How to choose your wedding floral designer for your destination wedding in France?

by Audrey (Floral designer at Le Jardin d’Audrey)

Hello! I am Audrey, owner and floral designer at Le Jardin d’Audrey based in Paris, specializing in wedding day florals. I’ve had the chance to work with Alicia on more than one occasion here in Paris.

When planning your destination wedding in France, you might find it hard to navigate the different offers we have here for florals. It can be very different than in America and potentially overwhelming if you do not know the terminology. I have a few explanations and tips to help you with that!

To begin, you have two main options for you France destination wedding florals. You can bring a floral designer from the U.S. or work with a local vendor, like myself. I will focus on the second option as this is what I know best, and I believe the best option. 

When choosing a florist for your France destination wedding you must first understand the options of types of wedding floral vendors.

Types of Wedding Florists in France

In France, you have several options for types of wedding floral vendors. Flower shops, floral design studio, and wedding planners/designers that also offer of floral service.

Florist (Fleuriste) or Traditional flower shops (boutique de fleur traditionnelle)

Traditional flower shops are all the tiny storefronts you can find everywhere while wandering through the streets of Paris. These florists usually sell flowers, bouquets, and plants. They can make a bridal bouquet and a boutonniere fine, but generally speaking traditional flower shops simply don’t have the space or the manpower to prepare florals for the entirety of your wedding day.

This option can be a good one if you only need a bridal bouquet and some accessories or if you’re having a last minute elopement or other small event. However, if you want truly special flowers and arrangements, speak with your florist sooner rather than later in order to get the bouquet you truly want.

Another tidbit to note is that a lot of the florists close their shops in August as this is the quietest time in the city. Keep that in mind if you are considering working with a traditional flower shop in Paris!

Floral design studio (atelier de décoration florale) or Wedding florist (Fleuriste de mariage)

Another option is to select a floral design studio specialized in events. Some studios are located in the back of the flower shop and some do not have a physical storefront. Floral designers working in studio mainly work on weddings between May and September. The rest of the year is occupied by florals for professional events.

The advantage of choosing to work with a wedding florist or floral design studio is that they are experienced with weddings. If the florist has worked at your wedding venue on previous projects they are extra knowledgable. They know the layout, what can be done in it, and not. If they do not have prior experience at your venue, they will make a visit and advise you on the different options you have. Some also have a collection of decorations/antique objects/vases/floral urns you can rent from them.

A floral design studio usually has a defined style. I encourage you to check their website and instagram and contact only the one whose work speaks really to you. Choosing a florist for your France destination wedding can be easier than you think!

For example, my work is often described as romantic, whimsical and poetic. If you’re dreaming of a mixing of seasonal, charming and meadow flowers, I’ll be very inspired to work on your wedding!  

If you’re looking for wedding florals exclusively showcasing exotic flowers, I won’t be the best person to do that. That’s why it is important to contact a floral designer whose work already match your dream wedding idea!

It’s commonly thought that working with a floral design studio is more expensive than going to a flower shop. However, that’s not always the case! When a studio doesn’t have a physical storefront and is home-based there are inherently less expenses- rent, utilities, etc.

Wedding designers and planners

More and more wedding planners are now offering florals service as well. This is good option if you want to keep things simple and have a single contact for all the decorations.

With this option my only recommendation would be to check that the person you will work with is a trained flower designer or collaborate with professional a floral designer.

Tips for working with your French Florist

These tips apply to all three wedding florist options in France:

1. If you’re a bride who knows precisely what you want (and let’s be honest we all are!), make sure your florist/floral designer speaks good English! This will be crucial when you describe your dream bridal bouquet and wedding florals! You don’t want any misunderstanding there. It is important to be sure you can effectively communicate before signing the contract.
2. If you decided to work with a flower shop, avoid the bigs chains. Usually self-service flower shop like Monceau, Happy, fleurs O naturel. They might have low prices and trained florists working for them, but they work with a collection. A collection is a restricted list of flowers. Additionally, they usually don’t create tailored wedding florals.
3. The more information you give to your floral designer about what you like and don’t like, the better she can match your expectations. However, don’t forget to listen to their advice regarding the seasonality. For example, peonies are not the best choice in August in France. An experience florist knows that peonies are difficult to find, expensive, and not the best quality in August. They should be happy to discuss and show you the in season options with the same look. It’s important that you listen to their advice.

Choosing a florist for your France destination wedding Conclusion

It can be overwhelming to look for wedding professionals abroad! Personally, I try to make it easy for American couples and I hope you found these explanations and tips useful! When you’re choosing a florist for your France destination wedding it really is important to be educated and keep the tips before mentioned in mind.

If you’re currently searching for your perfect floral designer for your wedding in France don’t hesitate to contact me so we can further discuss your event!

Audrey