Recently engaged & already having stress dreams about planning your florals? Fear no more! We caught up with our friend & flower queen Toby Kassoy, founder of Lilla Bello Floral Artistry, a leading LA-based floral & events studio to set the floral record straight! Read her tips below:
How far out do we need to book for our wedding?
The sooner the better. All of the details (additions + subtractions) can be made up until 2 weeks prior to your wedding date. So reeeeeelax! If you love pink today and decide in 2 months you want yellow, it's all good! If your guest counts goes up or down, we make those final adjustments way down the line. We will give you all the deets and deadlines so you'll have plenty of time to get those final decisions made.
Should I use Pinterest to collect wedding ideas?
Pinterest can be an incredible tool for discovering your likes and dislikes. When a couple comes to us with a Pinterest board, it serves as a great jumping off point. We don’t expect you to know flower names or the seasonality of those flowers (back off, that's our job!). We look for what colors you love, what types of flowers you are gravitating towards, your overall style preferences and so on. Just beware of some common pitfalls such as getting your heart set on an exact rose color or floral specimen. Flowers are products of nature, therefore not only are they seasonal, but they can also vary greatly in color/shade. Wrap your minds around this fact so you may enjoy the beautiful variations as opposed to being disappointed if each bloom isn't an exact replica of another. We are looking to understand your overall vibe and from there, it is our job to steer you towards the florals which are in season for your wedding, the florals that suit your budget, and present you with additional options that support your overall vision.
Psst... if you find yourself "pinning" at 3am and constantly second-guessing your likes/dislikes, stop and walk away! Remember what this day is about - you and your future spouse, and who you two are as a couple. There is no right or wrong-- decide what means the most to you, and stick with it! Go.To. Sleep.
Do I need a wedding theme?
Goodness no! This is not a Sweet 16 or your cousin’s astronaut inspired Bar Mitzvah. You can easily achieve a formal wedding or a casual wedding, and anything in between, without "theme'ing it up". Save that for your next BBQ or birthday party. Let's keep this classy people!
Do I need to decide a color palette for my wedding?
This is a tougher question to answer because, welp, we just don't believe in rules. We did a wedding once at a private residence where each room was a different color story. Sound crazy? It certainly could have been, but that’s when we kick it into high gear and come up with ways to create this experience that honors the vision you are going for, without throwing everything and the kitchen sink into the room! It's an exercise in editing and pulling back as much as it is fully committing to the color we are featuring.
That said, most couples know the colors they are happy with, and we will then guide you towards floral selections that will work best!
What happens to flower arrangements after the wedding?
We are big, no HUGE, believers of giving back. After the "I Do's" and the amazing reception with all your loved ones, our clients often ask, what happens to all the flowers? It's beyond shameful to think of them being thrown in the garbage when they have so much life left in them, and frankly, you just paid a sizable chunk of change for them!
Option 1: if the floral vessels are rentals, we will make sure the flowers are in some sort of liner and can be lifted out so you may send them home with your guests.
Option 2: we regularly donate flower arrangements to our local senior living centers and hospice care facilities in Santa Monica. We charge a nominal fee for the re-delivery on the following business day.
Final Words:
What do you see when you close your eyes and visualize the day? If that is an elegant wedding arch in soft romantic colors, great! If it's more about the reception and your guests, then let's start there! Try to think about how you decorate your own home, or how your closet is organized in order to steer yourself in the direction of your style and colors. Trust yourself! You want to be able to look back at your wedding photos over the years and still see YOU. This is the design direction that will stand the test of time.
Follow Lilla Bello on Instagram for all of the fab floral wedding inspo!