Summer Wedding Planning

When Kira and Scott reached out to us, they knew they wanted something unique and different for their summer wedding. (All of our clients feel the same way, which is why all of our weddings look so different!) Luckily, they had a stunning family property full of old growth forests, a grand lawn, and multiple getting-ready spaces. Ultimately, they wanted to glam it up while still keeping a fun, easy, and effortless summer camp vibe. We worked with an amazing team of vendors to turn this blank slate into a bespoke celebration! It included all sorts of fantastic touches, like a glamping setup, multiple bars, and a dramatic ceremony backdrop. Plus, some fun moments on the 4x4! 

Summer Wedding Ceremony

Naturally, we loved setting the stage for a truly original wedding ceremony! Kira and Scott each had their own aisles, which they walked down simultaneously. For this reason, we wanted to highlight this unique layout with aisle flowers place down each aisle. We loved seeing them walk down the aisle "together" and meeting at the end! And we love the way the aisle florals framed this special moment.

In addition, we loved the large wooden backdrop for their ceremony. Originally, this was meant to be a much longer wall lined with florals. We also constructed a large, asymmetrical floral arch for the ceremony. Sadly, some of our plans had to change due to a wildfire in the area that was creating its own weather. The arch and backdrop were too unstable in such high winds. Instead, we layered several floral arrangements on the ground in front of the smaller wall. We also repurposed our long floral arrangements to go behind the ceremony seating. In the end, despite the 50+ MPH winds, we were able to rearrange almost all of the florals and create a ceremony that still looked incredible! We loved watching these two celebrate with all their family and friends!

Summer Wedding Reception

After the ceremony, Kira and Scott held a gorgeous tented reception on the lawn. Obviously, we tried to pack every space full of amazing summer wedding flowers - from bud vases to larger pieces. As you can see, we chose compotes for the round reception tables. On the longer farm tables, we repurposed the ceremony florals, and added chic bud vases to create a floral tablescape. We also added botanical sprigs to the napkins, as well as candles everywhere. All in all, we loved how much the floral design brightened and enlivened this space!

In addition, we created multiple floral installations for the bars, restroom trailers, and seating chart. These foam-free floral installations were so imaginative and beautiful! We really love how they brought in more of the natural surroundings to each of these spaces. They also helped to break up the hard planes of surfaces like bars and seating charts. Of course, we loved creating them almost as much as people loved viewing them! 

Summer Wedding Flowers

From the beginning, Kira and Scott cared about incorporating local and seasonal flowers into their wedding. Kira found inspiration in the natural beauty of the forest on the family's property. She also knew she wanted late summer blooms and boho textures like eucalyptus and amaranth. In addition, she envisioned a combination of blushy wedding flowers with more bold and colorful blooms. When we walked the property together, we were also really excited to incorporate some of the same forest botanicals like dried bracken fern into their late summer wedding palette.

Together, we developed a floral palette that was the perfect balance of muted neutrals, boho textures, and bold pops of color. We used a wide variety of late summer beauties like dried bracken fern, eucalyptus, amaranth, dahlias, roses, rudbeckia, chocolate cosmos, nicotiana, and celosia. Almost all of our materials were sourced from local farmers like Sweet Alyssum Farm and the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market. We never use floral foam, but the whole team also considered other environmental impacts. For example, we chose not to light candles due to the fire risk, and Kira chose compostable confetti for their ceremony. We love working with clients who value environmental sustainability like we do!

Here is what Kira and Scott had to say about working together:

"Carolyn was absolutely amazing to work with. Her floral arrangements are gorgeous, the nuts and bolts of planning, payments, budgeting, and communication were easy and straightforward, and most of all, she's a wonderful human and I'm so glad to have gotten to know her."

Summer Wedding Details

In a fun twist, Kira and Scott chose to not have a wedding party at all. Instead, we created wearable floral pieces for them, as well as their family and friends. We loved crafting Kira's wedding hairpiece and seeing how gorgeous everything looked on her, and their friends and family! Additionally, we loved making funky, textured boutonnieres for all the men. And we really enjoyed adding other details like eucalyptus sprigs in place settings, small and brightly-colored cocktail table florals, and loose blooms on tables.

We loved crafting all of these custom pieces for Kira and Scott, which elevated every space they used. Kira's bouquet was also a stunning piece that elevated the wide variety of botanicals we chose to use. We also crafted floral dog collars for their pups! But alas, the dogs were a little too rambunctious for them to stay on. That said, we love it when dogs join the party - even if they're a little wild!

Summer Wedding Tips

Summer weddings can get uncomfortably hot in Seattle - especially since we keep having heat waves and wildfires. As we continue to see the impacts of climate change, you may consider a wedding venue that has an indoor, air-conditioned option depending on the weather. However, one of the biggest benefits of summer weddings is that there are so many flowers to choose from! It's so easy to craft floral and event designs that are completely unique to the time and place of your wedding. Lastly, we can't say enough nice things about the team of vendors for this wedding. It's so important to hire pros for your summer wedding, especially if the weather gets wild!  We can pivot and work together to keep it all running smoothly. As always, we are so grateful we could work with such a fabulous team of vendors to make Kira and Scott's wedding dreams come to life.

Are you thinking about getting married in the summer? Ready to talk about your wedding? We’d love to chat! You can check your date with us below.

Vendor Team

Thank you to this incredible team of wedding vendors!

