Choosing a Sunshine Coast Wedding Florist
If there’s one thing that can instantly take a wedding from beautiful to absolutely unforgettable, it’s the flowers. I see it every time I walk into a ceremony or reception filled with thoughtfully designed florals, they completely transform the space and the vibe.
Choosing the right Sunshine Coast Wedding Florist can feel overwhelming, but knowing what to look for and the behind-the-scenes details that make a florist truly professional can make all the difference. If you want flowers that look stunning, last all day, and perfectly reflect your vision, this guide will help you make the right choice.
Choosing a Sunshine Coast Wedding Florist
How do I choose a wedding florist on the Sunshine Coast?
Look for experience, clear communication, seasonal flower knowledge, and evidence of past work at your scale. Trust and professionalism are key indicators of a great florist.
When should I book my Sunshine Coast wedding florist?
Ideally 9–18 months before your wedding, especially if your date is in peak season (March–May and September–November).
What are red flags when hiring a wedding florist?
Saying yes to out-of-season flowers without discussion, slow communication, agreeing to complex installations without experience, and not considering logistics.
What are green flags when hiring a wedding florist?
Providing mood boards, suggesting seasonal flowers, discussing logistics and timelines, and guiding you with expert recommendations.
Do wedding florists move ceremony flowers to the reception?
Yes, but it requires careful planning and enough time. Typically a minimum 3.5-hour window is needed between ceremony and reception.
Do I need to know what flowers I want?
No. A great Sunshine Coast wedding florist will guide you based on your venue, season, and overall wedding style.
Why Your Wedding Florist Matters More Than You Think
Flowers aren’t just decoration. They help tell the visual story of your wedding day.
As a Sunshine Coast Wedding Photographer, I can honestly say your florals influence everything, including:
The overall atmosphere and aesthetic
How your ceremony photographs
Your couple portraits
Reception styling and ambience
The cohesion of your entire wedding design
Your florist is not just arranging flowers. They’re creating an experience.
Green Flags When Choosing a Sunshine Coast Wedding Florist
1. They guide you with seasonal expertise
One of the biggest green flags is a florist who explains which flowers are in season and offers alternatives when needed.
For example, if you love tulips but you’re getting married in November on the Sunshine Coast, an experienced florist will explain that tulips are out of season and may not hold up well in the heat.
Instead of simply saying yes, they’ll suggest similar flowers that achieve the same look but perform better.
This ensures your flowers look incredible all day, not just at the start of your ceremony.
2. They create mood boards and visual proposals
Professional Sunshine Coast wedding florists will often provide:
Mood boards
Colour palettes
Design concepts
Visual inspiration
This helps ensure you’re aligned creatively and gives you confidence in their vision.
It also makes everything feel real and exciting.
3. They discuss logistics and timelines
Florals involve far more logistics than most couples realise.
For example, moving ceremony flowers to a reception location requires careful timing. Ellie explained that typically you need:
Driving time between locations
Plus 30 minutes buffer
Plus 1 hour post-ceremony
Plus 1 hour pre-reception setup
This ensures everything is moved safely and styled properly without interrupting your photos or your experience.
This level of planning is a huge green flag.
4. They have experience with complex installations
If you’re planning:
Hanging floral installations
Floral clouds
Marquee installations
Large ceremony structures
Your florist should have proven experience.
These installations involve structural safety, collaboration with venues and stylists, and professional setup teams.
Always ask to see examples of similar work.
5. They communicate clearly and promptly
Communication is everything when planning a wedding.
Your florist should respond within approximately 1–3 business days, even during busy periods.
Fast, clear communication builds trust and ensures smooth planning.
Red Flags When Choosing a Sunshine Coast Wedding Florist
1. They promise out-of-season flowers without explanation
Flowers are seasonal and affected by climate, availability, and durability.
A florist who says yes to everything without discussing limitations may lack experience.
2. They don’t consider logistics
If a florist immediately agrees to complex requests without discussing:
Timing
Setup
Transport
Installation
This can lead to stress and potential issues on your wedding day.
