements placed at the bar, the welcome table and wherever else guests will be spending time. You could also give them an opportunity to have their picture taken with some of the florals.

Curios what wedding flowers cost? GO HERE to read our blog: “What do Wedding Flowers Cost?”

A floral arch is a popular way to adorn the ceremony with lush floral. GO HERE to read more about the floral arch

Corsages are an inexpensive way to honor your guests and make them feel extra special.

#2 How to Go The Extra Mile for Your Guests: Write a personal note to each guest.

We all know how it feels to travel to a wedding and then barely get to see the couple. And let’s face it, you’re going to be busy! It’s unlikely you will get to spend as much time as you like with each of your guests.

That’s why I love this simple act of writing an individual note to each guest.

I received a note from my step brother on his wedding day and I’m still thinking about it many years later.

If you plan ahead, you can pull this off in relatively little time. Plan to write a few notes per day so that you’re all finished by your wedding day. In addition, this note can serve as a marker for your assigned seats.

What a fabulous exercise in practicing gratitude. You will generate so many warm, loving and positive emotions in regards to each of your guests that you will be overflowing with joy.

And joy is the place where you need to be spending most of your wedding day!

I gave the idea of the personal note to Nicole and Garrett who were married in July of 2022 at The Salted Roots Cabins in Seward, AK.

#3 How to Go The Extra Mile for Your Guests: Give toasts to your guests of honor.

Everyone likes to be recognized. This is such a lovely and traditional way to call people out, and recognize them.

Think of 3-5 people you and your spouse could recognize and write a quick 30 - 60 second toast to each.

If you’re shy about speaking up in front of a crowd of people (like I was at my wedding), practice before-hand, know it’s OK to feel nervous and don’t be afraid to use notes.

#4 How to Go The Extra Mile for Your Guests: Make a point to look each guest in the eye at least once and give them a hug or warm handshake.

Your wedding is not only for you and your spouse. That’s what elopements are for!

Make time in your wedding schedule to connect one on one with each guest, even if it’s just for a few minutes each.

If you have a longer guest list, you could make this happen by organizing a receiving line, or scheduling in a time to visit each person during dinner.

Another idea I love is setting up a small table behind the bride and groom with two chairs. Folks can be invited to visit this table and spend some one-on-one time with the bride and groom.

#5 How to Go The Extra Mile for Your Guests: Write Thank-You notes.

There’s nothing better than a hand-written thank you note mailed to someone’s door a week after they attended your wedding.

Give yourself a deadline for this, so you don’t forget. Then set aside 30 minutes per day until it’s completed.

Make sure you put this task in your calendar or planner so you know it will get done.

If you take a few of these ideas and implement them, your guests will leave your wedding feel loved, cherished and full of warmth.

Photos courtesy of Chugach Peaks Photography and Kristian Iray Photography.

How to plan for your dream wedding flowers.

I help plan around 20 + weddings per year. From elopements to large, full traditional weddings I create my client’s dream wedding flowers.

After meeting with hundreds of clients over the years I’ve come up with some simple and actionable tips for streamlining your wedding flower planning.

In this blog I’m breaking down the wedding flower planning process into four simple steps:

1) Make a list of the items you need.

2) Curate an inspiration photo collection.

3) Schedule a meeting or consult with your desired florist.

4) Book your florals and move on.

How to plan your wedding flowers STEP 1: Make your dream wedding florals list.

Planning your dream wedding flowers starts with deciding what floral pieces are most important to you.

I like to have people visualize traveling through their wedding as a guest in order to help them decide where to place flowers. Dream big here and write down everything.

Write down everything you need for your ceremony and everything you need for your reception. Create a list of “must-haves” and “may-likes” and be open to suggestions when the time comes to talk with your florist.

Not sure what you need or what is customary? Don’t be shy about asking your florist any and all flower related questions. Most florists want to give you exactly what you want - nothing more and nothing less. 

Your bridal bouquet is the centerpiece of your wedding. Take time to decide what you want here and come up with one to three photos of your dream bouquet. Photo courtesy of Joshua Veldstra.

How to plan your wedding flowers STEP 2: Wedding flower inspiration photos.

Creating a curated pintrest board or a select collection of inspiration photos is key when planning your dream wedding flowers.

I suggest honing your inspiration photos to 1-3 photos per piece. For example, if you want an arch, find 1-3 photos that best represent your dream arch.  Fewer is best as it's easier to communicate what you’re looking for if you can narrow your focus. 

Just start searching around for images on the web. Keywords my clients are most recently into include: “garden inspired wedding bouquet”, “unique and boho wedding flowers”, “wildflower wedding bouquet”, “dried flower wedding bouquet”.