Floral Design: Bloom Poet | @bloompoet_

Venue: Private Estate

Planner: Jayne Marason | @jaynemarason

Photography: Photo by Seattle Wedding Photographers Jenn Tai & Co. | @jenntai.co

Catering: Duos Catering | @duoscatering

Hair and Makeup: Pacific Brides | @pacific_brides

Signage: Chloe Clarke Paper | @chloeclarkepaper

Lighting: Bellevue Lighting | @bellevuelighting

Rentals: CORT Party Rental | @cortpartyrental; Pedersens Event Rentals | @pedersenseventrentals; Fanciful Rentals | @fanciful_rentals; Balancing Baloons | @balancingbaloons

DJ: Wunderland Events | @wunderlandevents

Photo Booth: Little Photo Bus of Portland | @littlephotobusofportland

Restrooms: Privy Chambers | @privychambers

Glamping: Glamp Box | @glampboxco

Games: Off the Block Games | @offtheblockgames

Valet: Butler Seattle | @butlerseattle

Before the Initial Meeting

Your first set of questions to ask a wedding florist can usually be answered by researching online. Before your initial meeting, you should get very familiar with your florist's portfolio, reviews, and overall aesthetic. You can find this info on their website, review sites like The Knot and WeddingWire, and on social media like Instagram.

• What kind of work are they putting out into the world or promoting?
• Do they care about sustainability?
• Can you trust them to execute your vision?
• What are other couples saying about what it's like to work with them?

These are all REALLY important questions, but only you will be able to tell whether they seem like a good fit for you. So please, do a little homework so that you know - before ever meeting - that you feel good about moving forward. If you don't like what they are all about, don't waste your time meeting with them!

Make Sure You Click

First, my biggest tip: use the first meeting to make sure you "click" with your florist! When you choose vendors for your wedding, you are building a team. Essentially, you are "interviewing" people who will make your wedding day a smashing success. For this reason, making sure y'all are on the same page is so crucial! For example, you should feel like your concerns are being heard by your potential florist, and that they have your back. It should be a fun and exciting process, where you can bounce ideas off of each other and talk candidly. We do this work because we are excited to bring your vision to life! Naturally, if you are not feeling those vibes, you should keep looking. 

Ask About the Experience

We often work with our clients for more than a year during the wedding planning process. So, make sure you understand what to expect when working together. Fundamentally, is this person someone you will enjoy working with, even in stressful moments? Here are some questions to ask a wedding florist to understand whether this will be a good working relationship:

• How does this florist like to work with their clients?
  
• What communication methods do they like to use?
• Do they have a specific process that you will go through, so you know what to expect in every stage? 
• Who are their favorite clients to work with?
• What is their favorite floral style to work with?
• Are these answers aligned with what YOU want?

Ask About the Details

In addition, you should ask a wedding florist about the more logistical details. These questions might include special requests, what to expect when they send a proposal, or how to get more clarification. However, no two florists structure their proposals the exact same way. This is especially true for things like setup, delivery, and teardown. To know what you're getting, you'll need to dig a little deeper! Here are some questions to ask a wedding florist about the details and next steps:

• Can they honor any special requests you have? (For example: specific flower choices, taking flowers home, or donating them?)
  
• Do they offer rentals or other services besides florals?
  
• Will delivery, setup, teardown, and rental dropoff/pick-up be included in your proposal?
  
• Are there limitations on contract changes, additional meetings, or other extras?
  
• What is required to hold your date?
  
• Do they have a minimum? What do couples typically invest for their services?
  
• What does a typical payment schedule look like?
  
• What are the next steps?

Three Dealbreaker Questions

Lastly, I want to share three questions to ask a wedding florist that might be deal-breakers. Imagine this: your initial meeting is going wonderfully, every question ticks your boxes, and you are basically ready to book. But one of these questions might reveal that this is NOT the person you want working for you! Here are the three dealbreaker questions to ask a wedding florist:

• Have you worked an event at my venue before? (If not: will they do a site visit? How else will they prepare?)
• Have you worked with my wedding planner before? (If so: did they enjoy doing so? You want a good working relationship there!)
• Will my wedding be the only wedding you do that weekend? (If not: is your wedding being handed off to another team member? Who will be onsite supervising at your wedding?)

These three questions might be dealbreakers for you, or not. But you deserve to have transparency about your florist's expertise and level of effort.

I hope this has been a helpful post! As always, post in the comments if you have other questions we can help answer. Finally, if you are currently looking for a wedding florist, in Seattle or for a destination wedding, you can inquire below!

Tierra Retreat Center

Tierra Retreat Center sits in the Cascade Mountains, close to Leavenworth - and lots of great outdoor activities! We love crossing the mountain passes to do destination weddings for our couples in such beautiful locations. Tierra Retreat Center is tucked away in a small valley, next to picturesque farm fields and completely surrounded by verdant woods. On its grounds, you'll find many forest paths, as well as a main area with a beautiful lawn and building. The ceremony site lies a short "hike" from the main lodge, surrounded on all sides by stunning forest views and tall evergreen trees. We love the quiet and natural surroundings, the vibrant lawn, and of course, the onsite lavender fields! In the end, they made for such gorgeous backdrops for Nicole and Adam's wedding day. 

Seasonally Inspired Wedding Flowers

At the start of our work together, Nicole knew she wanted something different for her wedding at Tierra Retreat Center. The florals were a big part of accentuating the natural beauty of the venue itself, so it was really important to get it right. Nicole envisioned a varied but subtle palette of pink and purple flowers, especially lavender. But she worried that those colors, if done poorly, could look tacky.

Together, we developed a palette that incorporated bright lavender, as well as more subtle tones. As a result, the final look was a beautiful, elegant, and relaxed mix of flowers and foliage. We used a wide variety of botanicals inspired by what was blooming in July, including hot-weather loving dahlias, strawflowers, roses, and of course, lavender. We also sourced white peonies - Nicole's favorite - from our friends in Alaska at Scenic Place Peonies. Lastly, I particularly loved using purple-tinged snowberry foliage (a native forest species) to bring all the colors together. 

