Presenting

6 welcome Kindest regards, Jules Lewis Gibson President & Creative Director Florists' Review Media Group W elcome to our spring and summer weddings issue. Next month, May, kicks off what's known as "peak wedding season," which runs through October. e Knot estimates that 73 percent of all weddings take place during those months. While the summer months have historically been the most popular months for weddings, you may have noticed that has been changing over the past several years. In fact, both WeddingWire and e Knot report that fall has been the most popular season for weddings since 2015. Last year, around 36 percent of couples got married during the autumn months, with October being the most popular month, followed by September and June (May and August round out the top five most popular months for weddings). So why do I mention all this? Because many changes are afoot in the wedding industry, and the shift in the most popular wedding months is just one of them. erefore, we have dedicated this issue to helping you navigate some of those changes, with articles including "How to Impress Wedding Planners," "2023 Wedding Dress Trends with Bouquet Styles to Complement" and " Video Marketing for Florists." For even more inspiration, be sure to check out the spectacular work of the florists included on our inaugural list of the "Top 50 Wedding Florists of 2023." Curating the list was a Herculean task, and selection involved evaluating myriad specific criteria. But please note that while we call this compilation our "top 50"—because the florists certainly are 50 of the best—we are keenly aware that our industry is blessed to have hundreds of other gifted and talented designers who make the dreams of nuptial couples come true every year. is list is simply the "Class of 2023." Our congratulations to all who made the final cut. Wedding season, however, is not the only revenue-generating occasion on the horizon. We highlighted Mother's Day comprehensively in our March issue, but graduation season, typically from mid-May through mid-June, offers another huge opportunity to not only create sales but also excite an entire new generation of consumers about flowers. Be sure to read "Prepping for Graduation Season," which provides oodles of ideas for making the most of this often-overlooked floral "holiday," and our aforementioned video marketing article will give you plenty of tips for reaching both the families and friends of graduates as well as the graduates themselves (yes, they, too, buy gifts for their fellow-graduate friends, so reach out to them and turn them on to flowers, as well!). Finally, as always, I thank everyone who contributed to this beautiful issue and, especially, our loyal subscribers and marketing partners, who make it all possible!

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