In addition, search for your specific pieces like “floral pillar with peonies” or “full floral arch with roses”. You can also include your venue in the search in order to see how others have decorated with flowers.

Don’t get wrapped up in needing to know floral varieties. In fact, I suggest you do not request specific varieties. This will allow the florist to use whatever looks the most amazing when buying or sourcing locally. 

Let your florist pick the flowers. You focus instead on your desired colors and floral style. This will free you up to focus on other aspects of planning your wedding.

Gardenwild Floral elopement centerpiece for an Alaskan destination wedding. Photo courtesy of Turnstone Farm/Gardenwild Floral

How to plan your wedding flowers STEP 3: Your meeting with a wedding florist.

Most florists offer a consultation to talk about your wedding. Some charge a small amount for this meeting and some offer complementary meetings.

Here’s how to get the most out of your meeting with your florist.

Talk with your florist about your vision and the guest experience you want to create. If you’re not sure yet what you want, take some time to sit down and think this through.

Think about how best to highlight flowers at your particular venue. Think about how you want to honor your guests with flowers. If you’re not sure about any of these things, ask your florist if they have recommendations for using flowers at a particular venue. Ask them how best to honor guests at a wedding.

Bring your list of floral items to your meeting. Sometimes florists can give a price range over the phone, other times they will come back to you with a more precise quote later.

I usually give a price range over the phone. Then after our creative call and after I see inspiration photos and exact numbers of all the floral pieces, I can then write up a detailed proposal that includes itemized pricing.

Most often, people come to our first meeting without their inspiration photos organized. If you have your photos, great! Either way is fine.

If you can get your photos ready before your first meeting, then we can look them over together and you can tell me what you like about them. But most often, folks go out and get them after our meeting.

And finally, have a list of questions to ask your florist. This can be anything from pricing, to delivery details to the booking process.

How to plan your wedding flowers STEP 4: Book your florist and move on to the next thing.

Decision fatigue is a real thing. And when planning a wedding, making lots of decisions can wear you down.

I suggest making quick and informed decisions and then having your own back and moving on. What do I mean by having your own back? Make your decision, love it and don’t second guess yourself.

Early Summer Wedding at Alyeska Resort with yellow ranunculus bouquet. Photo courtesy of Corrine Graves.

I’d love to hear from you!

Share in the comments below your biggest concern or question about planning your dream wedding flowers.

And then GO HERE for our first step in planning YOUR dream wedding flowers.

June Wedding in Alaska: What to expect

What Local, Alaskan flowers are available for your June wedding?

It is my absolute joy to work with local Alaskan flowers both from my urban farm right here in Anchorage, and from other farmers in the Matanuska Valley and the Kenai Peninsula.

Here is a brief list of what may be available for your June wedding: tulips (early), peonies (late), ranunculus, columbine and stock.

June is still considered spring in Alaska, so please know that depending on our winter snowpack and spring weather we may have more or less than what’s listed above.

Honestly, flower variety is limited in June. But your wedding can still be amazing floral-wise. If there is not enough variety locally, I can order from other farmers in Washington, Oregon and California.

Below are all examples of flowers that may be available for your June wedding.

What’s the weather like in June in Alaska?

While we all hope your wedding day is the most magical day possible, weather can be unpredictable.

The last few summers have been warm and dry in the early part of our summer. But be prepared for hot sun or cool rain. If we are to get thunderstorms, they usually occur in the month of June.

If you or your guests are traveling, please pack layers for warmth. Can you find a shawl to wear over your dress? Can guests pack a light jacket if your event is outdoors?

What are the best wedding venues in Alaska?

While there is no best wedding venue, there are so many amazing ones.

I’d pick a location that best represents the feeling you most desire. Mountain resort, seaside cottage, river lodge, city hotel or forest hideaway. Alaska has them all!

A mountain elopement is doable in July, just be prepared for hiking through snow. Seaside or sailboat elopements could be perfect this time of year.

See our full blog on the best Alaska Destination Wedding Venues HERE.

Below is a sailboat elopement at the end of June 2022. Bride has a Gardenwild Floral/Turnstone Farm bouquet. Photo courtesy of Megan Rai Freeman, planning by Alaska Wild Hearts and sailboat charter by Rez Bay Sailing.

Read the full blog on this sailboat elopement HERE.

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst:

The most majestic locations in Alaska can be made challenging by relentless mosquitos. Don’t overlook this when planning your wedding. Offer screened-in areas and natural bug repellents if you’re getting married during mosquito season ( roughly late-May through mid-August).

Here are a couple of natural bug repellents I love: All Terrain Herbal Armor, Murphy’s Naturals, Natrapel, Off Botanicals and Greenways Organic to name a few. You could order a few of these and have them handy for your guests to use.

In June, be prepared for unrelenting sun. The sun in Alaska can feel extra intense due to its lower angle in the sky.

I recommend that folks have adequate shade just in case there is a hot spell, especially for those that are more sensitive to heat. Don’t forget your sun bock if you’re outdoors.

Keep your flowers out of the sun, unless you’re actively taking photos. If your arch flowers or other floral installations are sitting in the sun, have a spray bottle and mist them periodically with water.

The couple below lucked out with their weather on the top of Mt. Alyeska. When I delivered flowers for this couple at the Alyeska Hotel the wind and rain was intense.

The clouds lifted and the rain thankfully let up for their ceremony. Just to cover their bases, they had a back up plan in place for their ceremony and umbrellas for the guests.

Photo courtesy of Corrine Graves. Bright and cheery Gardenwild Floral/Turnstone Farm bouquet with yellow ranunculus, stock and campanula.

Wildfire smoke can be a bummer. Wildfires can happen any time during the summer.

Most of our state is covered in dense forests and smoke can travel hundreds of miles in any direction. Every handful of years we will get a major smoke event in the area. Be aware that this could occur. Have a back up plan for individuals that are sensitive or elderly.

If there’s smoke near your venue, have masks on hand for those that are more sensitive and/or be prepared to move your event indoors.

By the off chance that there is a wildfire near your venue, be alert to local weather and travel information. Occasionally traffic can be stalled or blocked if a wildfire is in the area.

This is not meant to scare you! I just want you to be aware so you are not surprised or caught off guard. If you prepare your mind ahead of time, nothing will ruffle you.

Now that you know what to expect, you can prepare for and envision your perfect day. Because no matter what happens, your day will be perfect. You got this!

Want to find out what your wedding flowers may cost? Go here to read all about it: What Do Wedding Flowers Cost?

A Conversation with Alaskan Wedding Photographer, Lauren Roberts

I had the greatest pleasure to sit down and to talk to one of my favorite people in the wedding industry: Alaskan wedding photographer, Lauren Roberts. 

I first came across Lauren at the end of the 2020 wedding season after she took photos for a couple I worked with. There was one photo that I couldn’t stop looking at in her collection of photos that day - it was of two people in an embrace. I’m guessing it was the father of the bride. The raw emotion she captured in his face blew me away and I knew I wanted to know and follow Lauren. 

Since then I’ve hired her to do two photo shoots for me. I have not only been over the moon about my photos but working with her behind the camera was a powerful experience. I felt seen and accepted and completely taken care of. 

Alaskan Wedding Photographer, Lauren Roberts Photography

On being photographed

The fear of being a little shy and awkward in front of a lens makes me nervous. But in Lauren’s hands the task of getting photographed becomes an absolute joy.

We talked at length about this aspect of wedding photography. Do you have to innately feel comfortable in front of a camera? Or is it the photographer’s job to help you create ease and thus natural and relaxed looking photos? Definitely the latter, says Lauren. In fact she teaches other photographers this skill. It is a skill that the photographer brings to the table.

I get to look at a lot of wedding photographs. Photographers are so generous in sharing their work with me so I can add photos of my floral work to my portfolio. 

I can see in the photos what couples are coached on feeling comfortable and which ones are left to their own devices. 

Lauren Roberts Photography

Why hire Lauren or any professional photographer?

Although Lauren uses more of a documentary style when she shoots - meaning she likes to capture people in a wedding just doing their thing, she does do posed shots for the wedding album. 

The gift of a highly skilled photographer is so important in making these posed shots look natural and relaxed and almost candid. Another side of Lauren’s business is boudoir (aka nude photographs posed in a studio). If there’s a photographer who is practiced in helping people get comfortable in their own skin it has to be someone who takes nude photos of people who aren't models.

Lauren emphasizes that it’s the professional that helps open people up. It really doesn’t matter what the couple brings to the table. She is there to know you and fall in love with every single couple and find out what makes YOU lovely and beautiful. 

Lauren loves to get to the essence of her clients. This is evident when booking a discovery call with her. She avoids most of the standard questions about wedding details and focuses more on just chatting and getting to know each other. Her calls she says are “75% shoot the shit and 25% about booking a shoot”.

She loves creating a connection and feeling a sense of vibrancy in her clients.  

It is important you feel comfortable with your photographer - you will spend more time with this person than any other person on your wedding day. They will see you getting dressed. They will see you before the first look. 

I wanted to know why someone should hire a professional photographer for their wedding?

Why not let a family member or friend take the photos? 

We both agree that couples need to put their money towards what matters most to them. For me, that was food. I wanted the best food available! I can’t believe I’m saying this now but photos and flowers weren't as important to me.