Here is what Nicole and Adam had to say about working together:

"I knew this would happen, but the florals were the main decor to enhance the venue, and made the wedding feel very 'us.'..[Working together] was so easy, fun, and exciting! You were fantastic. The results were INCREDIBLE, STUNNING, PERFECTION. Exactly what I wanted and more! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You made all of my wedding flower dreams come true...I loved how the colors felt unique and reflected colors that people know I love, but at the same time, they were tasteful, stunning, and really complimented the space. I will gush over them forever!!! THANK YOU!" 

A Forest Ceremony to Remember

Obviously, one of the most spectacular parts of any Tierra Retreat Center wedding is the ceremony space. A quick hike through the forest reveals a stunning amphitheatre built from warm wood. Nicole and Adam chose to utilize the existing structure for their ceremony flowers. Initially, we sketched several ideas, and landed on this one: an asymmetrical, but beautiful frame for their ceremony. They also added a gorgeous vintage rug to accentuate the flooring. And of course, the forest views provided a magical backdrop to this ceremony. As a result, we loved seeing them celebrate with all of their family and friends!

Tierra Retreat Center Wedding Reception

After the ceremony, Nicole and Adam held a vibrant reception back at the main lodge, primarily on the lawn. We love the hanging lights, big space, and forest views! As you can see, the main building has a lovely deck that overlooks the lawn, which Adam and Nicole used for their first dances. On the reception tables, we used a mix of bud vases and long floral runners to decorate the tables. At the front, we also loved repurposing some of their ceremony florals for their sweetheart table.

Of course, since this wedding was a hot one - 106F! - everyone took advantage of the hand fans to stay cool. We are very proud of how well our flowers stayed hydrated and looking good without using floral foam! As Nicole said, "Your work is unique and absolutely beautiful, and knowing your sustainability practices really makes it all worth it." We love that our couples care about sustainability, too!

Tierra Retreat Center Wedding Details

To break tradition, Nicole and Adam chose to not have a wedding party at all. Instead, we created wearable floral pieces for them, as well as their family and friends. We loved crafting Nicole's wedding hair flowers and Adam's boutonniere. Her florals look so incredible with her veil! Furthermore, we also loved seeing details like their wedding rings, their first look, and how beautifully the florals looked in such a scenic setting.

We loved crafting this floral palette in a romantic mix of luxurious flowers, stunning foliage, and meadow-inspired textures. We used the best of the flowers seasonally available in July, including dahlias, zinnias, strawflowers, roses, lavender, and Alaskan peonies. In addition, we used lots of foresty foliages and summer meadow-inspired textures. Naturally, this included interesting ingredients like snowberry foliage, unripe raspberries, laceflowers, and Joe Pye weed. You can also see all of these magical botanicals in Nicole's bouquet below. In all honesty, we really love how all of these ingredients bridged the pink and purple color spectrum while keeping it soft and romantic. 

Tierra Retreat Center Wedding Tips

Tierra Retreat Center is a long way from Seattle, but it is such a beautiful space that no one will mind. Of course, they do have lots of events throughout the year, so make sure you book well in advance! It's also a great idea to visit the venue before booking, ask lots of questions, and explore what your wedding might look like. It does require a bit more walking on uneven ground than a city venue would, so just keep that in mind for your older guests. 

You and your guests can stay at the Tierra Retreat Center, which has plentiful lodging options. The venue is also quite close to Leavenworth, so any of those hotels or lodges would work, too! Unfortunately, there are no real transit options to get out in the mountains, so you and your guests will need cars. Naturally, you should also find vendors who are willing to make the trek across the mountains, and be ready to pay some travel fees. Vendors like your florist, planner, and their teams will all need hotel rooms for at least one night.

Lastly, we can't say enough nice things about the team at Tierra Retreat Center. Jen and her team were lovely to work with and made everything very easy! As always, we are so grateful we could work with such a fabulous team of vendors to make Nicole and Adam's wedding dreams come to life.

Are you thinking about getting married at Tierra Retreat Center? Ready to talk about your wedding? We’d love to chat! You can check your date with us below.

Vendor Team

Thank you to this incredible team of wedding vendors!

Floral & Event Design: Bloom Poet | @bloompoet_

Venue: Tierra Retreat Center | @tierraretreatcenter

Planner: Hummingbird Event Co | @hummingbirdeventco
Photographer: Here Today Photo | @heretodayphoto

Hair & Makeup: Mane by Nono | @manebynono

Catering: Good Mood Food | @goodmoodfood.wa

DJ: Showbiz NW | @showbiznw

Cake & Cupcakes: Sagebrush Sweets | @sagebrush.sweets

Dress: The Dress Theory | @thedresstheoryseattle

Suit: Suit Supply | @suitsupply

Linens: Rent Wenatchee | @rentwenatchee

Votives: Celebrations for Every Season | @celebrations.for.every.season

Kiana Lodge

Kiana Lodge lies about an hour northwest of Seattle on the peninsula, and requires a ferry ride across Bainbridge Island to reach. It always feels magical to hop on the ferry and traverse back roads to arrive at this stunning retreat! (We also love that it's native-owned and operated, and that Twin Peaks was partially filmed there!) Kiana Lodge definitely feels like one of those venues that has it all. On its grounds you can find lush forest trails, a wide manicured lawn, waterfront views, and quintessential PNW log cabin vibes. We loved seeing how the varied landscapes provided the perfect backdrops for photos of Molly and Daniel. Of course, this spring wedding had its fair share of raindrops, but Kiana Lodge has plenty of gorgeous indoor space when needed.

