The French Bee Events is a full service event and floral design company based in New Bern, NC. We specialize in weddings, mostly around the eastern North Carolina area.

photo-Cynthia Rose Photography

We talk to couples all the time about florals at their upcoming weddings. The thing that seems to confuse them the most is the difference in a floral designer and a florist.

Many florist have all kinds of responsibilities. They are responsible for birthday, funeral and day to day flowers and arrangements. Some florist are not set up to be floral designers. It is to say, yes, they design flowers but not the all over aesthetic of the entire event. They do not have inventories of items to use to make your wedding have that extra layer of interest. They provide the flowers you order and do. not get into the detail of the entire atmosphere of the wedding. Which of course is fine, if that is what you are looking for, works perfectly.

Notice the lack of tabletop design on this table. You have an inexpensive vase, three roses and some greenery

A floral designer will think of your overall design, such as

  • color pallette

  • tabletop design, including linens, candlelight, runners, or smaller arrangements to balance centerpiece

  • focal points, what pieces need to be emphasized and what pieces can be quiet

  • If something else is needed opposed to a floral piece, maybe a lantern, or a collection of oyster shells

  • a floral designer will want to know your story , so they can feature different personal aspects in your floral design.

  • floral designers will normally have an inventory of vases and accesories to pull from, so that your design will have access to lush, thick glass vases, or hand etched candelabra. At The French Bee we have over 3000 sq. feet of vases and items to help us create a story that reflects our couples journeys and their individual taste

  • a floral designer will stay current with the current trends, making sure that they have the correct inventory to accomplish that, or even better, let your floral designer think outside the box and you will be amazed with what they can come up with.

Floral designers should not mind doing ceiling installations

Notice the different candles, the fruit and the unique vase

Instead of flowers, we decided that we wanted the altar area just simply framed.

Please do not misunderstand there are some great florist out there. Just be aware of your expectations and realize if you are shopping around that you may not be comparing apple to apples. Make sure you understand what you getting. Of course the first picture is going to be more expensive than the second picture above. And both are totally fine, it is your day and that means you get to pick what you want.