The Benefits of Using Local vs Import Flowers for Your Wedding Day
From small backyard growers to large-scale greenhouses, Vancouver and the Fraser Valley are so lucky to have a large selection of local flowers to choose from. During the warm months, a florist can select blooms like a kid in a candy shop. There’s always something big and beautiful, unique and spunky, or whimsical and pastel to choose from. And as a big bonus, you know you’re supporting local growers and their ethical growing practices! Just one sideline off Highway #1 and you’ll see an abundance of flower fields and farm stands.
While I love local flowers, there is a need for both local and import flowers. After all, we simply can’t grow it all in our climate, and not everyone has the budget to strictly use local flowers. Having an understanding of local vs import flowers will help you understand how the demand, pricing, and selection will affect the flowers available for your wedding day.
Quality of Local Flowers
One of the biggest benefits of growing local flowers is how fresh they are. Oftentimes, the flowers were picked the day before I receive them from the wholesaler, which means they are more hydrated and will last longer in a bouquet or arrangement.
Imported flowers are often dry-packed, meaning they’re transported in a box without water. It can take some time to rehydrate them and get them looking pretty again, and they can also have blemishes that might not have been noticeable beforehand.
The Eco-Friendly Aspect
Many of the imported flowers that are sold wholesale in Vancouver are grown in Colombia, Ecuador, California, and the Netherlands. By the time they get to you, they’ve flown far, needed refrigeration, and have had quite a bit of packaging to make it safe and sound. Compare that to local flowers, which have travelled significantly less distance, requiring less refrigeration and packaging in the process.
It’s been a goal of mine to try and use more eco-friendly practices at Heirloom Florals. In addition to using moss and chicken wire rather than floral foam and plastic cages, we like to try and source local flowers whenever possible (and if you’re a local grower, please reach out to me!).
If having an eco-friendly wedding is important to you, Heirloom Florals can make that happen. This is something important to note in a consultation, as these ethical practices may slightly adjust the quote pricing.
The Limitations of Local Flowers
There are just some flowers you can’t get local, from the tropical proteas to the specialty roses. The selection will always be greater in terms of varieties, sizes, and colours when looking at import flowers. And as good as our weather here in Vancouver and the Fraser Valley is compared to the rest of Canada, we do have seasonal limitations.
The price is another big factor. Sometimes, local flowers are cheaper; sometimes they’re more expensive than those imported. Local flowers aren’t always the right price, especially for the budget-savvy bride, and I still want them to have the flowers they’ve always dreamed of for their big day.
Does Heirloom Use Local or Import Flowers?
At Heirloom Florals, we use both local and import flowers. We’re very lucky that here in Vancouver we have an incredible number of local farmers and greenhouses, which make our access to fresh flowers easier. If local flowers are available and the price aligns, we use them whenever possible.
For those specialty flowers or when we’re out of season, import flowers are always there for us to rely on. When a bride requests a specific colour or palette that may be out of season here, we can often still source it from an imported source at the wholesaler.
To me, local flowers can take your flowers a step further on your wedding day. Not only are they fresher, and therefore more beautiful, but there’s something special about using flowers that came from where you live and hosted your wedding. Call me sentimental!
If opting for local flowers is something you’re interested in, we can chat about it in a consultation! When you pass along inspiration photos or specific flowers you love, we can suggest some alternatives if what you’re after isn’t in season. You can almost always achieve the exact same look using different flowers.
To get started, fill out my contact form to receive my pricing package, or schedule a free 30-minute consultation where we can discuss your vision.