You want your wedding’s overall appearance to be memorable, and your florist is an important part of that.
Wedding flowers are the heart of your event and may set the tone: romantic, modern, whimsical, rustic—the list is endless. Hiring a florist is a vital part of wedding planning, but there are a few things you should do before signing a contract with your wedding floral professional. Here’s a step-by-step approach to locating the ideal florist for your wedding.
Determine Your Flower Style
Some florists are known for their tall, lush, extravagant centrepieces, while others are known for their sleek, minimalist arrangements. Find photographs of bouquets, boutonnieres, and centrepieces that you like to help you decide on a wedding colour palette. Also, become acquainted with some of the most frequent floral terminology and the different types of flowers and greenery so that you can converse with your florist.
Determine Your Floral Requirements
Do you want someone to help you plan the aesthetic of your reception tables and ceremony aisle in addition to making your arrangements? A floral designer is most likely more your style and wedding decoration. Do you already have a wedding planner or a creative eye? Then a typical florist will most likely suffice. Set the best fit for you—this will help you reduce your search and determine your budget.
Establish Your Floral Budget
Decor and flowers should account for roughly 10% of your wedding spending. The average couple spent $2,300 on floral decor, according to The Knot Real Wedding Study, although this number varies greatly depending on your wedding venue, guest count, and other specifics. If you adore flowers and want to make a magnificent floral arrangement, or if you have your heart set on peonies in November, prepare to increase this quantity. Include extras like setup and breakdown fees, taxes, and tips. When meeting with wedding florists, you must have a budget in mind.
Obtain Recommendations
As with any wedding professional, you want a dependable, talented, and affordable florist. You should also choose someone open to your ideas and whose taste you admire. Asking for recommendations from newlyweds you know and reading online reviews on The Knot Marketplace are two of the most excellent methods to discover your florist. You may also look at actual wedding photos from events that took place at your wedding venue and images of floral arrangements that you like and find out who made them. If you’re dealing with a wedding planner or venue organiser, they should have some local floral recommendations.
Plan an Interview
You should choose someone you can rely on to make the appropriate floral choices—someone who intuitively knows what would look well together. Make appointments with your “short list” of florists so you may meet in person and study their work portfolios. It’s a good idea to come prepared with a list of questions and the following information:
- The date of your wedding
- An anticipated number of guests, including wedding party members
- Your wedding location
- Colour schemes and flower suggestions
- A list of your other wedding vendors who have already been hired
The show, Don’t Tell Anyone.
Do you consider yourself a true minimalist? Or do you want a super-romantic, spectacular wedding? Your florist is not a mind reader, and images speak louder than words. Bring a Pinterest board, a swatch of bridesmaid dress fabric, and a snapshot of your wedding gown or clothing to your interviews. Discuss your budget and your vision.
Think about the Proposal
Determine your top choices and do a second interview or follow-up session to iron out details such as exact flowers, material and rental expenses, and setup and breakdown costs. Based on what you’ve informed them about your concept and budget, have each florist create a thorough proposal for your floral wedding design. If you’ve discussed various possibilities, request that they submit a “high” best-case scenario and a “low” bare-minimum proposal. You can always mix and match to create a mid-range package—for example, spend more on centrepieces and less on bridesmaid bouquets.
Choose a Winner
Examine your offers to find the best match. If you have any questions about any of the costs or components of the proposal, speak with your selected florist immediately. Then, when you are thoroughly delighted with the proposal, your wedding florist will formalise it.