Whimsical Wedding Flowers

From the beginning, Molly and Daniel always knew they wanted their wedding to look truly unique. With so many family members coming from out of town, they wanted to embrace a PNW-inspired look. They are also avid mushroom hunters, and love to forage mushrooms locally in forests. Of course, we knew we had to incorporate mushrooms into their wedding florals! We tested a LOT of options to make sure we could create these unique mushroom pieces that would look gorgeous all day. Ultimately, we went with a bright, whimsical palette that included unique elements like moss, spider roots, and a wide variety of mushrooms. We had so much fun dreaming up and designing their flowers!

Here is what Molly and Daniel had to say about working together:

"We wanted to create unique/natural/seasonal floral arrangements that would make our wedding beautiful and showcase who we are as a couple! Working together throughout the planning process was amazing. You fully embraced our mushroom/foresty vision, guiding us throughout the process, allowing us to be creative and dream big, and came up with incredible ideas. It was such a pleasure getting to work with you. The arrangements you created were unlike anything we've ever seen. They were beautiful, completely unique, and really captured who we are. We got so many compliments on your work - it was breathtaking. You made our day so special."

Classic Jewish Wedding Traditions, with Modern Twists

Naturally, we love celebrating all of our diverse couples and their varied wedding traditions. Molly and Daniel embraced classic Jewish wedding traditions in this Kiana Lodge wedding, while also adding their own modern twists. Per Jewish tradition, both the bride and groom were escorted by their parents. But instead of flower girls, they had some adult family members throw bright orange flower petals down the aisle! We loved how they honored tradition while still bringing their unique sense of playfulness to their ceremony.

They also chose to do a traditional Jewish chuppah for their wedding ceremony. Initially, we had talked about doing mushroom "forests" as floral installations in front of the chuppah. Instead, they settled on doing a "human-powered" chuppah, which was truly lovely. As an alternative to a traditional wedding party, Molly and Daniel chose to adorn their closest friends and family with wearable flowers, too. It was so fun to see new and old traditions combined!

Kiana Lodge Wedding Reception

After the ceremony, Molly and Daniel held a grand reception in the largest indoor space of Kiana Lodge. We love the hanging ferns and star chandelier that grace the ceiling! But we also enjoyed their custom neon sign and the way our bright florals popped against the wood paneling. Of course, we loved making every centerpiece a different mix of flowers, ferns, and mushrooms. Additionally, we placed bud vases and other mushroom vignettes on welcome tables, the bar, and the cake table. We love the way this reception came together!

Dancing the Hora

We loved seeing photos of the traditional hora that awaited Molly and Daniel at their reception! These photos were too good not to share. You can also get a better look at the interior of Kiana Lodge, with its twinkling lights and potted ferns. And we couldn't help but be pleased that Daniel's pocket square looked amazing, even with so much dancing. We love everything about this celebration!

Kiana Lodge Wedding Design Details

We loved crafting this floral palette in a whimsical mix of mushrooms, pods and textures, moss, flowers, and ferns. We used the best of the flowers seasonally available in June, including peonies, poppies, ranunculus, roses, foxglove, and geum. In addition, we used everything forest-inspired that we could get our hands on! This included interesting ingredients like ferns, poppy pods, scabiosa pods, alchemilla, and more obscure botanicals like allium sicilum and cobra lilies. You can also see all of these magical botanicals in Molly's bouquet, below, and Daniel's pocket square. Believe it or not, the cobra lilies - the ones that are veiny pitcher plants you might find in the forest - were an impulse buy! Growers in California and Oregon have mastered growing these in greenhouses. When I saw them, I knew they were the perfect addition!

Kiana Lodge Wedding Tips

Kiana Lodge is a fabulous place to get married any time of year, since it has both indoor and outdoor spaces. As a popular wedding and event venue year-round, it's important to book early! That way, you will have plenty of time to explore all the possibilities the property offers. They only allow in-house catering, so keep that in mind if you have your heart set on a specific catering company.

Since Kiana Lodge is a hike from Seattle, you and your guests can stay nearby at the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort, which the Suquamish Tribe also owns. The resort is very close to Kiana Lodge, and a shuttle runs between them, so you and your guests won't need to worry about driving. Naturally, you should also find vendors who are willing to make the trek to Kiana, and be ready to pay some travel fees. The ferry ride means earlier starts and later finishes for your vendors, especially if they have to break anything down at the end of your wedding. Your florist and planner will definitely want a hotel room instead of trying to catch the last ferry at 1:30 in the morning!

Lastly, we can't say enough nice things about the team at Kiana. They have all been so lovely and easy to work with!

Are you thinking about getting married at Kiana Lodge? Ready to talk about your wedding? We’d love to chat! You can check your date with us below.

Vendor Team

Thank you to this incredible team of wedding vendors!

Floral & Event Design: Bloom Poet | @bloompoet_

Venue & Catering: Kiana Lodge | @kianalodge
Photographer: Mary Kalhor | @marykalhorweddings

Fall Wedding in the Gardens

Maddie and Alex challenged all of our assumptions about “backyard weddings” with this intimate fall wedding! It helped that we started with a gorgeous stone patio and gardens, surrounded by lush trees and dappled sunlight. You can see what a lovely scene this was for their first look. (And in case you couldn't tell: these two are the sweetest couple!)