3. They have no examples of similar work
If you’re planning a large installation and your florist can’t show previous examples, this may indicate limited experience.
Your wedding day is not the time for experimentation.
4. Slow or inconsistent communication
Waiting weeks for a reply is a major red flag.
Your florist plays a critical role in your wedding design and planning.
You deserve timely communication.
One of the Best Questions to Ask Your Sunshine Coast Wedding Florist
This question is incredibly powerful:
“How would you handle anything unexpected on my wedding day?”
Their answer reveals:
Experience
Professionalism
Problem-solving ability
Confidence
Preparation
Florists deal with unpredictable elements including weather, flower availability, and setup challenges.
You want someone calm, experienced, and adaptable.
Why Trust Is Essential When Choosing Your Wedding Florist
Trust is everything.
Flowers are influenced by:
Seasons
Weather
Availability
Nature itself
A skilled Sunshine Coast wedding florist knows how to adapt and create something even more beautiful than you imagined.
When you trust your florist, they can focus on creating magic instead of simply fulfilling a checklist.
And that’s when the best results happen.
How Wedding Florals Elevate Your Wedding Photography
This is something I see firsthand at every wedding I photograph.
Beautiful florals enhance:
Ceremony backdrops
Couple portraits
Bridal party photos
Reception atmosphere
Detail shots
Your flowers become part of your story.
And those photos will last forever.
Why the Sunshine Coast Is Perfect for Stunning Wedding Florals
The Sunshine Coast offers incredible variety for floral design, including:
Beach weddings
Hinterland venues
Garden ceremonies
Luxury private properties
Marquee weddings
Each location offers unique opportunities for creative floral styling.
Choosing a florist experienced with Sunshine Coast venues ensures the best results.
My Personal Recommendation as a Sunshine Coast Wedding Photographer
I work closely with many incredible Sunshine Coast wedding florists, and the difference an experienced florist makes is huge.
When your florist and photographer work together seamlessly, everything flows better.
Your timeline runs smoother.
Your photos look more elevated.
Your wedding feels more cohesive.
It truly makes a difference.
Hear the Full Chat with Ellie
Listen to the full Pop The Question podcast with Ellie Ahern from Cottonflower Studio here 👉 Choosing a Sunshine Coast Wedding Florist
Looking for a florist?
If you want wedding flowers that truly elevate your day, Ellie Ahern from Cottonflower Studio is incredible at what she does. With nearly 13 years of experience and creating weddings across Australia and overseas, she brings both creativity and professionalism to every wedding she touches. Her florals are thoughtful, artistic, and designed to suit your season and venue beautifully. You can learn more or enquire at www.cottonflowerstudio.com.au or follow her on Instagram @cottonflower_studio.
📷You can view my packages here - Wedding Photography Packages
🎧 Want more wedding wisdom? See all Pop the Question episodes here
📘 Download my FREE Sunshine Coast Wedding Planning Guide - it’s full of local tips and insider advice to help you plan with confidence.
And if you’re looking for a Sunshine Coast Wedding Photographer who understands how important your florals are and how to photograph them beautifully, I’d love to help. I work closely with amazing florists like Ellie and know how to capture every detail so your flowers and your story shine. Click below to view my wedding photography and check my availability.
👍 Keep up with Pop The Question & me, Lou O’Brien – Sunshine Coast Wedding Photographer:
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Full show notes - https://www.imagesbylouobrien.com/pop-the-question
FAQ: Sunshine Coast Wedding Florist
How much does a Sunshine Coast wedding florist cost?
Most Sunshine Coast wedding florists range from $2,000 to $10,000+ depending on your wedding size, installations, and design complexity.
When should I book my Sunshine Coast wedding florist?
Book your florist 9–18 months in advance, especially if your wedding is during peak season.
What flowers are best for Sunshine Coast weddings?
Seasonal flowers that handle heat and humidity well are ideal. Your florist will recommend the best options based on your wedding date.
