Florists- Everything You Need to Know in One Place
Flowers bring life and color to weddings in a way that is unparalleled. Even if you are taking a minimalist approach, your floral arrangements help make this statement! While florals are my personal favorite part to decor, it is admittedly a vendor I struggle to recommend. There are just so many factors to determine which florists are going to be a good fit with which couple! I have spent a lot of time sifting through what makes a good match and in the meantime come across a lot of other valuable information that can help guide your wedding florals journey. Below I have compiled all of the information you need to know, the questions you need to ask before hand, and information on how to proceed after booking your florist.
This blog is divided into 3 sections-
Things to consider when looking for a florist
Questions to ask your florist
The basics
The details
The logistics
Things to do/consider after booking your florist
Things to consider when looking for florists:
1. Florals are expensive! There is a lot of time and artistry that goes into creating your arrangements, so a lot of florists will have cost minimums in order to make any particular job worth their while. Not all florists have minimums, but IF a florists does have a minimum most will start in the $2k range and go alllll the way up from there.
2. Even if you don’t have a massive budget for a florist, you are still paying for a service and you want to be happy with the service they are providing! Be sure to look into portfolios and provide a lot of example pictures so they can tell you honestly if a) they are confident they can create the look you are after and b) accomplish this within your budget. If a florist doesn't ask for examples/inspiration photos before providing a quote, it is typically a big red flag!
3. A florist should always, always provide an itemized order list with exactly what you’ve paid for. You can typically finalize this once you are within 45-30 days of your wedding (depending on the company), but this list is as fundamental as a contract!
4. Talk through the flowers and greenery that will be in season at the time of your wedding. If you chose flowers in season, you will save big time and get more bang for your buck!
5. Make sure to check exclusivity clauses in your contract! If you want to do any DIY arrangements or use fake flowers anywhere make sure this is allowed in your contract. If it is not, discuss the possibility of them adding these pieces into the quote for the cost you would have spent DIYing those arrangements. They may not be able to do this, but it is worth asking!
6. Sometimes it is better to go big on a few items instead of thinly spreading the budget to include more pieces. If you have to adjust the items you are ordering in order to stay in budget, I highly recommend spending more on your bouquet, the sweetheart table arrangement, and the altar arrangements. These will be in SO MANY of your photos which means you'll be looking at them for years to come! You want to be happy when you see them!
7. If you really like someone's style, tell them! Everyone loves when their work is appreciated! If a florist knows that you are a big fan of their work they will be more apt to work with your budget!
8. A great way to cut costs is by repurposing the arrangements from the ceremony area later in the evening. Depending on the size and quantity these can be moved to your sweetheart table, dessert table, or anywhere else you want to spruce up!
9. Ask all of your questions, but go for quality questions over quantity (this is true for all vendors, actually). It is so, so important to get all of your questions answered, but you want to make sure you are asking the right questions. The list of questions I have included below is very comprehensive, but not 100% of the questions are necessary in every situation. Pick and choose what is relevant to you and that particular vendor!
10. You more or less get what you pay for. If someone quotes you $2k and someone else quotes you $10k for the exact same project, there is probably a reason. Take my warning with a grain of salt, though. There are plenty of florists out there on both ends of the budget spectrum that would prove me wrong on this. Avoid feeling like you wasted money by thoroughly vetting your florists. Look through portfolios, check reviews, and make sure your contract protects you, the client, and not just the florist!
Questions to ask your florist:
The Basics-
1. Are you available on my date?
2. Can you work within my budget? Be sure to list exactly what pieces you need and explain the overall aesthetic you are going for so they can properly gauge this!
3. How long have you been working with florals? How long have you been a wedding florist specifically?
3. How would you describe your typical go-to style of florals?
4. Have you created similar looks to what I am going for in the past? Can I see examples?
5. Do you have a full portfolio and/or Instagram I can look through?
6. Do you personally create the pieces for my wedding? If not, can I speak with the person who will be taking charge and can I see examples of their work?
7. Do you personally arrive to set up my arrangements and deliver the personal flowers? If not, will I be able to contact the person responsible for this beforehand?
8. Will you have any other events on my wedding day? If they do, this shouldn’t immediately count them out, but if you have a lot of moving pieces and need them throughout your wedding day, this vendor won’t work for you.
9. Are you familiar with my venue? If not can you do a venue walk through before hand to get a feel for the space?
The details-
1. Is this your full time job or do you do something else? (Note- a new or “hobby” florist is not necessarily a bad thing! Just be sure they are ready to fully commit to your wedding. Have this commitment in writing via a contract and be sure you are protected in this contract should they need to cancel).
