Lauren, congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Planning is an exciting time, and it's fun to see everything come together for your special day.

Do you have a date picked out yet? If you have a choice, and definitely want dahlias, later is better. I am in PA (zone 6), prestart over 500 plants inside and some years blooms are just starting to come on the dahlias late June/July. Other years they start blooming mid-July. I can always count on lots of blooms early August.

Has your mom grown dahlias before? Are there clumps overwintering in her garden right now? Is she willing to prestart tubers inside right now?

If the answer is 'no' to any of these questions, then late June blooms are unlikely. If the answer is 'yes,' then you might consider a backup plan to avoid potential disappointment on your day. Even the most experienced grower is handicapped by unexpected weather, which can slow down growth or rot tubers in the ground during late spring rains. It only makes sense to have alternative solutions lined up.

Here are two backup plans for do-it-yourself bouquets: preorder dahlias, and/or find a local floral wholesale outlet.

The biggest and most consistent place to order cut dahlias is Swan Island, found HERE. They currently charge around $55 for overnight shipping, with $23 per bunch in July. I'd suggest calling them now to ask questions; however, they don't accept orders for cut flowers until May 1st. It is important to talk to them early, as they often have a large field of overwintered dahlias in order to fulfill early orders... I don't know if that is the case this year.

Large cities often have a floral wholesale outlet, but some only allow florists to buy, while others are open to the public. You will have to research it and ask around to find out what the options are in that area. I would suggest approaching a few florists, and see if you can order bunches of blooms from them a few weeks in advance, in case all your other plans fall through. Most florists I know would be willing to do that, though some will only do arrangements.

The best event planners always have backup plans ready to implement in case the worse happens... make lots of notes, plan for the worse but hope for the best, and above all, have fun!

They ship all over the US. As long as they ship overnight, the location of the flower farm shouldn't matter. They typically start blooming earlier over on the West coast versus East coast, anyway.

Call them and ask lots of questions. Everyone I have talked to from SI are very willing to help in any way. They've been doing this for a long time, and have the sheer number of plants that make it easier to harvest quality blooms really early in the season. Smaller cut dahlia gardens don't have that assurance.

To get an idea of how large Swan Island's dahlia rows are, check out this really cool drone video... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt1g5VzZmK8  I love watching this!

Lauren, you might try contacting Floret, a cut flower farm in Washington state. Their site has tons and tons of information. A section on growing dahlias, some weddings they have done, a list of cut flower growers all over the US with contact info. and much more. If they can't help you, I think they will be able to direct you to someone who can.

Cici - great video! Although all I can think of when I see those huge fields is all the digging, cutting, disbudding, tagging, tying, more digging, and splitting that has to go on there! Lauren - As much as you may want to save money or do it yourself, don't make yourself crazy! Weddings can be stressful. If you MUST have dahlias and you have already picked your date, arrange to buy them from a reputable and reliable source (I would second the Swan Island choice, I have had dahlias shipped from them and they were gorgeous) and cross it off the list. Trying to have your mom grow them and ship them just sounds like it will add uncertainty and stress to a day which should be nothing but enjoyment. Good luck!