No wedding is ever complete without the amazing smells and pops of color that flowers or floral bouquets provide! Flowers truly help bring events to life and provide that freshness that they all require. Who may you ask puts these amazing florals together? That would be a florist!
A florist is a person who sells and arranges plants and cut flowers. They are the one who helps you choose flowers based on your color palette and create masterpieces based on what you visualize! They are usually extremely great at listening to what your vision is and creating exactly what you ask for through using their knowledge of various plants and flowers.
Maybe you aren’t exactly sure how to choose the right florist to hire? Most couples getting married haven’t been through it before and don’t understand how to find the right person for their wedding. It is uncharted territory and I don’t want you to get stuck in a bad floral situation that could have been avoided.
Let’s get into what makes a florist right for you and which questions to ask before hiring!
When hiring a florist:
Know your expert options
There are technically two types of job titles who can do wedding flowers; a florist and an event designer. Make sure that you understand the difference between the two.
A Florist is best when you already have a clear vision for what you want your day to look like as far as your centerpieces, bouquets, boutonniere, etc. They offer advice based on colors and type of flower.
An Event Designer is best when you need help coming up with a comprehensive event including design and theme. They offer more sound advice on what they think would look best and where.
Make a budget
Having a budget before speaking to a florist is key. The rule of thumb is to allot 10% of your budget to florals. This will vary depending on what is important to you.
Be completely honest with your florist or designer from the beginning. They will be able to best assist you by trying to find flowers to fit your budget.
Flower budgeting tip: avoid booking a date that coincides with a large flower based holiday because that is when flower prices sky rocket (example: Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Christmas).
Find somebody with similar aesthetics
When searching for potential florists or designers, go after the people whose aesthetic appeals to your vision. You don’t want to find a florist in hopes that they can create your vision. Find somebody who has created something similar so that you know they can do it.
Consider their experience
Be sure to discuss not only a florist or designers experience with creating what you’d like, but also their ability to handle logistics. You want to check how many weddings they can do in a day and how many people are on their team.
You also want to ensure that they can get high quality flowers and aren’t using the cheap stuff. Even though the cheap flowers are less expensive, they don’t look as great and will die a lot quicker.
Trust your instincts
Choosing a florist or designer isn’t just about their floral creation skills but also the vibes that they give off. You want to be able to get along well with all of your vendors and that includes your florist. You want them to not only understand your wedding floral vision but also you as a person. I find the relationships extremely important.
Sign the contract (after reading it thoroughly)
You always want to read through every contract in depth to ensure that all details are in there. The contract should include what you are paying for, when it will be delivered, as well as dates, times, and locations. That way if anything goes wrong for any reason, you have an agreement in writing.
Important questions to ask a potential florist:
Are you available on our wedding date?
Have you done any weddings?
Can I see either photos or live examples of your work?
Have you ever done a wedding at our ceremony or reception venue before?
How many weddings do you generally handle on the same day or the same weekend?
Do you generally just drop off the flowers or set them up?
Do you like client input or do you like to create based on what the clients give you to work with?
Will you work with the venue to find out what restrictions there may be with floral decorations?
Do you offer any other services?
Will you handle set up and tear down? Do you offer delivery of the flowers?
What happens to the flowers after the wedding?
Do you use a flower wholesalers and can you get any type of flowers?
How do payments work and do you require a deposit?
Do you require a minimum? Are you willing to work with my budget?
JUST REMEMBER: Find a florist who you believe is the right fit for you and who you truly believe will create the beautiful flowers you have always dreamed of having at your wedding!
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