Poppy Flowers... yay or nay? Anyone have experience?

Try fiftyflowers.com or talk to your florist. The bouquet in the picture is dahlias and roses which are both hardy and inexpensive.

Hi Leah! Have you received a floral quote from them? I can't find pricing info on their website!

I've also heard great things about Fifty Flowers, Afloral, and even Sam's Club & Costco! Here are a few posts with more recommendations you can check out as well:

Calling all who have used Sam's Club or Costco for flowers!

Save Money on Flowers

Costco Bulk Flowers

How much did you spend on florals from a florist shop?

It doesn't look like there are any poppies in your inspo pic (the dark flowers look like roses and maybe a mum).

I had poppies in my bouquet and as part of my floral arrangements, along with ranunculus, lilies, peonies, anemones, snapdragons, campanula (canterbury bells), sweet peas, allium, and some other things I cannot quite remember (I'll have to ask my florist if she can send me a list of what she ended up using). Our wedding celebration was just last week so I don't have any good photos to share yet!

Some things I think worth mentioning about poppies:

1) Poppies have a pretty short flower lifespan as cut blooms. They go from these not-very-attractive round buds that look like testicles (I'm not kidding) to beautiful flowers and then shed their petals pretty quickly. They look vibrant for as long as you'd need for a wedding, but they don't last nearly as long afterward as peonies, campanula, and other blooms. I'd say poppies have a peak lifespan of a few days, whereas things like peonies, campanula, and lilies can look good for weeks or more, depending on when they are harvested and the conditions they are kept in. You'd need a florist to get the timing right when harvesting these babies, and I would probably only use poppies if they were grown and harvested locally for this reason.

2) They have a fuzzy stem with a spiky/hairy appearance, so the plant stems and leaves look a little more haggard (my opinion) than that of most other flowers. And they go from ugly bud to flower vs having this gradual bloom that something like a peony would, where it starts small and gradually opens up. The poppy pretty much looks like a testicle, then a testicle with a colorful split it in, and then a beautiful flower. There is no in between.

3) The stems fall somewhere in the middle of the delicate to sturdy scale. They cut easily (the stems are non-woody) with a pair of shears but can stand on their own without requiring wiring or tubing. Good for bouquets, but not the most durable stem for thrashing and bashing. Poppy stems also tend to naturally curve and droop, unlike some flowers which are always on super straight stems (think calla lily or allium).

4) I think poppies are somewhat water sensitive - they aren't a super delicate cut flower but definitely not the hardiest either. If left without a water source, they will wilt rather quickly. Not as bad as lacecap hydrangea (which is awful as a cut flower), but not as hardy as some other readily available blooms.

We did bud vase arrangements, and right now I only have phone pics guests snapped at our wedding. The fuzzy flowers here are poppies (the other flowers shown are ranunculus). You can see how the poppy bud looks like a little ball, but the flower itself (pink petals, yellow center) is beautiful. You can also see that the stem is fuzzy and not super straight.

For what it's worth, I was not overly specific with my florist and she did an incredible job (shout out to Vera Flora Farms in Gilsum, NH). My instructions were: soft colors, a variety of textures, I want it to look natural and organic, with greenery included. I didn't give her any specifics on flower varieties at all, that way she had the freedom to use what was available and in season. She absolutely delivered! I would suggest that unless you have your heart set on a specific bloom for sentimental reasons, if you just want a general aesthetic to give your florist a bunch of "inspo" pics and then some freedom to pick and choose from what is available and works within your budget.