What areas does Golden Flowers serve for wedding florals?

Golden Flowers serves couples throughout the Lake Tahoe and Sierra Nevada region, including Incline Village, South Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Nevada City, and Grass Valley. We work at venues across the Nevada and California sides of Tahoe, from intimate lakeside elopements to full estate weddings. Inquire early for peak summer and fall dates — our calendar fills quickly.

Does Golden Flowers use floral foam?

No. Golden Flowers is a foam-free studio. We design every arrangement using sustainable mechanics — chicken wire, flower frogs, water tubes, and natural binding — so your flowers are beautiful and your wedding leaves a lighter footprint. This is a core part of how we work, not an add-on.

Where does Golden Flowers source its wedding flowers?

We prioritize locally grown and sustainably sourced flowers whenever possible. Many of our blooms come from our own working farm in Nevada City, California, where we grow dahlias, amaranth, celosia, and seasonal cut flowers using regenerative practices. We supplement with trusted California and Pacific Northwest growers to ensure availability and variety throughout the wedding season.

How much do wedding flowers cost with Golden Flowers?

Wedding floral investments with Golden Flowers typically start at $3,000 for intimate ceremonies and scale based on the scope of your vision — number of arrangements, installation complexity, and flower selections. Full-service weddings with ceremony installations, reception centerpieces, and bridal party flowers generally range from $5,000 to $15,000+. We provide a detailed custom proposal after your inquiry call.

What is Golden Flowers' wedding floral design style?

Our aesthetic is garden-gathered and intentionally natural — layered textures, organic movement, and a palette that feels connected to the Sierra Nevada landscape. We work equally well with lush, romantic arrangements and wilder, foraged-feeling designs. Every wedding is tailored to the couple's vision, not pulled from a template.

How far in advance should I book my wedding florist?

We recommend reaching out at least 9 to 12 months before your wedding date, especially for peak season dates between June and October in the Lake Tahoe region. Availability is limited because we take on a small number of weddings each season to ensure every couple receives our full attention. If your date is sooner, reach out anyway — we do occasionally have openings.

Does Golden Flowers do floral installations and arches?

Yes. Floral installations are one of our specialties. We design and build ceremony arches, greenery columns, floating floral arrangements, and large-scale reception installations. We handle full delivery, setup, and breakdown so you don't have to coordinate a separate vendor for installation day logistics.

Can Golden Flowers work with my wedding venue's restrictions?

Absolutely. We are experienced working within the guidelines of Tahoe and Sierra Nevada venues, including rules around fire safety, outdoor environmental protections, and indoor installation limits. We review venue requirements as part of our planning process and design accordingly. If your venue has specific restrictions, let us know early so we can build them into your proposal.

What happens to the flowers after my wedding?

We encourage couples to donate centerpieces and loose flowers to guests, hospitals, or local organizations after the reception. For arrangements you'd like to preserve, we can recommend local pressing or drying services. Our foam-free designs make preservation and donation significantly easier than traditionally designed florals.

How would you describe Golden Flowers' approach to floral artistry?

Every Golden Flowers wedding is approached as a work of art. We think carefully about proportion, color, texture, and movement — the way a painter considers a composition. Our designs are never formulaic. Whether it's an intimate bridal bouquet or a large-scale ceremony installation, each piece is crafted with intention and a trained eye for beauty that feels specific to you and your setting.

Who is the florist behind Golden Flowers?

Golden Flowers was founded by Brittany, a floral designer with formal training in Los Angeles and Paris and a master's degree in agricultural science. She grows many of the flowers used in Golden Flowers weddings on her own Nevada City farm. Her background in plant science and hands-on growing informs every design decision — from which blooms to source to how they're handled on your wedding day.

How to DIY Your Wedding Flowers: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide for Creative Couples

May 25

Written By Brittany

There is something incredibly romantic about the idea of designing your own wedding flowers. Hand-selecting your blooms, spending the morning before your wedding with your bridal party surrounded by fresh stems, and seeing your personal touch all over your venue is deeply rewarding.

However, as a flower grower and professional floral designer based in Lake Tahoe, I’ll be the first to tell you: DIY wedding flowers are a major logistical undertaking. If you are organized, have a great support team, and love a creative project, it is entirely possible. To help you pull it off beautifully and sustainably, here is the ultimate insider guide to DIYing your wedding flowers without the wedding-week panic.

THE GOLDEN RULES OF DIY FLORALS:
• Keep it simple: Stick to bud vases and simple bouquets; leave heavy arches to pros.
• Over-order by 10-15%: Account for broken heads or stems damaged in transit.
• Ditch the foam: Use sustainable, eco-friendly mechanics to keep your flowers alive.

