Where do you get your flowers?
Photo by Evangeline Belzile
This is one of the most common questions I get asked, but one that I don’t really have a short answer for! Now I have a blog post I can direct people to hehe. Here’s a peek into how I source flowers and the process that goes into making sure every bloom is perfect for your wedding day (or any other event!). I get my flowers from two main sources:
1. A BC-based wholesaler
One of my main sources is a large wholesaler in British Columbia that works with both local (BC-based) growers and international farms. Their amazing sales reps communicate with the growers to ensure that the flowers I want arrive at their warehouse, where they pack and ship via truck to Alberta.
2. A local flower farm co-op
During the Alberta growing season (May - October ish), I also source flowers from a cooperative of central Alberta flower farms. This allows me to work with the absolute freshest flowers, work with unique varieties that may not be available with my regular wholesaler, and support sustainable, small-scale agriculture. It’s so rewarding for me to use materials that were grown just kilometers away from me, and to build relationships with the people who grew them!
Photo by Evangeline Belzile
Photo by Evangeline Belzile
Photo by Evangeline Belzile
Workflow
There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into sourcing and receiving flowers, especially for a wedding!
Floral “recipes” and shopping lists: I create detailed floral recipes for each design, that are then added up into my main shopping list to ensure I order the right quantities of each flower. I consider colour palettes, textures, and what’s in season, as well as minimizing waste, as I’m ordering flowers per bundle.
Ordering: 4-6 weeks before your event, I place orders with my suppliers. This involves communicating with sales reps and/or growers to confirm availability and make any necessary substitutions.
Pickup and prep: For a weekend wedding, I pick up the flowers the Wednesday before and bring them back to my studio for processing: cleaning stems, hydrating, and any other special conditioning needed.
Sustainability
Flowers are grown and shipped all over the world - it’s an enormous and magical industry! However, the environmental impact of transporting flowers is something I take seriously. Whenever possible, I prioritize flowers grown in Canada to minimize my business’s carbon footprint. Canadian flowers aren’t always an option, as some blooms, like carnations and certain types of roses, aren’t grown locally in the quantities or varieties needed for wedding designs. In these cases, I’ll choose beautiful imported florals from South America or Holland. I always like to research the farms, as they’ll state on their website if they follow fair trade practices and what their sustainability practices are.
Within my sustainability practice, I’m mostly striving for balance and transparency. Balance between achieving the vision for your floral designs and staying mindful of sustainability, and transparency about where my flowers come from. If you want to learn even more about sustainable floristry practices, stay tuned for a blog post on it :-)
I hope this helps to demystify how the floral industry works, and that it was interesting to you! Thinking about flowers for your wedding? I’d love to share more about how I can bring your dream flowers to life while supporting sustainable practices. More information about our weddings, including our inquiry form, can be found here if you’re ready to get started!
Photo by Sara Musselman Photo
About HQS FLORAL
Photo by Evangeline Belzile
Hey! I’m Hannah, owner, lead designer, and the hqs in HQS FLORAL. I’ve been working in the floral industry since 2013, mainly in retail flower shops before starting my own business in 2021. My focus is on creating artfully arranged florals for weddings and special events in Edmonton, Alberta and beyond, specializing in elevated colour palettes and texture-forward details, always with sustainability in mind. I also love sharing my skills and the joy of floral design through workshops! Read more about me here <3