10 Things to Know Before Hiring Your Wedding Florist
Ready to start thinking about the flowers for your wedding? Before reaching out to florists for quotes, make sure you know what you want and have considered all elements; flowers are there at the start of the ceremony through the end of the evening.
1. Seasonality
If you already have a type of flower in mind, check if they’ll be in season. If you’re open to any type, ask the florist what is in season to help save costs.
2. Bouquet Design Style
Consider which style bouquet complements your gown, your bridesmaids and ceremony style. For example, a cascading bouquet may be a better fit for a formal vow exchange at a church, while a smaller, looser arrangement will match a casual garden celebration. The top flower arrangements are cascading, hand-tied, organic, nosegay and composite.
3. Guests Who Get Flowers
Make a list of the personal guests that you would like to receive flowers, such as mothers, fathers, grandparents, flower girl or ring bearer, siblings etc.
4. Ceremony
Know the details like access time, rules for the altar, pews/chairs, fresh or silk petals.
5. Reception
Consider the shapes of the tables (round or banquet style), rules of decorations, as well as the access time, and loading and unloading details.
6. Center Pieces
Know roughly how many centerpieces will be needed in order to get an accurate cost estimate. Tip: Save money by using the bridesmaids’ bouquets as centerpieces.
7. Color Scheme
What are your main colors, as well as complementary colors, and note any colors you do not want to see in your arrangements. Do you prefer only a few colors, or many complementary colors combined.
8. Theme
Is it Casual, Formal/Black Tie, Garden, Mountain Rustic, Classic Romance, Ethnic, or something unique?
9. Credentials of Your Florist
Is this just a hobby for your florist or is this their career? Check into their credentials, years of experience, portfolio, and accomplishments. You wouldn’t trust someone that likes a nice smile to pull your teeth, you should only trust a professional floral designer for your special day.
10. Budget
This is a must. When the answer is “I don’t know”, you can put the florist in a guessing game. This can price you out of your comfort zone or leave out the quality or quantity of flowers to make the estimate appear lower.