For this fall wedding ceremony, the family added a vintage Persian carpet to complement the lush boho florals. We love how the colors and textures of the arrangements complemented this beautiful rug! The carpet mirrored the blue-green tones of the eucalpytus, neutral flowers, and golden vessels. The family also added outdoor furniture to seat their intimate wedding party. Of course, they also placed a laptop in the “audience” so they could stream the wedding over Zoom. As a result, they were able to include the many family and friends who could not travel.  

After the ceremony, the family enjoyed an intimate dinner reception. For the reception, we particularly loved the refined table settings, vintage silver, and beautifully printed menus. These elegant details paired perfectly with our loose and vibrant boho floral arrangements. We love how the centerpieces contrasted with the sleek neutral table settings for this perfect fall wedding.

Boho Wedding Flowers

Some of the botanical elements of these wedding flowers included:

• Cafe au lait dahlias
  
• White dahlias
  
• Olive foliage
  
• Eucalyptus
  
• Dusty miller
  
• Rudbeckia (Black-eyed susans) of many different varieties
  
• White cosmos
  
• Bronze amaranth
  
• Blush scabiosa
  
• Lisianthius
  
• Celosia
  
• Love-in-a-puff vines
  

Incredibly, we sourced all of the flowers and foliage from local PNW and California growers. We even custom grew many of these flowers specifically for this wedding! Additionally, we designed all of these wedding flowers without the use of toxic floral foam. Designing foam-free is a routine part of our commitment to sustainable floristry.

Kind Words from an Amazing Couple

Without a doubt, these two were such a delight every step of the way! We're so thrilled they found a way to wed in 2020, despite the challenges. We love working with couples who are so hopelessly in love with one another. We were so happy we could help them make their day as perfect as it could be, even when plans changed.

Ultimately, they were thrilled with their tiny wedding, even though it wasn’t what they had originally planned. Here is what they had to say about working with us:

“When we had to change course due to COVID, [Carolyn] made sure to support us and offer encouragement as we had to make some hard decisions about what our wedding would look like. She ended up providing us with *the most* beautiful flowers for our tiny backyard ceremony and I could not be more excited!...There is so much more I could say about her enthusiasm, emotional support, and genuine talent as a florist but I'll leave it at this: do yourself a favor and hire Carolyn, she will help make your wedding the special, perfect day it should be!"

Do you feel like you could use some extra support with design as you plan your wedding day? Go ahead - click the button below to start the conversation! We’d love to learn more about what you're thinking, and how we can support you in making YOUR wedding day "the perfect, special day it should be!"

Vendor Team

Floral Design: Bloom Poet | @bloompoet_

Photography: Ariena Photography |  @ariena_photography

Catering: Chef Jason Wilson

Dress: Nordstrom Wedding

Shoes: Nina Shoes | @ninashoesbridal

Groom's Attire: Trillium Tailor | @trilliumtailor

Groom's Shoes: Gucci | @gucci

Bridesmaid's Dress: Anthropologie | @anthropologie

with every kind of bloom. No matter what your event calls for, when you work with us, you'll have an expert floral designer at your side who can make it possible. You can read more about me here.

I love providing a design experience that elevates your ideas, gives you confidence that everything will go smoothly, and provides beautiful, breathtaking transformations that will give you and your guests an experience they will never forget. 

I've been married to my bestie for 12 (!) years now, and we do almost everything together. The man has moved to Africa for me (twice), learned trumpet so he could join our rowdy brass band, and always washes the dishes. (My least favorite chore.) If that's not true love, I don't know what is!

Who We Love to Work With

Our favorite couples are kind, fun, and creative people who have a vision, and just need help making it happen. In our business, we focus more on quality over quantity, which means that we do not accept every wedding that comes our way. Instead, we focus on making magic for creative, vibrant couples who are excited about their wedding ideas and who LOVE flowers! 

Every wedding presents an opportunity for creative partnership. We work closely with couples and their planners for months and sometimes years to make absolute magic happen. We genuinely adore our couples and bend over backwards for them frequently, because of the trust and relationship that we build over time. However, this level of service would not be possible if we were trying to do a million events per year. So, our initial inquiry form is the best way to understand more about your wedding and whether we are a good fit. We ask a bunch of questions, because it really helps us understand what you are looking for and whether we are the right florist for you! We don’t want to waste your time with the next steps if we’re not aligned to begin with.

Our Booking Process

Our inquiry form is always the first step to work with us. Once you submit an inquiry, we typically have an initial meet-and-greet chat, where we just talk for a few minutes about your vision and get to know each other. This is not a high pressure sales meeting. We do not even get into the details of the flowers! This is literally a quick way to get to know each other, suss each other out, and figure out how we want to move forward. It also helps me understand your wildest dreams and start brainstorming how I can help make your wedding the special, perfect day it should be. It’s not scary at all, and we usually laugh a lot!

After this meeting, couples are usually ready to commit to working together, so a small initial deposit is all that you need to hold your date. It’s really easy and chill. Here is what some of my couples had to say about the initial chat we did:

• “Carolyn was SO WONDERFUL to work with! We had such a lovely video-chat to go over what I had envisioned for my ceremony that immediately put me at ease on what to expect for my big day.”
• “Carolyn asked such great questions to gain an understanding of my style and vision, and she made helpful recommendations and suggestions along the way.”
• “During our very first meeting she asked thoughtful questions to get to know my partner and I and help us shape our vision for the wedding - it felt like chatting with a friend.”

Sounds fun, right? And if we’re not an amazing fit, that’s totally okay, too. Part of being a good wedding vendor is that we always try to refer out to another florist who might be a better fit.