Can wedding flowers survive Sunshine Coast heat?
Yes, when you choose seasonal flowers and an experienced florist who understands the climate.
Do florists deliver and set up flowers?
Yes, most Sunshine Coast wedding florists deliver, install, and style all floral elements.
Can ceremony flowers be reused at the reception?
Yes, with proper planning and enough time between ceremony and reception.
Do I need to choose specific flowers?
No. Your florist can guide you based on your colour palette, style, and season.
What should I look for in a Sunshine Coast wedding florist?
Experience, communication, professionalism, seasonal knowledge, and a strong portfolio.
Do florists provide consultations?
Yes, most offer consultations to understand your vision and provide recommendations.
How do I know if I can trust my florist?
Look at reviews, past work, communication style, and how well they understand your vision.
Do wedding florists work with other vendors?
Yes, florists often collaborate with planners, stylists, venues, and photographers.
What is a floral installation?
Large floral designs such as hanging flowers, floral clouds, and ceremony structures.
Can florists help with styling?
Yes, florists play a huge role in your overall wedding aesthetic.
What happens if flowers aren’t available?
Experienced florists provide beautiful alternatives that match your vision.
Is hiring a professional wedding florist worth it?
Absolutely. Professional florals elevate your entire wedding experience and photography.
Episode Transcript
Lou (00:31)
Hi and welcome back to Pop the Question podcast with me, Lou O'Brien and of course, Kiki here with me again today. Now, if you are newly engaged or engaged and are planning a wedding with seriously beautiful flowers, you are going to love this episode. Today, we are mixing it up a little bit and we're going to be talking green flags and red flags when choosing a wedding florist.
And especially if you're planning a luxury style wedding and want things to be done just properly. So I am joined today by Ellie Ahern. She is the creative director and lead florist of Cotton Flower Studio. I always want to say cotton on flower studio, but it's cotton flower studio. ⁓ Ellie has been a florist for nearly 13 years, working in Australia as well as overseas. And in 2024,
Ellie (01:11)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Lou (01:23)
She not only opened her own studio here on the Sunshine Coast, but she also became a mum, which might explain how she manages to juggle absolute chaos and creativity so effortlessly. So as a wedding photographer, I can honestly say every time I've worked with Ellie, I'm absolutely blown away. She doesn't just arrange flowers, she turns them into stunning art pieces.
the kind that stop you in your tracks and elevate the entire wedding day. So in this episode, we're breaking down what to look for in a florist besides just pretty blooms. We're chatting about trust, experience, logistics, and the behind the scenes planning that separate true professionals from beginners. Plus red flags that couples should definitely watch out for.
So if you want flowers that look incredible and a florist that you can truly trust on your day, this episode is for you. So let's dive into it. Hi, Ellie, how are you?
Ellie (02:26)
Hi Lou, I'm so good, getting all ramped up for wedding season.
Lou (02:31)
Yes, it should be a good year, 2026.
Ellie (02:34)
Absolutely, now we're super excited to have all these beautiful weddings on the coast.
Lou (02:39)
Yeah we are. Now I wanted to ask you actually, so you've worked overseas as a florist as well, what's one of the most amazing places you've done a wedding at overseas?
Ellie (02:49)
now there's so many that we could like choose from, but we did a beautiful sunset wedding on Primrose Hill in London, which is this little tiny hill that kind of juts off from Regent's Park and has a beautiful overlooking of the city. It's really green and the weather really turned it on. we had very
Lou (02:59)
Boom.
Ellie (03:12)
big spring vibes, beautiful pops of colour and the couple were just so sweet and we just had the best time setting that up.
Lou (03:20)
I love it. I love the name of it. Primrose Hill. So cute.
Ellie (03:23)
Yeah,
it couldn't be more stunning to have a wedding on than Primrose Hill. yeah, and all of the flowers that they chose were very typical English spring flowers that really looked really very beautiful.
Lou (03:29)
Yes.
Yeah, well their English are definitely known for their gardens and their flowers, aren't they?