2. Where do you source your flowers from?
3. How are the flowers transported? Will they be kept cool and out of direct sunlight so they don’t melt?
4. Do you offer drop off’s at multiple locations (i.e. if you are getting ready somewhere besides your venue or if your ceremony and reception are in separate locations can they do multiple drop offs)?
5. What flowers will be in season at the time of my wedding? Can you make some recommendations to maximize my budget while still staying true to the style I like?
6. Do you provide vases or will I need to supply them? If you do provide them, will they need be returned to you, will you pick them up, or are they mine to keep at the end?
7. Do you have any other decor rentals available?
8. Will you help me with preserving my bouquet after the wedding? If not, can you provide insight into what I can do to preserve my bouquet?
9. I want to add some flowers to my wedding cake. Can you work with my baker to make this happen?
10. Can you create a sample centerpiece and bouquet before booking so I can see that we are on the same page? If so, will this cost extra?
The logistics:
1. Will the types of flowers I am hoping to use hold up in hours of direct sunlight?
2. Will you need access to a water source?
3. Can the arrangements on my arbor be repurposed later in the event?
4. Will you stay onsite throughout to day to remove/move my altar arrangements and clear the florals at the end of the night? Is there an extra fee for this?
5. How long does it typically take you to set up this amount of florals?
6. When will I need to finalize the order?
7. How much is the deposit?
8. When is the final payment due? Do you find that this amount typically varies from the initial quote? If so, by how much?
9. Do you charge any travel/delivery/set-up fees?
10. What is your preferred method of payment?
11. If the you are renting any decor items to me, can I see an itemized price list beforehand of what I would be charged if any of those pieces go missing, are not returned at the end of the night, or are damaged?
Things to do/consider after booking your florist
1. Don’t forget to finalize your order! The florist wouldn’t let this happen anyway, but it is good to keep it in mind. Be aware of when you need to finalize your order so you can fully think through exactly what you want beforehand.
2. Keep your florist in the loop as your vision evolves. Make sure that the new ideas you want to incorporate won’t drastically change the overall cost. Something as simple as falling in love with peonies for your December wedding can easily double your quote!
3. Print out your finalized order list and delegate someone reliable to confirm everything is accounted for on the day of. If you have a planner or day of coordinator then that is the person you want to give the list to. If you don’t have a coordinator, find some one you trust who can thoroughly go through the checklist and make sure everything has been delivered and set up. If something is missing, they will need to make a note of it so you get your money back for the missing item.
4. Label bouquets and corsages. Organization is key when it comes to keeping everything running smoothly on your big day, and florals are no exception! Labeling personal flowers (and even the bigger arrangements) is a great way to guarantee all of the florals are accounted for and get to who/where they need to be! Most florists will take care of this aspect for you, but it is always good to confirm with them that they will take care of this. if you are choosing to DIY your flowers it is a great idea to bring small tags to clearly mark each bouquet, boutonniere, corsage, etc.
5. Ensure the florist has a water source (if applicable- it almost always is). The florist will usually inquire about this beforehand, but it is always a great factor to cover with your venue beforehand!
6. If you can give away your centerpieces, make sure no centerpiece is left behind! 2 ideas for this:
One great way to guarantee your centerpieces aren’t left behind is by having guests compete for them in a friendly “centerpiece game.” Usually these games are played amongst each table which also encourages conversation between guests who may not already know each other. Make sure the DJ/MC announces that the winner of the game at each table wins the centerpiece! There are several different games you can have guests play, so be sure to look into the options and personalize where you can! Click here for a few great ideas for centerpiece games!
Another, simpler, way to encourage guests to take centerpieces is to have the DJ/MC announce that they can be taken. In this scenario, guests will just take the centerpieces based on a first come (or leave in this case) first serve bases. Pro tip: make sure the DJ makes this announcement really early in the evening at a point when guests very clearly understand that the party isn’t over yet, and then remake the announcement in the last 15 minutes of the reception (if they make the announcement at the beginning of dancing, people may feel pressured to leave, but if they wait until the absolute end too many guests may be gone and not all of the centerpieces will be taken).
7. If you need to return your centerpieces, make sure your centerpieces aren’t accidentally taken by guests! If you are not giving away your centerpieces, have the DJ/MC make an announcement early in the reception and in the last 15 minutes. It is no fun to have a sad florist/decorator and extra charges at the end of the night because they are missing some of their beloved vases! Avoid this by clearly communicating with guests via your MC, and delegate a few people to retrieve any centerpieces wandering away with guests who may have missed the memo.
8. Look into ways to preserve your bouquet BEFORE your wedding. Have an idea of what you want to do with it so you can take quick action following the wedding so that it keeps as best as possible!
Did I miss anything? Let me know! Feel free to reach out with questions or comments!
As always, happy planning!!