From Buckets to Blooms: Behind the Scenes of a Wedding Florist’s Process

As a wedding planner, I get a front-row seat to some of the most beautiful wedding moments—and floral centerpieces are always a guest favorite. But what most people don’t realize is that creating those dreamy, overflowing arrangements takes days of behind-the-scenes work, careful planning, and hours of hands-on design.

Today, I’m pulling back the curtain to highlight just how much artistry and labor go into every wedding floral design—through the expert lens of Omaha-based Lavish Flower Design.

Step 1: Ordering + Delivery

The process starts well before wedding day. Flowers are ordered 1–2 weeks in advance based on the couple’s color palette, seasonal availability, and overall floral vision. Once the blooms arrive—usually in large boxes straight from the wholesaler—they're still tightly closed and need time to hydrate and open up.

Step 2: Processing the Flowers

This is where the real behind-the-scenes hustle begins. Processing typically takes several hours (or even days), depending on the volume of flowers. Every single stem is unboxed, unpackaged, and trimmed to perfection. Leaves and thorns are removed, stems are recut, and flowers are placed in clean water to rehydrate.

Why this step matters: if it’s skipped or rushed, flowers won’t open properly—or worse, they’ll wilt by wedding day.

It’s not glamorous work—but it’s essential to creating centerpieces that are lush, fresh, and long-lasting.

Step 3: Designing the Centerpieces

Once the flowers are hydrated and conditioned, it’s time to design! This is where Lavish Flower Design’s creativity shines. Each centerpiece is thoughtfully arranged with attention to texture, shape, color, and movement. No two arrangements are exactly alike—but all are balanced and beautifully intentional.

Designers use everything from floral frogs to chicken wire to create structure (foam-free, whenever possible!). Centerpieces are built in layers, starting with greenery or base blooms, then layering in focal flowers like roses, ranunculus, or dahlias.

Step 4: Transport + Set-Up

Day-of, everything is carefully packed and then delivered on-site. Setting up centerpieces often means adjusting arrangements after transport and doing a final water check. Lavish Flower Design handles it all so that when guests walk into the room, the florals feel effortless and fresh.

The Takeaway

Florals aren’t just “day-of” decor—they’re a multi-day process full of careful prep, patience, and a whole lot of love. Lavish Flower Design goes above and beyond to make sure every stem is in place and every table looks stunning.

So the next time you admire a gorgeous floral arrangement, just remember: it probably started in a bucket of water, a couple of days earlier, with someone in an apron, trimming stems and making floral magic happen.

Planning a Wedding in Omaha?

If you’re dreaming of statement florals and centerpieces that wow, I’d love to connect you with one of my favorite local florists. Let’s chat about your vision and bring it to life—blooms and all.