Our Creative Process

Once our couples commit to working with us, we get into all of the really fun and creative processes! As your creative partner, we are here to elevate your ideas, make them better, and figure out how to make them happen. We ask you to fill out a very detailed design questionnaire, which includes everything from making sure we have the correct details, to looking at inspiration images and key moments during your wedding. We absolutely love hearing your ideas – the wilder, the better – and we provide helpful suggestions and guidance throughout the creative planning process, so that you feel at ease about knowing what to expect, and have confidence that everything will go smoothly.

Once we have all of your info, we go back into our creative mode and help craft your wedding vision into a real-life design concept. With all of these ideas documented, we will schedule another design presentation with you (and usually, your wedding planner). During this meeting, we present your wedding concept and visuals, and we again talk through all of the creative ideas and touchpoints for your wedding. We believe that YOU are the dreamer – we are just here to support those dreams and make them a reality! So we talk about edits, tweaks, and anything else that needs to change before we develop your customized floral proposal.

Here is what some of our clients had to say about our creative work together:

• “I let Carolyn take creative freedom with what & how she pulled together; providing her with the color palette & a few other details to help guide the way. The bouquet, flower cuff and boutonnieres she created were exquisite.”

•  “I only had a few specific flowers and colors in mind and let her take the creative reigns otherwise, which is definitely the way to go. The palette alone was amazing and exciting! And what she created for my flower crown and bouquet was absolutely phenomenal and breathtaking.”

Once the design is solidified, we have everything we need to develop your custom design proposal, pricing, and logistics. This is where my past life as a project manager kicks in – I put everything into our project management software, build GANTT charts, figure out staffing, build spreadsheets for your flower orders... This is all the back-end stuff that you won’t see, but we are organized as hell over here! There is no way to pull off incredible wedding designs without having a tight team and strong leadership. So, we build all of that out on our end, and then present you with your proposal, contract, payment plan, and all your design assets. Once this is solidified, you are ready to sit back and relax! All you have left to do is enjoy your engagement.

The In-Between Times

So, you might be wondering…what happens between when we finalize all that stuff, to my actual wedding day? There are a few things that might happen in the in-between times. Behind the scenes, we are hard at work getting everything ordered, organized, staffed, and planned for. But you should know that we have also some tricks up our sleeves that we like to use to surprise and delight our clients. (If you book with us, you will definitely find out what those surprises are!)

We always check in periodically, just to see how you’re doing. Maybe you need help with another vendor referral? Maybe something has changed? We are always here to support you and make sure you are getting what you need! I love to communicate with my couples frequently and openly so they have a fun, easy experience working together and are confident that their wedding will be a success.

Here is what some of our couples had to say about that:

• “Carolyn was a dream to work with…There was excellent communication the whole time, so by the time my wedding came, I had so much confidence about everything going smoothly.”
• “I could not speak more highly of Carolyn at Bloom Poet! She was truly a delight to work with and so unbelievably accommodating every step of the way.”

Floral samples can also be requested during this time, and usually can be provided 3-4 months before the wedding. However, 99% of the time, our clients trust us to do an amazing job, because we’ve already done a bunch of creative work together. By this time, we are almost always on the same page, and you know exactly what to expect. But if there are any lingering doubts, we are happy to provide sample florals.

We are also available to talk through anything that we are working on, even if it seems dumb to be worried about it. It’s not dumb. Wedding anxiety is real and pernicious, and I want you to feel the lowest stress you could possibly have.

If there are things that need to shift, we can also make contract changes during this period. We typically make some tweaks as we get closer to the wedding and have firmer numbers on guest counts, wedding party attendees, and family who may be traveling from abroad.

The Wedding Week

Our biggest goal during the wedding week is to cheer you on! Wedding weeks are bananas for us behind the scenes, as we pick up and process thousands of flowers with a two-day turnaround for your wedding day. But we are still going to check in, make sure you are not stressed about anything we can control, and reassure you with our zillion backup plans. One of my favorite parts of this job is that I get to provide clients with confident support and professional expertise in really difficult times. My past professional life was in public health, which is fundamentally about caring for other people. I always care for my couples, but this past few years, my public health background was also something that came in really handy during COVID.

Here’s what one of our clients had to say about the support she received:

• “When we had to change course due to COVID, [Carolyn] made sure to support us and offer encouragement as we had to make some hard decisions about what our wedding would look like. She ended up providing us with *the most* beautiful flowers for our tiny backyard ceremony. There is so much more I could say about her enthusiasm, emotional support, and genuine talent as a florist but I'll leave it at this: do yourself a favor and hire Carolyn, she will help make your wedding the special, perfect day it should be!”

After the wedding, we also make sure our clients feel the love and appreciation we have for letting us be a part of their big day. Instead of “goodbye,” it’s usually a “see you later” – because a lot of our clients end up referring their friends and family to us! We love working with these “repeat” clients and continuing to support our amazing couples!

Now that you know more about what it’s like to work with us, are you ready to chat? I would love to see your new inquiry in my inbox so I can get excited about a quick video call to get to know you!! Just fill out our inquiry form and I’ll get back to you ASAP so we can meet and start this creative journey together!

We hope you're not tired of dahlias, because August is their best month yet! Dahlias remain a very popular choice for wedding flowers in August, due to the wide variety of shapes, colors, and sizes available. There are no blue dahlias, but otherwise, the sky is the limit. They grow amazingly well in Seattle, so our local growers provide a dazzling array of options from July until the last frost. You can always find several dahlia varieties that work beautifully for every wedding color palette!

Sometimes early dahlias bloom more brightly, then fade later into the season. Throughout the season, you can watch the classic Cafe au Lait dahlia (the biggest dahlia, above) change colors. It goes from a brighter pink in July to a beautiful pinky-blush in August, and then more neutral in September and washed-out taupe in October. We love pairing dahlias with other flowers on this list, as you can tell from these photos!

