The Sustainable Monterey Wedding of Your Dreams with Local Flowers

So you’re planning a sustainable wedding or elopement in Monterey, Carmel, Pacific Grove, or Big Sur–you’re in the right place!

Do you love the idea of using all locally-grown, in-season flowers, but worry that you’d have to settle in the looks department? Maybe you’re nervous that you won’t have as many options, or you’re unsure whether you can create the event you’re imagining when certain flowers are out of season.

The truth is that opting for local, seasonal flowers opens the door to serendipity.

When you choose to use only what’s in bloom right where you’re getting married, your flowers will be a snapshot of that exact moment and place.

That natural harmony will shine through during the event—and in your photos forever. Your flowers will be fresh, vibrant, and fragrant, since (unlike many of the guests!) they won’t have gotten on a plane to arrive at the wedding.

As an added bonus, you also get access to unique, delicate blooms that don’t ship well or aren’t commercially available (like matilija poppies). No cookie cutter designs here.

With local flowers, no one else’s wedding will look exactly like yours, ever.

But how does the process work when there’s no way to guarantee months in advance that specific flowers will be in bloom? Let me walk you through my approach.

When I agree to work with a couple, the first thing we do is share ideas and inspiration to nail down the overall vibe and aesthetic for your event.

We unravel how you want to feel when you step into your venue on the day of the wedding, and the experience you want to create for your guests: Lush, wild, and overgrown. Romantic and dreamy. Rich, autumnal, and opulent. Quirky and whimsical. Classic vintage.

What story do you want to tell with your wedding celebration?

We discuss what flowers will be in season (jump to the end of this post for a few of my favorites in the Monterey area), and I always ask if there’s anything you’re allergic to, either literally or metaphorically.

After all, this is your day— you certainly don’t have to have roses if you don’t like them. And by the same token, if your friends would never describe you as a pink person but you’re in love with an ombré bouquet in shades of bright fuchsia, I’ve got your back.

Of course, just as you would with any florist, we discuss where and how you’d like to weave flowers into your celebration. Do you want bouquets, boutonnieres, flower crowns, or other wearables? A floral arch? Aisle décor? Maybe a wildflower meadow or a hanging piece of floral art! How will we decorate your reception tables? And so on.

At this point, I go to work behind the scenes to bring your vision to life. In the months leading up to your wedding, if you have a new idea or come across a flower you love, I’ll happily incorporate it into the evolving plan.

But the real fun begins a few weeks before the wedding.

By then, I have a good sense of what flowers will be blooming for the event, so I fine-tune the flower list and color scheme and determine how I can collaborate with other local flower farms. For example, for Evelyn and Greg’s wildflower wedding at Mission Ranch in Carmel, I walked the fields with Bethany at Prickly Poppy Farm to harvest some special California natives.

Sometimes, after we’ve shared ideas and details for months, a couple just wants to be surprised by their wedding flowers. I love having carte blanche to create the day of your dreams. One of my favorite comments to hear is when a couple says they weren’t even sure how to describe what they wanted, but I nailed it anyway. (Or as Cait put it when she saw the arch accent at her wedding: “That’s rad. I wish I could wear it.”)

Local flowers give you space to fall in love with the unexpected.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, for intimate celebrations and elopements, I am often able to send photos of actual flowers I have in bloom and give my couples the opportunity to personalize their florals with touches that fit the aesthetic we’ve been discussing and would not be available for wholesale ordering.

This is where serendipity comes in. For example, Michelle and Andrew were thinking of mostly whites with hints of blue, but the rudbeckia that had just come into bloom were so gorgeous that they ended up opting for a summery palette of whites, off-whites, and yellows instead. (And then Michelle arrived to pick up the flowers wearing a sundress that matched perfectly! Kismet.)

You really can have your (wedding) cake and eat it too when it comes to florals.

Locally-grown flowers can set the stage for a beautiful, utterly memorable event that uniquely reflects the season and setting of your celebration—and your style and personality!—while protecting the stunning yet fragile landscapes of the Monterey Peninsula, Pacific Grove, Carmel, and the Big Sur coastline. (Read more about my commitment to sustainability here.)

If you’re ready to see how local flowers can fit into your dream wedding, drop me a line! I’d be happy to chat about your ideas and how we can bring them to life with seasonal blooms grown by local flower farmers.

What flowers are in season on California’s central coast?
(a few favorites)

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What couples say about working with me: