Meeting with Your Florist

Since I met with the wonderful Lisa Swartout of Bella Bloom Florals today, I was inspired to give all of you some pointers about meeting with your florist for the first time, as well as including some tips from The Knot's Book of Wedding Lists.

While we all get engaged and want to run straight out and start booking vendors, there are some things you should have figured out before you go to meet with your florist.

1. Know your ceremony and reception locations (or at least know what's inside and what's outside and what colors are likely to surround it)
2. Know your wedding colors (you may not know the exact shade of red and aqua, but you should have at least decided on the two basic colors)
3. Know your number of attendants (these numbers can change if they have to as you near the wedding, but at least have basic numbers of everything)
4. Know your wedding party attire (are the guys wearing tuxes, suits, or just nice pants and a shirt? Are the girls wearing formal, semi-formal, or casual attire? A basic knowledge of this is a must!)
5. Know the number of reception tables (for centerpieces). This will help the florist in making a quote for you.
   

And before you make your appointment, or at least before you meet with them, start asking yourself these questions...

• What is my budget? While typical floral budgets can be 8% or more of the total budget, this is really what you're willing to spend. You can have a floral budget of $500 up to $5000+. It will simply indicate how many extras you can afford, if you buy local flowers or import, if you can afford to give everyone a corsage, etc. It's important to try to make a decision on this before you walk in the door, but it doesn't need to be set in stone just yet.
• What style do we want our flowers to convey? Is your wedding formal and calls for elegant, traditional arrangements or are you getting married on the beach and want the feel of flowing orchids? For a traditional bride you may want something romantic, calling for roses or peonies. Just try to picture what you want out of your flowers and the overall look of decor at your wedding.
• What are our favorite flowers? If you're knowledgeable, you can write this list easily. If not, ask your mother or grandmother about flowers she used in her bouquet. Maybe an aunt is a gardener and can tell you some great combinations.
• What colors do we want? Again this goes back to theme, or if your theme is not color based, then maybe it's making the decision of what does a summer garden wedding look like in colors? Most likely you'll have thought of this already, when determining bridesmaid dresses, groomsmens' ties, etc. You don't have to match that though. Your flowers give you the opportunity to add in subtle colors that match the color scheme and add life to the space.
• Do we have any allergies? If you're like me, then you know what will make you sneeze, or itch, or have watery eyes. I know that when I hold Black Eyed Susan's my arms rash up. If you or your husband or anyone in the bridal party has allergies you're aware of, try to avoid those flowers when possible, at least in bouquets or boutteneirs which will come close to individuals. You may still be able to include them in centerpieces or other arrangements which are not so close to people.
• What's in season? My biggest disappointment with my August 2010 wedding is that I can't have ranunculus or peonies, my two favorite flowers. Since I can't change my date, I'm stuck with being ok with not having them in my bouquet. If you have free range on your date, check to see which flowers are in season then. It's always more economical if you pick flowers that are in season, versus ordering flowers in from Holland or somewhere else.

When you do meet with your florist (after careful inspection of his/her website/blog and/or references) bring with you any pictures of flowers or floral designs you like, as well as fabric swatches of dresses or tablecloths you'll use. You can also bring paint chips of your wedding colors. While you're there, here are some questions you may want to ask...

• How long have you been a florist?
• How many weddings do you do a year?
• What was the most unique arrangement you ever made?
• What styles do I have to choose from?
• Can we completely customize an arrangement?
• What types of flowers do you like to work with?
• Do you offer rental items?
• Will you look at pictures we've found to help explain what we want?
• What do you think would be appropriate for our (insert style) wedding?
• What flowers will be in season on our wedding date?
• What flowers should we avoid because of our date?
• How big is your staff?
• How many people will work on our wedding?
• How many weddings do you do a weekend?
• Where do you get your flowers from?
• When are floral arrangements made?
• How are arrangements stored?
• Do you handle all delivery and setup?
• Do you preserve bouquets after the wedding?

After you've worked through all of your questions with the florist, and likely he/she's given you many ideas and options, you should receive a quote (often including a variety of options) listing how much everything would cost you. From there you can pick and choose and customize the florals for your wedding to fit your budget and your preferences. If the florist works for you, and his/her flowers fit your budget, and you're comfortable with them (get that good feeling), then you can put down your deposit. They typically range from a few hundred dollars to half the total. Check with your florist to make sure.

From there you'll be set on a contract, but likely able to make changes until you get about 3-4 weeks out of from the wedding. Best of luck with all of your floral plans!