Your Guide to Wedding Flowers by Frances Harjeet of Prema
Prema is a floral design and styling company based in Denver and Aspen, CO owned and directed by Frances Harjeet. Founded in 2015, Prema specializes in crafting beautiful, personalized floral decor for events of refined quality, focusing on quality over quantity, collaborating with wonderful vendors across Colorado and the country. In this issue, Frances gives us 4 tips for choosing flowers.
Photo: Laura Murray
TIP 1: Seasonality
When choosing your wedding flowers, it is essential to consider the time of year of your event. Flowers look their best when they are in season! Although it is possible to buy many types of flowers out-of-season since they are being shipped all around the world, you are going to get your prettiest and healthiest flowers when it is truly their time of year to bloom. For example, Cafe Au Lait dahlias are a gorgeous flower (that grow beautifully in Colorado!) in late summer and early fall. It can be possible to get them at other times of the year, but they will wilt much more quickly and have a smaller face. Part of the beauty of flowers is their ephemeral seasonality, so go ahead and celebrate the special flowers that are only available around your wedding date! There is something so lovely about featuring a flower-like bearded iris that is only available in late spring, or big ruffly peonies blooming in full glory in June!
Photo: Rachel Havel
TIP 2: Prioritize
Planning a wedding can be an overwhelming and very expensive endeavor! It doesn’t help that Pinterest and Instagram are overflowing with stunning, over-the-top weddings that can make you feel like you need everything in order to have your perfect wedding. You really don’t! Be realistic about your budget and prioritize what is most important to you. For example, if you love a creative statement floral installation piece, go all out with that!! But then you might need to scale back on your bouquets or centerpieces. It’s not always possible to do it all, and if you try to nickel and dime your vendors in order to get every element you think you need, you will be disappointed with the final product. Be honest about your budget with yourself and your vendor team.
Frances Harjeet photographed by Levi Tijerina
TIP 3: Trust
Hire a florist whose style you love and let them create freely for you. If your vendors feel that you trust them, they will be able to give you their best work. Share with your florist inspiration images and ideas of what you love, but then step back and let them do their job. Micromanaging your vendors will give you a lower quality of work and will make your overall planning experience less enjoyable. You also need to trust yourself and your decisions. Once you make up your mind about something regarding your wedding decor, don’t keep looking online or on Instagram for more inspiration - you will only get confused about your vision and start second-guessing yourself.
Photo: Leila Brewster
TIP 4: Do You! Have fun and don’t be afraid of color!
You don’t have to have all white and green flowers for your wedding to be “timeless”. Instead, think about what truly makes you happy and reflects your style. There are so many ways to have your flowers and decor creatively showcase you and your partner’s personalities. Some of the most beautiful weddings we’ve worked on have incorporated unique color palettes and unexpected styling elements such as fruit, crystals, antique candle holders, and living plants. You don’t want your flowers to look exactly like a photo of another wedding you’ve seen online - it’s your day so YOU DO YOU! Flowers are all about bringing joy and beauty to an event so have fun with them!