What to Think About When Choosing Flowers for an Indigenous Wedding

There aren't many florists talking about this. And honestly, that's exactly why I wanted to write it.

If you're an Indigenous couple planning a wedding or ceremony, you've probably already noticed that most of the floral inspiration out there doesn't really speak to you. It's all the same Pinterest aesthetic, the same colour palettes, the same approach. Beautiful, sure. But not yours.

Flowers can do so much more than look pretty on a table. Here's what I think about when I'm creating arrangements for Indigenous couples, and what you might want to consider when choosing who makes your flowers.

Does the florist understand that flowers can be ceremonial?

In many Indigenous cultures, plants are medicine. Sage, sweetgrass, cedar, lavender — these aren't just pretty additions to a bouquet. They carry meaning, they carry memory, and for a lot of people they carry prayer. A florist who sees them as decorative filler is going to approach your wedding very differently than one who understands what they actually represent. It's worth asking the question directly before you book anyone.

Do you want your bouquet to reflect your culture, not just your aesthetic?

There's a difference between a bouquet that looks beautiful and a bouquet that feels like it belongs to your story. For Indigenous couples, that might mean incorporating traditional medicines, working with specific colours that hold cultural significance, or including elements like crystals that add a spiritual dimension to the arrangement. None of this has to be obvious or performative. It can be subtle, personal, and entirely yours.

Think about the whole ceremony, not just the flowers

Land-based ceremonies, outdoor gatherings, traditional dress, non-western ceremony structures — all of these affect what your flowers should do and how they should be designed. A bouquet that works in a church might not work in a field or a forest. Think about how you'll be moving, what you'll be wearing, what the setting looks and feels like, and find a florist who can design around all of that rather than just handing you something standard.

Ask about what goes into the arrangement

If having sage or sweetgrass or cedar in your bouquet matters to you, ask for it. If you want crystals woven in because they carry meaning for you, ask for that too. The right florist won't find that strange. They'll get it immediately and probably already have ideas.

You deserve flowers that feel like you

This is the part nobody says out loud enough. Indigenous couples deserve wedding flowers that actually reflect who they are, where they come from, and what this moment means to them. That's not a niche request. That's just what wedding flowers should be for everyone.

If you're planning a ceremony and you want arrangements that go a little deeper than beautiful, I'd love to talk. That's exactly the kind of work I'm here for.