Ellie (03:41)
Absolutely, absolutely. the variety that we had to work with and the couple were amazing, letting us choose pretty much everything for their day. And yeah, it really came up well because we got to handpick all of the most perfect blooms and really work with the colour palette that came through that they were looking for.
Lou (03:52)
wow.
wow, I'll have to have a look at some of those photos sometime.
Ellie (04:05)
for sure. I'm happy to send them through.
Lou (04:07)
Yeah,
that would be great. Okay, so today we are going to have a little bit of fun. We're mixing it up a little bit, aren't we? So we're going to be talking green flags and red flags for what to look for when finding a florist. So I've put together a couple of little questions here. I'm going to pretend that I'm a bride and I'm going to be sending you an email asking a question. So we're going to start with the first one. Are you ready?
Ellie (04:18)
Mm-hmm.
Ooh, love that.
Perfect, let's do it.
Lou (04:31)
Okay, righty-o Question number one. I'm getting married on the 15th of November on the Sunshine Coast and I love tulips and I get a quote.
Ellie (04:40)
So if your florist says, absolutely, yes, let's do that, that is a big red flag, especially if they don't talk to you about any possible ⁓ substitutions or changes with that flower type. That's because it's not in season and it's not going to hold well in November. So as much as we love to give tulips to all of our couples, they're one of my favorites too. If your florist says, yes, absolutely, with no questions.
That's a big red flag.
Lou (05:10)
Okay, good to know, good to know. Yes, tulips are so beautiful, but yeah, they're probably a winter flower.
Ellie (05:16)
Definitely. Look, it's not impossible, but we have to consider a lot of different components when we say yes, or if we do decide to get tulips as part of your wedding. If you have an outdoor wedding in the summer, your tulips are going to make it an hour into your ceremony.
Lou (05:30)
No, no, they'll look a little bit sad. Okay, let's get on to question number two. Okay, question number two. I'm having a beach wedding ceremony at three o'clock and I need my flowers moved from there to my hinterland reception that starts at six. Can you do it?
Ellie (05:33)
They will.
Beautiful. So ⁓ that is stunning. Best of both worlds to have a beach ceremony and then a ceremony, sorry, reception up in the hinterland. Love that for the Sunshine Coast. However, if your florist does immediately say yes with that type of a turnaround, that's a big red flag. So we have to think about how long your ceremony is going to go for, what photos you want to get on the beach with your beautiful flowers there as well.
Also the parking and the physically moving, especially if you're having on the beach ceremony, and then the drive up into the hinterland and time for us to set up your beautiful reception space too. So a big red flag would be immediately saying yes to that and not working with the couple and their timeline to be able to create that for them, but in a much longer timeframe that would be required.
Lou (06:22)
Yep.
Okay, so how long do you think you would need to turn that around?
Ellie (06:45)
Yes, so we do driving time plus half an hour. Always got to give an extra half an hour. And then we do an hour post ceremony and an hour pre reception. So we do need a three and a half hour window at a minimum to be able to do something like that. And that just allows you enough relaxed time to really enjoy your flowers. Your photographer who's there to capture all of your moments can get it all without my team coming in and sneaking out the back and carrying things around.
Lou (07:14)
a photographer, it's always hard when a florist has to come in and take the flowers from the arbor to the reception, but I love doing the group photos, like the family photos sometimes in front of that arbor because it's so beautiful. So that's such a great answer because knowing that you need to allow a little bit of extra time if you're going to use the same flowers at your reception.
so that we can also get those beautiful photos for you still at the ceremony with the flowers.
Ellie (07:44)
Absolutely, I talk to my couples about this all the time, that your ceremony is like one of your big moments that are going to photographed. And that's the photos you're going to look back in 10, 20, 50 years time, and you're going to see all of these. So we don't want to rush that timeframe.
Lou (08:00)
Awesome. Great answer. Thank you. Okay, we're going on to question number three. It is, I'm having an outdoor wedding with a marquee and I want five hanging installations.
