In this episode of Wedding Day Podcast, Iron Diamond Media owner Sonja Babich and publisher Alexis Sanabria sit down with Gina Thresher, owner of Washington-based From the Ground Up Floral. Gina shares how couples can make an impact with their floral design while considering their budget, their guests and everything that happens behind the scenes on a wedding day.

Gina’s career began with her own wedding. Determined to arrange the flowers herself, she took a basic floral design class, discovered a love for the work and eventually turned it into a business. She has since pursued further training and now teaches floral design as well. But her experience as a bride also shaped one of her clearest pieces of advice: couples should be free to enjoy their wedding, rather than staying up late assembling bouquets or asking loved ones to take on a demanding setup.

For reception flowers, Gina recommends thinking about the room as a whole instead of repeating the same centerpiece on every table. She often presents couples with several designs that vary in height and scale, placing a few taller statement arrangements among simpler options to create visual interest without requiring every table to have the most expensive piece. Bud vases can work beautifully when clustered for greater impact. Whatever the design, guests should be able to talk across the table: centerpieces need to sit low enough to see over or be elevated high enough to see beneath.

Gina’s romantic, garden-inspired style is especially evident in the ceremony installations she loves creating, from floral arches to arrangements that appear to grow along the aisle. Because the ceremony occupies only a portion of the day, she looks for ways to give those flowers a second setting. A movable installation might frame a sweetheart table, while aisle flowers could become a reception focal point. She cautions, however, against planning to use bridesmaids’ bouquets as centerpieces; after being carried, set down and photographed throughout the day, delicate blooms may no longer look their best.

Keeping flowers beautiful through each part of a wedding takes planning beyond the initial design. Gina says she sources much of her floral material locally when the season allows and pays close attention to freshness and longevity. She also provides vases so bouquets have water when they are out of someone’s hands. A planner can help make sure flowers are cared for and moved at the right time, allowing couples to enjoy the design without managing its logistics themselves.

That coordination becomes especially valuable when something unexpected happens. Gina recalls an early wedding when the base of a tall vase broke during setup, leaving her to improvise a repair before guests arrived. Other experiences have taught her to navigate venue requirements, rental miscommunications and the occasional accident with a calm, resourceful approach. For couples, the finished floral design may look effortless. Gina’s stories reveal the care, teamwork and quick thinking that help make it feel that way.

In this episode of Wedding Day Podcast, Iron Diamond Media owner Sonja Babich and publisher Alexis Sanabria sit down with Gina Thresher, owner of Washington-based From the Ground Up Floral. Gina shares how couples can make an impact with their floral design while considering their budget, their guests and everything that happens behind the scenes on a wedding day.

Gina’s career began with her own wedding. Determined to arrange the flowers herself, she took a basic floral design class, discovered a love for the work and eventually turned it into a business. She has since pursued further training and now teaches floral design as well. But her experience as a bride also shaped one of her clearest pieces of advice: couples should be free to enjoy their wedding, rather than staying up late assembling bouquets or asking loved ones to take on a demanding setup.

For reception flowers, Gina recommends thinking about the room as a whole instead of repeating the same centerpiece on every table. She often presents couples with several designs that vary in height and scale, placing a few taller statement arrangements among simpler options to create visual interest without requiring every table to have the most expensive piece. Bud vases can work beautifully when clustered for greater impact. Whatever the design, guests should be able to talk across the table: centerpieces need to sit low enough to see over or be elevated high enough to see beneath.

Gina’s romantic, garden-inspired style is especially evident in the ceremony installations she loves creating, from floral arches to arrangements that appear to grow along the aisle. Because the ceremony occupies only a portion of the day, she looks for ways to give those flowers a second setting. A movable installation might frame a sweetheart table, while aisle flowers could become a reception focal point. She cautions, however, against planning to use bridesmaids’ bouquets as centerpieces; after being carried, set down and photographed throughout the day, delicate blooms may no longer look their best.

Keeping flowers beautiful through each part of a wedding takes planning beyond the initial design. Gina says she sources much of her floral material locally when the season allows and pays close attention to freshness and longevity. She also provides vases so bouquets have water when they are out of someone’s hands. A planner can help make sure flowers are cared for and moved at the right time, allowing couples to enjoy the design without managing its logistics themselves.

That coordination becomes especially valuable when something unexpected happens. Gina recalls an early wedding when the base of a tall vase broke during setup, leaving her to improvise a repair before guests arrived. Other experiences have taught her to navigate venue requirements, rental miscommunications and the occasional accident with a calm, resourceful approach. For couples, the finished floral design may look effortless. Gina’s stories reveal the care, teamwork and quick thinking that help make it feel that way.