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Hunting for the right florist... 10 Professional Tips for Booking a Florist
Updated: Feb 18, 2019
Welcome to The Floral Bar Blog, it‘s been a long time coming!
So you’ve gotten engaged and are super excited, then all of sudden you realize that you have a BIG day to plan! Planning a wedding can feel a bit like full time job; emails, site visits, catering tastings, all to find vendors that understand your vision, taste, style, and fit within your budget! You look on weddingwire.com, you look on theknot.com, you look on google, and you look on every blog. You aren’t sure how to move forward, well you’ve come to the right place. The Floral Bar Blog is here for you to ask questions and finding answers to all of your flower questions. We also hope you will find tips and fun facts that will help ease your weary wedding mind.
The questions that may be running through YOUR bride-to-be mind:
"Will my bouquet be a beautiful as I've envisioned?"
"What venue will I book?"
"How many people will be coming?"
"Do you think my florist will get my theme?" "Are poppies around?"
"Will my reception look good on my budget?"
"How much does all of this cost?"
The list goes on and on, but here are 10 Professional Tips for Booking a Florist that can help you bring a little more clarity to planning.
1. Start looking as soon as you can
Once you have set your wedding date, booked the ceremony, and chosen a location, the next step is to finding a florist. Making an appointment with your desired florist should be taken seriously. Some weddings are so elaborate and involved that the florist has to book the whole week out.
Some florists will save the date for a non-refundable deposit. So, if you are shopping around, & you really like one of the florist, ask if they can save the date for you.
2. Picking the right florist for you Word of mouth is a great way to start looking for a florist. Check with others who have hired a florist for their wedding. Ask friends if they know anyone. Check the florists website for images of their work
3. Put together images and inspiration
Start a Pintrest board, gather magazine images, pictures that you took on a long walk, any thing really that captures your desired visual. This is key to help translate your vision. Pintrest and other sites may show you really stunning weddings that look amazing. Be prepared for the florist to ask questions about what you like most about these images.
4. Set up your floral meeting
The first initial meeting can be really fun. The florist is there to help you understand how magical they can make your wedding look. Throughout this meeting, get to know the florist. The florist will most likely have a few key questions for you to help YOU explain YOUR vision. They are there to get to know YOU, the size of the wedding, the theme of the big day, color schemes and to let you know they are there to help.
The more information you give the florist the more suggestions and information they will be able to provide.
Most florists have websites that showcase some of their work. Ask them if they have more images. Most florist love showing off what they have done for other couples.
If you are satisfied with their work and they are asking the right questions about YOUR wedding, chances are they are a good fit. Book them ASAP. If however, you have not connected with that person and they aren't asking question about YOUR wedding, and you feel that they do not fit your style and preferences, move on to the next one.
5. Ask them what else they provide
Most brides do not know florist provide various other services such as candle treatment, aisle runners, a various other rentals. These various details that can make the wedding really come together. Ask your florist if they provide set-up and tear-down, something that is always over looked. Do they offer candle treatment? Can they help with plants not just flowers? Since they are booked for your BIG day they want to help you in every way possible. Some florists will even help with the sweets bar or have other ideas for you. Since they have been in the wedding industry they see things that many people do not.
6. Be ready for follow-up questions
This is necessary as your florist will be prepared with a lot of proposals, possibly some sketches, and/or various images. The more concrete you can get each part of the proposal the more at ease you will be. The florist will also be confident they understand what you want. These may come as phone calls or emails and they may re-iterate a few times just to make sure you both are on the same page. Translating a vision into a plan is the florists first job.
7. Get Realistic
Florists try hard to make sure they are providing you with the service and the vision you are looking for. Listen to them if they have flower options within your season that can meet your budget.
Such as, double ranunculus, spray roses or over blown double tulips replacing peonies in the spring. Carnations or large football mums in mass can plump up an arrangement at a fraction of the cost.
8. Give the florist leeway
When you are able to give your florist leeway they are able to take your vision to the next level. As long as the main flowers are ordered and YOUR vision in place. They are at able to get budget friendly seasonal flowers. They will be able to buy in abundance with the remainder of your budget. This can really help your florist get more bang for your buck.
9. Make sure you give them contacts and times
Give the florist all information, the location of where you are getting ready, time of pictures, ceremony contact, and reception contact. There is a lot of behind the scene meetings or emails you may not even know they are doing. We at Floral Bar meet with our flower farms to insure the flowers are blooming, meet with venue and we talk to the caterers to ensure that YOUR BIG DAY goes according to plan.
10. Sign contract, sit back & relax
Once the contract is signed, get ready to be wowed by your florist and enjoy YOUR BIG day like you should. Questions touch base with us miss.leahmaria@gmail.com.