As a wedding photographer who photographs a lot of weddings in the Finger Lakes region, I've had the pleasure of working with some incredible florists in the Ithaca, NY area and I wanted to share my favorites. Flowers are an essential part of any wedding, adding color and texture, and helping to set the mood of the day. But with so many options, it can be challenging to choose the right florist for your wedding day. That's why I wanted to share my top recommendations for the best florists in Ithaca, NY (in no particular order).
1. Plenty of Posies
Plenty of Posies is a locally owned and operated florist in Newfield, NY. Their team of experienced florists creates stunning, one-of-a-kind arrangements that perfectly capture the essence of your wedding day. They created this beautiful bouquet for Olivia for her Robert H. Treman State Park wedding and I know this will always be one of my favorites. I love the way the flowers look like they were scooped right out of a field of wildflowers, and as a color-loving photographer, I can't get over what a beautiful job they did incorporating all the different colors and textures.
2. Thistle Flower Farm
Thistle Flower Farm is located in Lodi NY and they created these stunning bouquets and arrangements for Leala and Ray's Ithaca Farmer's Market wedding. Before you fall head over heels though, Phoebe is taking a break from weddings in 2023 (sad, I know) but I believe Thistle Flower Farm will be back again in 2024, and I'll be updating this post when I find out more. But, if you're getting married in 2023 definitely keep an eye out because part of what I loved so much about Thistle Flower Farm was that Leala and Ray were able to choose a partial DIY option for their wedding. Leala's bouquet was made for her, and in the morning when it was dropped off along with buckets of other flowers, she and her side of the wedding party got a little lesson on flower arranging and they made all the rest of her wedding party's bouquets themselves. I honestly think that was one of Leala's favorite parts of the wedding day (so cute!!).
3. Michaleen's Florist & Greenhouse
These beautiful bouquets and arrangements were by Michaleen's Florist and Greenhouse in Ithaca, NY and I think these were my favorite arrangements of hers that I've photographed yet. Not only are the flowers gorgeous, but Michaleen herself dropped them off and quickly helped pin on Jared's boutonniere. She was SO sweet, and it was also a new technique to pinning on boutonnieres that I had never seen (so I learned something new too haha).
Bonus: Florist Advice from a Wedding Photographer
These are some of my favorite local florists, but no matter where you're getting married, I do want to share a little more advice when it comes to choosing the flowers for your wedding day. From what I've seen as a wedding photographer, the biggest piece of advice I can give you is to trust your florist and avoid giving them too much direction. Just like I work better as a photographer when I'm free to think creatively, your florist will too. Definitely let them know what color family you'd like, but remember that finding the exact flowers you want in the exact colors you want is tricky (and expensive!), and the most beautiful bouquets I've seen are the ones where the florist was given the least direction. Also, the more freedom you give them to include other colors that will complement your color scheme, the more dynamic the bouquet. Florists know flowers better than anyone, so let them do their thing because chances are, they'll come up with designs that are even more beautiful than the ones you're imagining.
Choosing the right florist is an important decision when planning your wedding. I haven't worked with every florist in the area, and I'll be sure to update this post as I photograph more Ithaca weddings, but these three florists are some of the best in the Ithaca, NY area and are sure to create stunning arrangements that will help make your wedding day unforgettable. From classic to modern, traditional to unique, these florists offer a wide range of floral arrangements to match any style.