When planning for your wedding, know that your photographs have the most longevity of anything else that day. They will be held and looked at by your grandkids and your great grandkids. They will be a family heirloom.

I love telling this to my clients because more than likely, your flowers will also be in those pictures. If photos matter to you, then invest in them.

Weddings are also inherently chaotic and multidimensional. There are so many decisions for a couple to make. 

Decision fatigue can be a reality so it’s best to hand off tasks to professionals whenever possible. Lauren knows all the shots to take. She can even help with your day-of timeline. 

When you hire a professional it will ease your load which allows you to enjoy the moments with your most beloved people on your wedding day.

Lauren Roberts Photography

How to book Alaskan Wedding Photographer, Lauren Roberts

Booking Lauren usually happens 6-9 months in advance, but let me say that if you want to work with Lauren don’t delay. To miss out on having her shoot your wedding would be a huge mistake if she was already booked out. 

She breaks down her booking process so people can choose from different standard packages. I’d recommend checking out her website so you can get a feel for exactly what each package entails. After booking a package, she allows all sorts of add ons if you need to customize a little more.

Included in each package is a consultation, digital photos, a photo reveal and an actual tangible product. She wants to make sure you leave with something in your hand and not just “a usb drive that will gather dust on your desk”. 

My favorite part of her photo experience is her photo reveal. I felt like an absolute movie star, sitting in her hip studio, looking through all the pictures she edited for me. What a fun time! 

Lauren Roberts Photography with a signature Turnstone Farm bouquet

Going above and beyond for your wedding guests

I love giving my clients cool ways to wow their guests, and transform their event.

I wanted to know if Lauren had any “wow” moments at weddings where the couples went above and beyond. 

Two things stuck out for her. 

At one wedding every guest had a hand-written note from the couple at their seat telling each guest the important role that they played in their life. 

I was lucky enough to receive such a note from a couple whose wedding I attended. It is a touch I will forever remember and I often share it with my couples who book with me. It can be a lot to take on but if you split the task with your soon-to-be-spouse and take on 2-3 notes per day, you’ll be through it in no time. 

What I love about this exercise is that it puts you in a serious mood of gratitude as well. And although I have not asked couples how this practice transforms their event for themselves I can imagine it creates a sense of immediate gratitude that extends into their wedding day.

Lauren had another favorite idea for couples. She is unsure the origins to this practice but it goes like this: behind the head table is a small two-seater table with two chairs. Guests are invited to come sit at that table during the dining experience to get some one on one time with the couple.

This allows everyone to have a seat with the couple. I know from experience that guests cannot get enough time with the newlyweds. Plus, Lauren thinks that there is something extra special about sitting together and visiting that is more meaningful and more intimate than standing and talking.

Another more common practice is to have a receiving line. After the ceremony, the couple can wait and greet each guest as they walk by. 

Toasts are also a great way to call attention to everyone present. Calling out and saying everyone’s name can be a powerful experience. While this could get long if the guest list is long, be creative. Figure out a way to break this up. Saying people's names is powerful - they will remember.

Lauren wants to emphasize that while a wedding is for the couple and should honor what is important to them, it is also important to honor the loving community that surrounds and supports them.

As I celebrate my 10 year wedding anniversary I know this to be so true. A relationship does not exist in a vacuum. It is because of our quality outside relationships that we are successful in our marriages. It does take a village to partner two fully-realized people.

Lauren Roberts Photography

Alaskan Wedding Vendor Recommendations

If you’re still building out your wedding team, Lauren has some recommendations for vendors that she loves to work with. 

For planners, Rebecca from LaBoum is a favorite to work with. As Lauren says she is “on her shit”. I have heard this from other wedding pros in the area. And if I was pulling off a large wedding, that’s who I would want on my team.

For beauty (hair and makeup), Mary Alice is the stylist she works with most. Stay tuned, as I’m interviewing Mary Alice soon and will have an in depth blog all about her.

For music and MC, Jared Woods and Woodrow.

For wedding venues, she thinks At The Barn in the Palmer/Wasilla area is super cute. She also loves shooting weddings at the Forget-me-not Nursery in Indian, AK. It is a magical place and the people there are super friendly.

Lauren Roberts Photography & Turnstone Farm flowers

Final Wedding Day Advice

Any final advice from Lauren, who has attended countless weddings documenting them from behind the lens?

She encourages couples to “sink your feet into the experience and enjoy every single moment.” 

View a wedding Lauren and I worked on together at Raven Glacier Lodge in Girdwood, Alaska here: Fall Wedding at Raven Glacier Lodge

Inquire about wedding photography with Lauren here: ​​https://laurenroberts.com/contact