Ellie (08:04)
beautiful.
Amazing. Love to see that wedding. I think that would be incredible. Yeah. So a red flag here. If your florist immediately says yes, but she has no evidence or they have no evidence to show you that they've done something on that big of a scale, that's a red flag. So we all build experience through different learnings. But on that much of a
Lou (08:13)
I know.
Ellie (08:35)
a large scale with that many different components at work is very complex floristry. And not only that, we need to think about the structural integrity of the marquee. You're working at heights, your team members, there's lots of different components in that. while yes, absolutely can be done, your florist,
if they have a big green flag against them, they're going to be talking you through all of these different considerations before saying yes to that installation.
Lou (09:04)
Okay, yes, my gosh, definitely not a DIY job and not a one man band job.
Ellie (09:09)
Absolutely not, absolutely not. You need to have a lot of logistics work and often you'll be collaborating with other vendors as well to be able to create that kind of environment.
Lou (09:21)
wow. Okay, very good answer. Thank you. Okay. You ready for it? We got question number four. Okay, here we go. I'm following up on an inquiry that I sent you two weeks ago about my wedding flowers. I'd like to get the quote, please.
Ellie (09:27)
Beautiful.
yes. So communication is huge when it comes to any of your wedding vendors, but especially in floristry because we do have, you know, a certain time period and we need to be able to pre-order all of your beautiful blooms for your wedding day and that takes a lot of time. So if your florist doesn't immediately kind of get back to you, and this doesn't have to be in an hour, but we say at least a minimum
no more than three days to be able to reply to you. Definitely not two weeks. That is a red flag.
Lou (10:08)
Okay, yeah,
yeah, yeah, it's a bit long, isn't it?
Ellie (10:10)
It is definitely a bit long, even in the crazy wedding season. Three days really should be the max for you to be able to communicate with your florist. And they should be able to provide all your beautiful quotes, all your proposal decks. And also, well, we like to do a mood board as well, just so that we're both on very clear on the same page and able to create that vibe for you as well.
Lou (10:33)
Yes.
Yeah. Okay. I love the mood board. That's so cool.
Ellie (10:37)
Me too, I love putting them together,
I get very excited.
Lou (10:42)
Yeah. Okay, fantastic. We are coming on to our last question, question number five. This question is, I'm getting married in spring next year and I don't know what type of flowers I need.
Ellie (10:55)
Beautiful. You know, we actually love this couple, especially if it ends with we love your style and you can do whatever you feel will work the best at that venue or in that season. this is where your green flag florist is really going to lead with their strategy. So she's going to talk to you through your venue, the different design options that are available to you,
some of the flower varieties that are going to be available at that time of year as well. And also how to create the best impact and the most drama for your wedding day flowers. So this is where we get to really guide your vision and help to create the overall feeling and vibe that you wanna have for your wedding. So this is a lot where, and we'll talk more about it, the trust comes into it, knowing that your florist is going to be able to handle.
⁓ all of the different designs and is more of let's talk about how we can do the best for you more so than these blooms are nice and pretty and we can do that in that season so it's a lot more about strategy if you want to have those professional done flowers on your wedding day.
Lou (12:04)
Okay, I love that answer. Wow, you did so well. I liked this green flag, red flag, so many good answers there and things I hadn't even thought of.
Ellie (12:07)
No, thank you.
thank you. Yeah, there's lots to consider with your wedding day flowers, but ⁓ that's why we're here and we can help walk you all through it.
Lou (12:21)
Yeah. ⁓ fantastic. Okay. We are moving on to my favorite part of the podcast, which is what it's all called, Pop the Question. So I have got here my little camera, which has our little mystery wedding themed question inside. ⁓ It's getting a bit low. I have to get some more in here. We are going to pull one out. It's always fun. Love this. Okay. Let's have a look. What is our question?
Ellie (12:36)
gosh.
Love this.
Lou (12:47)
⁓ OK, here we go. ⁓ this is actually kind of cool. think of a time that you had to improvise and save the day. I feel like this is a florist question.
