Your Guide to the Belli Fiori Wedding Flower Experience

Welcome to the Belli Blog! If you’re here, chances are you’re recently engaged (Congratulations!) and planning a wedding in St. Louis, or perhaps helping your BFF plan their wedding! Either way, we’re so delighted you found us!

Planning a wedding is such an exciting time, but we know it can also feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to selecting the perfect floral designs. That’s where we come in! At Belli Fiori, we specialize in elevated, personalized floral designs for modern and timeless couples, and we’re here to make the process enjoyable and stress-free.

This post is your inside look at what it’s like to work with our team—from the initial inquiry and consultation process to designing your proposal and the steps leading up to your wedding day. Think of this post as your personal guide to the Belli Fiori experience, created with you (and perhaps your mom or planner!) in mind.

Let’s dive in and start turning your floral dreams into reality!

When should I book Belli Fiori for my wedding?

The earlier, the better, babes! Ideally, we would love to hear from you six months to one year out from your wedding date. That said, we have some couples who book more than a year out and others who reach out 3 months prior to their big day. But we don’t recommend waiting to reach out, especially if you’re getting married during peak wedding season, since we are only able to accommodate a few clients per weekend! Peak wedding months in St. Louis are May, June, September, October and November.

Before you reach out, it’s helpful to have your venue selected and booked, since the location determines so many factors of the day (style and color palette, guest count, etc). Planning reception flowers and décor without a venue is like decorating a house you haven’t bought yet – the couch might not fit and the colors could be all wrong! If you’d like to discuss your wedding flowers before selecting a venue, we would be delighted to chat! Just keep in mind that the conversation will be more general, as your floral designs will evolve once you’ve chosen a space and finalized its unique details. Since we’ve worked in every excellent venue in St. Louis, we’re also pleased to refer you to properties that would best suit your guest count and event needs.

Kiran’s Bouquet Inspiration Photo (source unknown)

Actual Bouquet (Ashley Pieper Photography)

Kiran’s Reception Inspiration (Photo Jenny Haas Photography)

Actual Ceremony Flowers (Jacoby Andrick Photography)

I booked my venue; let’s talk flowers!

Once you have your venue, the design fun can start! When you submit an inquiry through our website or The Knot, you’ll get a response from our Operations Manager, Sydney! She’ll check our availability and let you know if your date is open. If we are available, she’ll send you a link to our calendar to schedule a design consultation. Consultations are offered in person or via video, so regardless of where you are located, we can get to know your vision!

When Sydney sends an email confirming your meeting, she will also send a link to our pre-consultation form, which gathers information like wedding party size, color palette, and timing for the day. She’ll also ask you to send inspiration photos or a Pinterest board—if you didn’t submit one with your inquiry. This is SO helpful in getting a sense of your wedding vibe, and there is no such thing as too much inspiration!! (If you’re curious how inspiration photos help us to design the day, check out our Inspiration vs. Reality post!)

At your consultation, you’ll meet with either our owner, Lisa, or our lead designer, Sandra. You're welcome to bring your wedding planner or mom along, but we recommend keeping the group small with just a few key decision-makers to ensure the discussion stays focused. Initial consultations last about an hour and are an opportunity to deeply explore your wedding style. We’ll discuss everything from the type of bouquet you dream of carrying to the ambiance you want to feel when you step into your reception for the first time. This consultation is not only our chance to get to know you but also your chance to get to know us!

If you’re meeting us in person at our studio, it’s also a wonderful way to see our extensive rental selection of vases, candles, columns, and more. Our talented designers can also assist you with table linens and other design elements for your wedding, which is extremely beneficial if you are planning the wedding by yourself or without a planner.

Your Floral Proposal

After your consultation, Lisa or Sandra will put together a custom proposal based on everything discussed at the consultation. The proposal breaks down each item of the day, from your bouquet to the cake flowers, with a description, photos, images of all the flowers used throughout the designs, and price; this makes it simple to add or remove items before finalizing a contract. Sometimes additional items or ideas are included that we think might be a great addition to the overall design!