Step 1: Evaluate Your Timeline and Venue Logistics

Before you buy a single stem, look at the clock. Flowers are perishable, living things. You cannot design them weeks in advance.

A realistic DIY floral timeline looks like this:

2-3 Days Before: Pick up or receive your wholesale/farm flowers. Process them (cut stems, strip lower leaves) and hydrate them in clean buckets in a cool, dark space.
1 Day Before: Assemble bouquets, centerpieces, and boutonnières. This easily takes 6 to 10 hours depending on your guest count.
Wedding Day: Transport the arrangements to the venue, set them up, and place them in water.

⚠️ Pro-Tip: Do you have a refrigerated space or a very cool, dark garage? High-altitude mountain air in Lake Tahoe or summer heat will wilt unprotected flowers fast.

Step 2: How to Calculate Your Flower Stem Count

The biggest mistake DIY couples make is under-ordering. To figure out how many flowers you actually need, use this simple formula matrix:

Multiply these numbers by your total table/bouquet count, and then add 10% to your final order as a safety net.

Step 3: Source Your Flowers Sustainably (Grown, Not Flown)

Instead of ordering cheap, chemically preserved flowers online that have been flown across the world, look for hyper-local sources.

If you are getting married in Northern California, you are in luck. Sourcing your DIY flowers from local Sierra foothill flower farms or California flower markets ensures your blooms are incredibly fresh, structurally strong, and haven't spent days choking in a shipping box. Fresh, locally harvested flowers are far more forgiving for beginners because their stems are naturally resilient. FloraFresh in Sacramento is a flower wholesaler that is open to the public and carries products grown by local farmers.

Step 4: Master Foam-Free DIY Mechanics

Traditional florists often use green floral foam to hold arrangements in place. As an agronomist, I highly recommend avoiding it. Not only is it a petroleum-based microplastic that harms our local Sierra watersheds, but it can actually restrict water intake if a beginner doesn't prep it perfectly.

Instead, use these easy, sustainable DIY alternatives:

The Chicken Wire Method: Crumple a small piece of coated chicken wire into a ball and fit it tightly inside your vase. It creates a perfect structural grid that holds your flower stems exactly where you want them.
The Waterproof Tape Grid: For wide-mouthed clear vases, use clear waterproof floral tape to create a tic-tac-toe grid across the top of the opening. Drop your stems into the squares to keep them upright.
Bud Vases: If you are nervous about design, stick entirely to bud vases. Grouping 3 to 5 small vases with just 2 or 3 stems each down the center of a long table looks effortlessly elegant, modern, and takes a fraction of the time to build.

Step 5: Processing and Designing Like a Pro

When your flowers arrive, they will look tired. Don't panic! They just need a drink.

Clean Your Buckets: Use soap and bleach. Bacteria is the #1 killer of cut flowers.
Strip the Leaves: Remove any foliage that will sit below the water line in your buckets or vases. Leaves left in water will rot and create bacteria.
Give a Fresh Cut: Cut every stem at a 45-degree angle under running water or right before dropping it into the bucket.
Let Them Rest: Give your flowers at least 12–24 hours to "drink up" in a cool place before you start designing them.

When to DIY vs. When to Hire a Professional

We love DIY couples, but we also know the exact moment the stress tends to set in. If you want a hybrid approach to save room in your budget, here is a great rule of thumb:

Perfect for DIY: Tablescapes, bud vases, simple greenery runners, and bridesmaid bouquets.
Leave to a Professional: Large ceremony arches, hanging installations, heavy floral mantels, and complex bridal bouquets.

Large-scale installations require architectural engineering, wind-proofing (especially for outdoor Lake Tahoe weddings), and specialized hydration mechanics that are incredibly difficult to manage on the morning of your own wedding.

DIY Wedding Flower FAQs

Can I collect wild flowers from around Lake Tahoe for my wedding?

No. Foraging on public lands or state parks in the Sierra Nevada region is illegal without specific permits, and many local alpine wildflowers are protected species. Always source from local farms or licensed wholesalers to protect our local ecosystem.

What tools do I absolutely need for DIY florals?

You only need three essentials: professional floral shears (don't use regular kitchen scissors, they crush the stems), waterproof floral tape, and plenty of clean 5-gallon buckets.

How do I transport DIY flowers to my venue safely?

Place your finished centerpieces and bouquets inside shallow cardboard boxes (like wine boxes) packed tightly together so they cannot tip over in your car. Turn the vehicle's air conditioning on high, never transport flowers in a hot trunk!

Sound like too much work?

Hire our team to handle it for you. Reach out to our studio today to check availability for your date!

Published by Golden Florals. Artful, foam-free floral design utilizing science and sustainability for Lake Tahoe Wedding Flowers

Brittany