Guide to Finding and Working With Your Wedding Florist

Photo by Agung Pandit Wiguna from Pexels

There's something so specifically daunting about flowers, isn't there?

First off, there are just so many. There's tulips, lilies, buttercups, daisies, and roses. There's daffodils, hydrangeas, marigolds, mirabilis, orchids, pincushion flowers, and that's just the start. 

That might explain why so many couples find themselves intimidated when it comes to meeting with wedding day florists. Not only are there so many options, but the combinations are literally infinite.

Stress no more. from initial research, to outreach, to sealing the deal, here's how to tackle your wedding day's floral needs. 

Brainstorm and budget
It happens more often than we'd like to admit. A client books a consultation with a florist, makes the drive across town in traffic, sits down at the florist's shop, and has absolutely nothing prepared. No budget in mind, no inspiration images on hand, no nothing nowhere. 

These kinds of meetings get frustrating for both parties pretty quickly.

For those of us non-designer types, picturing what we want our wedding day to look like is hard enough; communicating it in a clear manner is even harder. 

Since wedding day floral comprises so many different combinations of styles, colors, textures, and a whole bouquet of other variables, it's helpful to gather concrete examples of what you want before you sit down for your first floral consultation.

Thankfully we live in an age where doing just that is as easy as a simple Google search. Luckier still, we live in an age where people post everything online, including their wedding photos. Take advantage of that. Jump on sites like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for inspiration, and save everything that you like. It's also really helpful to think about the things you don't like as things to potentially avoid.


As you build your inspiration collection, some questions you can ask yourself to get the ball rolling include:

• What is your wedding theme? 

• What are your primary colors?
  

What kinds of floral arrangements are you looking for? Wild? Natural? Classic? Modern?

• How much is your overall wedding budget? Keep in mind floral traditionally makes up 10 percent of the total wedding cost.

• What other kinds of decor do you want to be a part of the festivities? Centerpieces? Archways?

Research florists
You've settled on a style and feel confident you have a good amount of inspiration to share. You're finally ready to start reaching out to florists. Now how do you find them?

Start by reaching out to any newly weds in your life, especially if their wedding flowers had an impact on you. Chances are they will have someone to refer.

Google may have come to our rescue in the last step, but not here. If you Google "wedding florist," you'll be inundated with national chains with an often impersonal quality. Instead, sites like Wedding Wire, The Knot, and Here Comes the Guide are chalk full of region-specific listings of professional florists. These listings usually come with reviews and photos, which make your vetting process even easier. 

Reach out to the florists that meet all your criteria and be honest about your budget. Some things to consider while you gather those initial quotes:
Have they worked with your venue before? Seeing examples of what they've done previously to transform the space can help turn a creative spark into a flower frenzy.

Will they provide setup and drop off services? Usually you'll pay more for these services, but it's hard to put a price on peace of mind. 

What other services do they provide on top of floral? This one definitely varies by florist. While some simply provide flowers and decor, several florists also function as full service event designers who handle everything from furniture to centerpieces.

What is their collaborative process with clients like? Again, every florist works a little differently. Some may be willing to collaborate on an inspiration board, while others would rather take the creative lead. It's important you find a florist whose creative process gels with your own.


Request a proposal
It took a few tries, but you finally met someone who gets it, someone who knows your budget and can confidently execute your vision, or at least work with you to pull off something close. 

Now you're ready to lock them in. What do you do?

It's time to ask your florist-to-be for a proposal. When you finally sign that proposal, it will act as a contract between you and the florist. Before you sign, it acts as an exact record of everything necessary for your wedding day arrangements. 

A proposal should include the following:

• Contact info - Both yours and your florist's
• Dates, times, and locations of your ceremony, reception, and any other key part of your wedding day
• Setup details including day-of contact, loading dock information, and any other venue-specific information.
• Itemized breakdown of all arrangements, including color, variety, and substitutions if a certain type of flower isn't available. You should include both acceptable and unacceptable substitutions.
• List of rental items that the florist will provide. This can include things like vases, urns, linens, chairs, etc.
• Sketches of particularly complex arrangements and setups
• Breakdown of fees for setup, delivery, taxes, etc., as well as payment schedule

Negotiate, remove, and remedy
Just because your proposal has been delivered, it's not time to relax just yet. If you find your proposal doesn't quite meet your budget, feel free to work with your florist to find cost-effective alternatives. 

Using your proposal as a guideline, try and answer these questions:

• Are your favorite flowers currently in season? If not, are there any look-alikes that are in season?
• How could you best utilize flowers to make your venue pop?
• How do you envision your table configurations and how will flowers be a part of that? Could changing the configuration decrease the amount of flowers needed?

Digging deep into your proposal can help you refine your floral needs into something more in line with your budget without compromising the look, feel, or flow of your wedding day. Just remember that "compromise" is the key word here.

The end result should be a vision you can be proud of, with no big surprises. Just you and your favorite blooms and blossoms.

Photo by Lina Kivaka from Pexels

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Post written by Des Delgadillo for Events Unleashed.