Ellie (12:55)
Ooh, this
is absolutely a florist question. as we, yes, there's actually so many examples that are like popping in to my brain. Yeah, they're like, remember that time, remember that time. So I think one of the big ones we had to improvise was they were having
Lou (13:00)
Yeah!
They're all like coming in quick and fast.
Ellie (13:18)
The couple had a beautiful outdoor ceremony planned. had two like hollow structures that we were attaching our floral clouds to. when we, yeah, so beautiful, everything was done. We were having ⁓ three clouds on one side, two clouds on the other. was absolutely, it was going to be stunning all in white. And as we arrived, we went down to the ceremony place and the two
Lou (13:27)
Okay, yep.
Ellie (13:42)
structures were standing there and they had absolutely no supports in the ground. They were just two metal structures on the side of a hill out in the open and I was like, okay, maybe they just haven't gotten to this stage just yet. They wanted to confirm their location before nailing them into the ground.
Lou (13:49)
no.
Ellie (14:02)
That was not the case. They weren't on site anymore and now that became our drama. So what we did, what my team and I did, we had, we always carry like little like tea towel, like dark colored tea towels and things like this in our kit. And so we had a few tea towels come out and I sent some of the girls into the gardens to find some nice large heavy rocks. And what we had done was create a little mound.
Lou (14:24)
Okay.
Ellie (14:28)
of rocks and we repositioned our clouds to hide those rock mounds and give a nice structurally sound design for sure that it didn't fall over on them on the
But yes, so we do like to think on our feet and we are usually prepared for most situations.
Lou (14:47)
Well, I'm glad you saved the day with those pillars because my gosh, if, you know, it wouldn't take much for one of the bridal couple or the celebrant or someone in the bridal party just to knock it and it just to all go over.
Ellie (14:47)
it.
Lou (15:00)
Awesome. Well, before we finish up, Ellie, I always love to be able to give our listeners a great tip or an actionable step to move forward. So if someone was looking for a wedding florist, what would be that top tip to give them?
Ellie (15:16)
Okay, so I do have two. So I would say to the couples, there's a question that I would ask ⁓ any of your wedding florists and that would be, how would you handle anything that happens unexpectedly on my wedding day? So this will draw out the professionalism, their strategy, their experience in one quick question. And also you get to know exactly how they...
Lou (15:19)
Okay, cool.
Ellie (15:40)
they run in that kind of vibe and in that environment. And the second one would be to trust your florists. So if above everything else that you trust them, you trust them with your vision and you trust them to make, you know, on the day decisions that are going to align with your vision. And you trust that they're going to be able to do a really beautiful job and tie all of that work that you've been doing for the last 12, 18 plus months.
to give you the wedding day of your dreams. So, yeah, ask them about what would they do if anything unexpected happens and that you trust them completely.
Lou (16:06)
Yeah.
Yeah. they are two amazing tips. They're so good. And I feel like sometimes that can kind of also go across a lot of the wedding vendors. one of the big things is trust, isn't it? ⁓ So that's great. Yeah. And as a florist, think, well, Mother Nature creates our beautiful flowers that you use and you don't have any control over the actual specific color.
Ellie (16:28)
Absolutely.
Lou (16:41)
things that are out of your control. just got to trust the florist that they know how to bring that beautiful vision to life. And your florals are always so artistic and gorgeous in structure. I absolutely love them. I love photographing them. They just are so beautiful. yes, definitely trust Ellie. And if you guys are wanting to find out how to get in touch with Ellie, you can find all the details on my website, which is imagesbylouobrien.com
/pop-the-question
thank you so much, Ellie, for taking the time to chat to me today. It's been really interesting and informative.
Ellie (17:17)
It has been my pleasure. I'm so glad to talk weddings with you too, Lou.
Lou (17:21)
Yay! Okay, well you have a great day. Bye!
Ellie (17:23)
You too,
bye!
Listen to the episode here 👉 Choosing a Sunshine Coast Wedding Florist