More Than Just Flowers: The Unseen Work of an Event Florist

Most people see the final result: the lush arch at the ceremony, the cascading centerpiece at the head table, the hand-tied bouquet cradled gently in a bride’s hands. But what they don’t see is the early morning flower market runs, the buckets of water hauled in and out of vans, or the hours spent on ladders in the wind and sun making sure every stem is exactly where it should be.

Floral design for events isn’t just about arranging beautiful blooms. It’s physical. It’s messy. It’s strategic and deeply creative, equal parts logistics and artistry. Behind every installation is a team of hands that have trimmed, wired, built, hauled, and sometimes even bled to bring a vision to life. It’s a job that requires patience, endurance, and a kind of quiet obsession with beauty.

This blog pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to create florals for a wedding or event, from the planning stages and sourcing to the long hours of prep to the on-site setup where everything finally comes together. Because while flowers may seem effortless in the moment, they are the result of a tremendous amount of effort, care, and intention.

Pre-Wedding

In the weeks leading up to a wedding, the work begins long before the flowers even arrive. It starts with mood boards, proposals, and sourcing—the careful curation of each bloom based on color, texture, season, and symbolism. Every flower is chosen with intention, often ordered from multiple farms or wholesalers, timed just right so that everything is at its peak the day of the event. This process alone can take hours of communication, spreadsheets, and experience.

12-6 Months Prior to Wedding

Initial Meeting - 1 Hour

Proposal - 5 Hours

Contract and Invoice - 1 Hour

3 Months Prior to Wedding

Design Meetings - 3 Hours

Venue Walkthrough - 3 Hours

One Moth Prior to Wedding

Final Meetings - 3 Hours

Recipe Writing - 2 Hours

Sourcing and Ordering - 2 Hours

Pre-wedding Hours: 20 Hours

Wedding Week!

Then comes the prep. Buckets are cleaned and filled. Every stem is unpacked, processed, and conditioned, stripped of leaves, trimmed, and given time to hydrate. The studio turns into a tangle of petals, stems, and water droplets. The work is physical and often unglamorous. Your hands get scraped, your feet stay wet, and your back aches from leaning over workbenches for hours. But there’s a rhythm to it, and a sense of quiet focus that settles in as arrangements begin to take shape.

Monday

Gather and Pack All Supplies, Vessels, and Mechanics

• 2 Hours

Wash Buckets

• 1 Hour

Tuesday

Process All Imported Flowers - 6 Hours with One Assistant

200 Stems of Antonia Cream Roses

200 Stems of Notting Hill Roses

100 Stems of Candy Xpression Roses

60 Stems of Cream Stock

70 Stems of Peach Lisianthus

120 Stems of Salmon Ranunculus

10 Stems of Hanging Green Amaranthus

40 Stems of Pink Neriene

150 Stems of Light Blue Delphinium

10 Stems of White Cloud Garden Roses

65 White Hydrangeas

10 Stems White Ranunculus

30 Stems Blueberry Foliage

Prep Vessels with Mechanics

• 2 Hours

Wednesday

Process All Local Flowers and Remaining Imported Flowers - 9 Hours

100 Stems of Mixed Variety Dahlias

200 Stems of Cherry Phlox

120 Stems of Mixed Color Snap Dragons

30 Stems of Fata Morgana

150 Stems of Coreopsis

80 Stems of Cosmos

40 Stems White Dahlias

50 Stems of Foraged Vines

100 Stems of Scented Geranium Foliage

100 Stems of Raspberry Foliage

Thursday

Design Arrangements - 12 Hours with One Assistant

• 1 Bridal Bouquet

• 4 Jr. Bridesmaid Bouquets

• 7 Boutonnieres

• 4 Delphinium Arrangements

• 4 Rose Arrangements

• 4 Phlox Arrangements

• 1 Urn Arrangement

• 2 Baskets of Delphinium

• 2 Baskets of Hydrangea

• 1 Signage Floral Arrangement

• Green 20 Centerpieces

• Add Greens and Filler Flowers to Arch Pieces

Event day is an entirely different kind of energy. Vans are loaded in the early morning hours with heavy buckets, ladders, tools, and floral foam structures. Onsite, it's a race against the clock. Arches are built in the heat or wind, centerpieces are delicately placed on tables while chairs are still being set, and timelines shift constantly. It’s a dance of collaboration with planners, caterers, lighting teams, and venue staff. And through it all, you’re problem-solving in real time, fixing a snapped stem, adjusting to unexpected weather, finding a workaround when something didn’t arrive as planned.

Friday

Ceremony and Luncheon - 13 Hours with One Assistant

7am Arrive at Studio and Load Vehicles

8am Arrive at Ceremony Site

• Deliver Wedding Party Flowers

• Build Arch

9:15am Deliver Bouquet to Bride's Hotel Room

9:45am Return to Studio Space to Load Luncheon Arrangements

10:30am Deliver Arrangements to Private Property

• Set Table Arrangements and Fruit Accents

• Set Bar Arrangement

• Set Basket Arrangements

12pm Assistant Returns to Ceremony Site for Strike

Rachael Returns to Studio Space to Begin Centerpieces

12:30pm Rachael Begins Adding Flowers to Centerpieces

1:30pm Assistant Returns to Help with Arrangements

2:30pm Return to Luncheon Location to Strike

3:30pm Return to Studio Space to Finish 20 Centerpieces

8pm Centerpieces Complete

Saturday

Reception - 15 Hours with One Assistant

9am Arrive at Studio Space

• Make Flower Crowns

• Pack Flowers

• Clean Studio Space

12pm Load Vehicles and Depart for Venue

1:15pm Arrive at Venue

• Set 20 Centerpieces with Fruit Accents

• Set Signage Floral

• Set Bar Floral

• Deliver Donkey Flower Crowns

4pm Guest Arrival

4:30pm Rachael and Assistant Depart

5:30pm Return to Studio Space

• Clean Studio Space and Pack Supplies

7pm Return Supplies to Home Base

• Unload Supplies

9pm Depart for Venue

10pm Arrive at Venue for Strike

11pm Complete Strike

12am Return Home

Wedding Week Hours: 59 Hours

Total Hours: 80 Hours

And then, finally, it comes together. The room is quiet and full of light. The flowers are open and glowing, the tables perfectly set. And for a moment, everything looks effortless.

But we know the labor it took to get there, the early mornings, the heavy lifting, the creative decisions made under pressure. It’s not always pretty, but it’s always worth it. Because when a couple walks into their wedding space and sees their vision made real, it’s magic. And for us, that moment makes every hour spent worth it.