Cosmos

We love cosmos for their delicate, bouncy, fun personalities! They can make any bouquet or arrangement seem a little bit more wild and delicate. They typically start blooming in June, but grow taller and more prolific in August. They are such a favorite wedding flower for August, particularly with dahlias. We love using their feathery blooms and foliage to contrast with more geometric and rigid flowers. We also love that they come in a large variety of colors, from white to blush, and even raspberry! The white cosmos below are the perfect accent to this pink dahlia palette. We love how sophisticated, airy, and light cosmos can look in August wedding arrangements.

Rudbeckia

I'll be honest - rudbeckia totally took me by surprise in 2020. If you've never heard of rudbeckia, you're not alone! Typically, they are associated with the black-eyed-susans that grow wild all over the country. But these beauties go far beyond that prairie look! Rudbeckia  come in a wide variety of colors, but are easy to group by color depending on the wedding palette. And I’m obsessed with those chocolate centers - it’s rare that we get to use a flower with a dark center. They also come in a ton of fun shapes, from frilly double-petaled flowers that almost look like mums, to sparse petals that stick straight out. I asbolutely love the way they look with more blushy, muted flowers on this list. For example, rudbeckia added so much boho attitude to this centerpiece! They are really at their prime in August and September, and I love using them for weddings with more earthy palettes.

Scabiosa

Don’t let the ugly name fool you! Scabiosa add perfect airy, light details to any wedding floral design. Inserted correctly, they float above other flowers and add bounce, movement, and lightness to designs. These are the perfect flower to add some air and play with negative space. In the photo above, you can see small white scabiosa flowers floating over the middle and left sides of the bouquet. In addition, scabiosa come in a huge variety of colors, from dark burgundy to pure white, and have surprisingly strong stems for how small they are. If left uncut, they also form amazing seed pods that can be used to add texture and whimsy. One variety, scabiosa stellata, makes these amazing grey pods after they flower. How cool is that?! I love using scabiosa to make a design feel more magical, no matter what form they are in.

Amaranth

August is the height of summer, when everything explodes into bloom, including these amazing heads of amaranth. Surprisingly, amaranth is actually a grain similar to quinoa, and edible! But we use it for its textural interest and beautiful drape, especially in more boho designs. It comes in two forms, the very drapey form, and the “upright form." Both forms add movement when placed correctly. They are a huge favorite because they come in a wide variety of colors, from bronze to green, and coral to burgundy. And August is when the seed heads are looking their best, without shedding any edible grains all over your wedding!

Lisianthius (aka "Lizzies")

Can we get lisianthius other times of the year? Sure. However, nothing comes close to the lisianthius that our local growers are harvesting in August. These incredible flowers really shine this month, and we try to include them in every wedding from August to September! The flowers shoot out multiple branches per stem, giving you a wealth of fluffy, romantic petals in every bunch. (See the fluffy blush flowers in the bottom right of the centerpiece, above.)

We love how effortlessly beautiful they appear, gracefully floating over more compact flowers with their copious ruffles. We also love that we can manipulate the petals for a more frilly or more open look, depending on what we are going for. And finally, we love the color choices we get with local lisianthius, because they play so well with wedding palettes! From pure white to champagne blush and a dusty mauve “brown” (pictured above), we often use lisianthius to soften and bridge other colors in our palettes.

Planning Your Summer Wedding Designs

Your florist should know what flowers are locally available and in season for your wedding month. Here at Bloom Poet, we are more dedicated to local flowers than ever, especially as we continue to witness COVID’s impacts on the global floral supply chain. Prioritizing local flowers means that we can always make sure our couples have the best of what is available that season, that month, or even that week! And we work closely with dozens of our farm friends to make sure we can execute your vision beautifully and ethically.

Getting Married in August?

We know wedding planning can be overwhelming, with so many flower choices and inspiration images. That’s why we love helping couples like you design a breathtaking wedding that you and your guests won't soon forget. You don't have to know what you need, or even know what flowers you like - we love taking ideas and running with them! And our books are now open for next summer! If you are ready to design the wedding of your dreams, let's chat! You can click below to inquire and check our availability. We can't wait to meet you!

Tropical Wedding Flowers for a Classic PNW Elopement

I am so excited to revisit these incredible images from this fashion-forward beach elopement using tropical wedding flowers! We don't normally think of tropical wedding flowers and palm trees when we think about Washington beaches. However, this combination provided truly stunning imagery for Keri & Michael's intimate beach elopement on the Olympic Peninsula. These two got married in April 2021, but didn't let COVID stop them from having a gorgeous, heartfelt celebration with their close family and friends. Every photo is more beautiful than the last, all beautifully captured by Elissa Deline. And designing for these two with 100% American-grown tropical wedding flowers was so much fun!

Floral Design as Unique as Your Love Story

The vast majority of our couples already have a unique vision for their wedding, aesthetic inspiration, or some kind of dream they want to come true. They have BIG IDEAS to make their day as special and perfect as it can be! But they need some expert help in making it happen. That's where we come in!

Keri and Michael came to me with one such creative, big idea: wedding florals that could be fresh for their elopement, but that could be preserved and dried afterwards. Additionally, they wanted a floral palette that used tropical flowers from Hawaii, which is where Keri's family is from. And of course, Keri asked for an amazing tropical flower crown. Challenge immediately accepted!! I loved all of these ideas, and was all in from our first meeting.

