Key Takeaways
Whole Foods Market offers a great way to create your own simple and sustainable wedding flower arrangements.
When ordering flowers from Whole Foods, flexibility with your choice of flowers can lead to beautiful results.
Consider using a variety of colorful and seasonal flowers to create vibrant and unique wedding arrangements.
For couples with a wedding floral aesthetic that’s simple, chic, and sustainable, sourcing cut flowers or pre-made arrangements from a grocery store's floral department—instead of working with a professional florist—offers the opportunity to embrace their creative side while streamlining costs. And if you’re planning a destination wedding or just decided on a spur-of-the-moment elopement, choosing blooms from a local retailer encourages a floral aesthetic that speaks to your season and location and you can get the flowers you need without any wait time.
With more than 500 store locations throughout the United States, Whole Foods Market has floral departments—and experts who run them—accessible in hundreds of wedding locations. A store’s ability to outfit your wedding with arrangements and personal flowers will vary based on the size of your order and the specific staffing in that retailer’s floral department, but cut blooms are always available for couples looking to create their own centerpieces, bouquets, and other floral accents.
Here, everything you need to know about Whole Foods flowers for your wedding, including options available to you, how to order your blooms, and tips for success.
What to Know About the Whole Foods Market Floral Department
For couples who plan to emphasize local and global sustainability efforts with their wedding choices, Whole Foods Market offers floral options that are organic, seasonal, and locally grown; some blooms are also obtained through the company’s Sourced for Good program, a corporate initiative that enlists the help of “farms, suppliers, and international third-party certifiers…to help provide things like improved wages, health care, student scholarships, planting trees to prevent erosion, and more,” in the areas where the flowers are produced.
Stores offer both cut flowers and pre-made arrangements, says Kate Kennedy, principal floral buyer for Whole Foods Market. “Cut flowers are purchased both locally and imported from places like California or Ecuador,” she says. “Many farms support Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. Organic cut flowers are small production and are currently limited. We also carry special varieties, like sweet peas or dahlias, that are sold at the hyperlocal level because they can’t handle a longer transportation; availability of these depends on the season and location.”
When considering wedding flowers from Whole Foods Market, it's important to note that your options will vary based on the specific store location where you plan to pick up your blooms. If you’re eloping to Aspen from your home in New York City, you’ll need to connect with the Whole Foods market at your destination—not the one on your block. “As you start the planning process, call or visit the floral department at your local Whole Foods Market store to see what’s doable,” says Kennedy. “Ultimately, our stores will want to work with you to make your day as special as possible!”
Courtesy of Whole Foods
How to Order Whole Foods Flowers for Your Wedding
Whether you're putting together a last-minute celebration without time to hire a florist or simply want to flex your creativity on the big day, choosing flowers from Whole Foods Market can be a great option for your big day. So, what blooms are available to you? Ultimately, you'll need to choose between a store' pre-made arrangements or their cut flowers; your final order will depend on which category you go with.
Pre-Made Arrangements
All stores offer pre-made arrangements, says Kennedy. “These vary from arrangements made on the farm with Sourced for Good flowers to arrangements made in store with a simple vase,” says Kennedy. “A handful of stores make custom arrangements, where a customer can bring in their own vase, and some stores will create arrangements to order using vases we sell in stores.”
While Whole Foods Market doesn’t offer formal wedding packages at any of its stores, “some stores will make personal flowers, like bridal bouquets, boutonnières and corsages,” says Kennedy. If you're hoping to have those types of arrangements created, be sure to inquire with a store that's local to your wedding destination early.
Cut Blooms
If you’re planning to make your own bouquets, centerpieces, or boutonnières in the days leading up to your wedding, you can choose from what’s in-season at your local floral department when you arrive. Another option is to place a bulk order in advance (though some stores may require a deposit for orders over a certain size or cost). The store’s emphasis on local and seasonal flowers means you won’t have the same ability to request specific flowers that you would with a florist.
Photo by Zac Wolf Photography; Floral design by Whole Foods
Tips for Using Whole Foods Market to DIY Your Wedding Florals
Sold on using Whole Foods Market flowers for your big day? Here, Kennedy shares tips to follow for success.
Be Flexible
Ordering wedding flowers from Whole Foods Market means keeping an open mind about exactly which flowers you’ll have to work with. “Logistics can always be a factor when ordering flowers, so we recommend being flexible with your request,” says Kennedy. “Stores can special-order flowers for a wedding; however, the varietals are limited to current assortment by color.”
Choose a Hue, Not a Bloom
Customers who request a color palette—not a specific flower—are often happier with the end result. If you have your heart set on including your grandmother’s favorite lilies you might be disappointed; if you simply hope to include a nod to her favorite shade of purple, the store is more likely to be able to accommodate that request. “Go with a color theme but not specific flowers,” says Kennedy. “Ordering 50 bunches of white roses might be more difficult than ordering a variety of white flowers—with roses included.”
Consider Your Vases
Some stores will let you purchase vessels for your arrangements through them; others will use vases you provide for custom arrangements. (Consider a mix-and-match aesthetic of thrifted vases for a custom look.) If your store can’t accommodate either, Kennedy recommends arranging single cut flowers in petite, individual holders—“Bud vases are great for this!” she says—to create a pretty, natural design.