The proposal also accounts for the labor costs involved in your wedding, covering everything from the designers to the setup and breakdown crews. Some weddings truly take a small army to bring to life! This includes all the behind-the-scenes preparation leading up to your big day, such as logistics, design work, and pulling rental items, as well as the hands-on work of loading at our shop, transporting it to your venue, unloading at the venue, and managing the setup and breakdown teams. When needed, we also arrange for rental vans or trucks and handle cleaning rental items after the event. From start to finish, we typically spend about two weeks ensuring every detail of your bespoke design is perfectly executed.

Most clients will make a handful of adjustments to their proposal before finalizing their contract. Once you’re pleased with everything, you can sign off and officially become a Belli Fiori babe or beau!

We signed our contract! Now what?

Let the teamwork begin! You will hear from us periodically about upcoming payments and design elements. We will also check in with you and your planner (if you have one) on key facets of your celebration, such as timelines, photos, first looks and more! Of course, you’re always more than welcome to reach out to us at any time with questions or ideas—we’re here to make the process as smooth as possible. With over 40 years of combined wedding experience, we’ve seen it all and are excited to help bring your special day to life!

About a month before your wedding, Lisa or Sydney will check in on key details to ensure a flawless day. You can expect questions about your guest count, personal flowers, and any outstanding additions, such as styling blooms and cake flowers. You’ll also receive a “Final Details” email from Sydney reviewing the timeline of your wedding day. We’ll also be in contact with your venue and other vendors to schedule timing and generally make sure all the fine details are taken care of on our end.

What to expect on your wedding day

While you and your besties are sipping mimosas and getting your hair and makeup done, the Belli Fiori team will be hard at work behind the scenes to make sure you don’t need to worry about a thing. We’ll deliver bouquets and pin boutonnieres and make sure the ceremony and reception look amazing. If your wedding day includes a room flip, our team will be waiting in the wings to help the venue staff transform the space into the reception of your dreams! If your contract includes breakdown, we will return to strike the room and take all the rental items back to our studio at the end of the night.

Our goal is to make sure everything is executed perfectly so that you, your family and your friends don’t have to stress!

So how much do wedding flowers cost?

As a custom wedding florist, we don’t have set pricing and packages; each proposal is custom-built for the client based on what they are looking for. Cost factors include the style of the designs, the types of flowers and greenery used, guest count and wedding party size (more bridesmaids = more bouquets!).

It’s important to note that the floral industry is often influenced by factors like weather and global events. Since we source wedding flowers from around the world, issues such as extreme weather in South America or a labor strike in Europe can occasionally cause delays or disruptions in flower shipments. We work diligently to minimize any impact by placing orders well in advance, partnering with multiple wholesalers and local growers, and we stay informed. In rare cases where substitutions are necessary, we ensure they align seamlessly with your floral vision, so your arrangements are just as beautiful as planned.

If you’d like to learn more about the various factors that affect the price of custom wedding flowers, check out these posts from our Florist FAQ series: How Much Do Wedding Flowers Cost? Pt 1 and How Much Do Wedding Flowers Cost? Pt 2.

Final Thoughts…

As you’re choosing your florist (and any wedding vendor, really), the most important thing is finding someone who truly understands your vision and feels like the right fit with your vibe. You’ll be working closely with your vendors leading up to your big day, so it’s essential to build a team you trust and genuinely enjoy collaborating with.

If Belli Fiori feels like the perfect match for your wedding flowers, we’d be thrilled to chat with you! Let’s start the journey with a complimentary consultation where we can explore your vision and bring your dream wedding to life.

Simply fill out our inquiry form, and we’ll check our availability and get back to you quickly. While you’re here, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Our social media is a wonderful source of inspiration, showcasing the beautiful floral designs we’ve created for our clients. Curious about what it’s like to work with Belli Fiori? Be sure to visit our testimonials page, where our past clients share their experiences. You’ll find glowing reviews about how much they loved working with us “from start to finish,” and we hope to create the same amazing experience for you!

We can’t wait to hear all about your plans and help make your day unforgettable.

Let’s Start Planning!