Getting Ready for the Big Day

Keri and Michael started their day just south of Seattle, but drove out to the Olympic Peninsula with their closest family and friends. They set up in a cute boutique hotel to prepare for their ceremony. The moms helped pin the tropical flower crown and boutonniere in a series of heartfelt moments. The whole crew then set out for the beach ceremony.

An Intimate Beach Ceremony

Keri and Michael gathered with their closest family and friends to celebrate their love together. Getting to the ceremony location required a bit of hiking and several assists to preserve the stunning wedding dress! We love how Keri added furs and pearls to complement the ethereal texture of her gown. Officiated by another close friend, Keri and Michael exchanged heartfelt vows at the water's edge. Their love shone through every bit of this ceremony.

After the ceremony, the group returned further inland to sign the marriage certificate. I love how guests could not resist touching the textural tropical wedding florals! Later, everyone shared a champagne toast, wedding macarons, and a socially-distanced meal. 

Making Wedding Dreams Come True

I had to do some homework to make all of this magic happen. First, I chatted with growers in Hawaii to ask about tropical wedding flowers that dry well that I might not have considered. (Being a member of the Slow Flowers Society has a ton of perks, but one is that I now know wonderful flower farmers in every state in our nation!) I also conducted some experiments of my own with drying tropical flowers over the winter. It was mad science floristry, and so much fun!

Once I decided on what botanicals to use, I contacted the Seattle Wholesale Grower's Market, which is my go-to source for local and American-grown blooms. Together, we sourced all sorts of tropical flowers and hardy botanicals that would dry beautifully. Most of these products came from Hawaii and California - although we also snuck in some local dried strawflowers from our friend Sarah at SUOT farm. I also made sure to source some beautiful hand-dyed silk ribbon from local Seattle-based artisans Of the Earth.

Tropical Wedding Flowers + Bouquet Breakdown

I was 100% in love with the results, which were also 100% American-grown! Here is a breakdown of what we used in this amazing bouquet and wearable flowers:

• Protea
• Leucospermum (pincushion protea)
  
• Leucadendron
• Berzillia
• Grevillea
  
• Craspedia
  
• Pussy willow
  
• Strawflower
  
• Eucalyptus
  
• Palm fronds
  
• Dried palm fruits

And a bonus update: Keri tells me that the bouquet is preserving beautifully, months later.

Thank you to Keri and Michael for trusting us with you BIG IDEA and letting us be a part of your wedding day, as well as allowing us to share this beauty. We are so happy for you and so thrilled we could make your wedding the gorgeous, memorable day it should be!! If you are ready to chat about your dream, you can inquire below.

Summer Wedding Flowers

April and Sean gave us so much creative leeway with these florals! We had a few inspiration images that included succulents and peachy tones, but otherwise we were free to capture the magic of summer. We wanted to create a lush, garden-inspired bouquet and personal flowers that felt romantic and vibrant. Additionally, April’s dress was stunning, so we had to make sure the bouquet did it justice!

We also wanted to use only local flowers, since so many beautiful things are blooming this time of year. You can see the best of local summer flowers in these arrangements, including local garden roses, delicate poppies, early dahlias, and fragrant sweet peas. We loved how the colorful arrangements provided a delightful contrast with the moody greens, blues, and whites of the Pacific Northwest scenery.

A Summer Wedding Road Trip

April and Sean started their day with a fun lunch at a brewery with family and friends. Later, they traveled to a positively magical cabin in the woods, where they started to get ready for their ceremony.

I love these touching photos of Sean’s mom helping him pin his boutonniere, and April’s smart choice of duck boots for the hike in her wedding dress!

First Look in the Forest

April and Sean decided to have a first look before their ceremony, which turned out beautifully. The mossy, sun-dappled forest provided the perfect backdrop for this tender moment.

The spectacular peach, mauve, and blush flowers stand out next to all of the ferns and trees. These photos feel so iconic and thoroughly Pacific Northwest!

Mountain Wedding Ceremony

After their first look, April and Sean headed to their mountain wedding ceremony. This stunning overlook had it all: forest, mountains, and even snow fields!

April added a chic fur wrap to withstand the chilly temperature at the summit. She also touched up her lipstick and looked like a movie star doing it!

Their closest friends and family gathered on the mountaintop to celebrate together. It was such a sweet moment with the perfect mountain wedding backdrop. 

They took some gorgeous pictures together at an overlook. Afterwards, they experienced an incredible sunset together, and headed back to the cabin for a fun celebration with their family and friends.

Summer Bridal Bouquet

There are so many beautiful summer flowers in July, when everything suddenly catapults into bloom! And actually, this bouquet could only have been created in July. It’s the only month where the last local spring blooms like poppies and sweet peas are available alongside true summer flowers like dahlias.

We know it can be difficult to know what flowers are in season, or to identify what flowers you like in a photo. (Your florist should definitely be able to help you with this!!) Take a look at the list of blooms we used to create this gorgeous summer bouquet for April and Sean’s mountain wedding:

• Astilbe
• Clary sage
• Dahlias
• Garden roses
• Cosmos
• Spray roses
• Succulents
• Sweet peas
• Raspberry and blueberry foliage

We sourced all of these flowers from local farms or our own gardens, and they were all grown sustainably. We love supporting our local farmers – especially when they give us such incredible materials to work with!

Next Steps

We know it can feel overwhelming to plan a wedding - especially right now. It is our job to make you feel confident, empowered, and excited about your floral and event design! We love worrying about all of the details so that you don't have to, and we'd love to hear what you're dreaming up. You can click below to inquire about your date. We can't wait to meet you!

Vendor Team

Floral Design: Bloom Poet | @bloompoet_

Photography: Between the Pine | @betweenthepine

Dress: BHLDN | @bhldn