Ahhh flowers, the essence of wedding day decor. Used in tablescapes, on arches, hanging from staircases and chandeliers, flowers can transform a room in a way that makes every wedding diverse.  Getting married in the DC/Charlottesville area awards you with many talented floral designers who can bring your vision to life…and make it look so easy.  One floral company that stands alone is Growing Wild Floral.

Farm to Alter, an amazing concept that believes in and practices sustainability, carbon neutral quality and the beauty of nature. Under this initiative, Growing Wild uses locally sourced, organic blooms straight from their 65 acre farm and delivers them to venues through the DC and Virginia area. These beautiful flowers are cut as close to the wedding day as possible to guarantee the freshest and most beautiful bouquets and arrangements possible. While the notion of going green is an amazing concept it is not always easy with wedding planning. In an industry that leaves a rather large carbon footprint, it is a breath of fresh air to work with a company like Growing Wild, that helps take eco-friendly initiatives seriously. We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Laura from Growing Wild Floral Company…read on for some insight into this incredibly amazing company.

What makes you a sustainable company?

For thirty years, Growing Wild Floral has helped couples have gorgeous weddings with a positive impact. The flowers for the big day are grown on our 65-acre Virginia farm among bees and butterflies, without toxic chemicals, and using regenerative farming practices. We avoid single-use plastics and instead design the floral arrangements in beautiful cut glass, copper, metal, or other sustainable materials that bring the vision to life. After the event, we pick-up the flowers that do not go home with the couple or their guests. The flowers are composted on the farm and the other floral materials are reused or recycled. Very little finds its way to a landfill after one of our weddings.

The myth that sustainable means sacrificing luxury or quality is quickly dispelled. Couples often receive higher quality florals and more for their money by selecting local, sustainably grown flowers. It’s a choice they feel good about too. Unlike the large mono crops from international flower operations, small-scale mixed growing is a benefit to bees, wildlife, and our communities. Composting creates a regenerative environment that supports local ecosystems. Selecting in-season flowers supports the local economy, small businesses, and community farmers.

Can you explain the concept behind “farm to alter”?

The bouquets and floral arrangements for a wedding are filled with vibrant, in-season flowers cut from our gardens just days, and maybe even hours, before the event. Our floral designers walk the gardens, selecting the flowers that bring the couple’s vision to life. The floral studio is only a few steps from the gardens. The flowers go from our gardens to the studio to the wedding venue, never leaving our floral designers’ hands until they are delivered. This is the farm to alter concept delivered with each wedding.

Most consumers do not know the complex journey required to import flowers for their big day or the environmental and social impact. Out-of-season flowers must be imported. To make the international journey, cut flowers are wrapped in lots of plastic and transported in refrigerated planes and trucks. The flowers will not have water until they arrive at the florist days or weeks later. Imported flowers are heavily treated with pesticides during growing. Any sign of pests upon inspection by U.S. customs will cause the flowers to be thrown away or require additional fumigation. These pesticides are a danger to the environment and the health of the workers and florists handling them. No one wants to walk down the aisle with a bouquet coated in pesticides or serve guests dinner at tables with floral arrangements full of chemicals.

Why is it beneficial to be a sustainable company in the wedding industry?

A wedding is often a couple’s first opportunity to make a statement about what’s important to them and sustainability is no longer considered a “nice-to-have” by many. Couples are seeking vendors that deliver high quality, personalized products and services aligned with their values. They want to work with companies who treat people and the planet with care. Companies that are reducing production and food waste, eliminating single-use plastics, and working with other local, sustainably aligned vendors are becoming the suppliers of choice for consumers and venues. The wedding industry is fast approaching a tipping point where sustainable business practices will be the baseline expectation.

At Anyvent, we are ecstatic when our couples chose to work with Growing Wild Floral Company.  Working with companies that care about our environment, take pride in natural beauty and believe in the importance of sustainability, is a step in the right direction for the wedding industry.  As more companies adopt new eco-friendly initiatives, we can’t help but reflect on how far we have come.  If you are looking for floral designers for your upcoming wedding, we strongly suggest planning a visit with Growing Wild, we promise their flowers are as beautiful as their hearts! 

As part of Anyvent’s initiative to become a more sustainable company, we recently began partnering with ReVased and the UVA Medical Center to re-home any flowers left over at the end of the night.  The idea is to spread happiness and cheer to the hospital, women’s shelters, nursing homes and cancer support groups while preserving the life of these beautiful blooms a bit longer. We believe that repurposing these flowers will begin to lessen the carbon footprint of our weddings. 

 If you love the idea of incorporating sustainability into your wedding day, read our blog to learn about some other ways to make your wedding environmentally friendly without sacrificing any of the glitz and glam!