Hey loves! In this post we’re talking about 6 tips for how to choose a wedding florist that will put your mind at ease, and make sure your wedding flowers are 100% perfect!
1. When meeting with a florist, trust your gut.
The most in-demand florists are designing multiple weddings almost every weekend of the wedding season. They’re coordinating with farms and wholesalers to procure flowers and greenery, keepin’ things fresh, gathering materials, and executing their clients’ vision. They break through unpredictable barriers like inaccurate or malnourished flower orders, inclement weather, traffic congestion etc. It’s a full-time, full-throttle industry. If your florist isn’t knowledgeable, proactive or organized, the likelihood of your florals being absolutely perfect for your wedding quickly diminishes. Consider bringing a list of questions to ask a potential florist when you meet with them. Ask their opinion on a design issue, and where they source their flowers from. Ask how many florists are on their team or ask for a recommendation for another vendor. If you doubt about their ability to execute your vision, maybe speak with another florist.
2. Pay attention to who they work with + where they’ve been featured.
When choosing your wedding florist, wedding blogs can be a good place to start. If you are obsessed with a particular blog, you know you will love a florist that has been featured there! Another thing to pay attention to is who they work with regularly. If a florist is easy and enjoyable to work with, it will show in how well they collaborate with other vendors! How do your flowers make you feel through the entire process? This is very important. Planning a wedding can be stressful, and you want vendors on your team who will support you and care about you!
3. Find florists on Pinterest and Instagram.
The most passionate florists will link their social media posts to their features in online blogs and publications. They love taking pride in their work and sharing it with others. As long as the florist is able design your style, and they’re located nearby, it might be time to reach out and have a chat. Also, using hashtags around what you’re looking for + where you are located is a really good way to find local quality florists (and other wedding vendors!).
4. Be wary of hiring your venue’s florist.
Venues that either recommend or require you to use their contracted florist will often take a cut of the floral costs in exchange for giving your business to the florist. This sometimes means that they will also build in additional costs to their quote to kick back to the venue. If you LOVE the venue’s florist then definitely go for them. But if you’re not sure, look around for one that will mesh well with you and who can execute your vision perfectly.
5. When choosing your wedding florist, avoid hiring friends or family.
Your stress will be at an all-time high on your wedding day. When one of your closest friends or relatives hands you a well-intentioned, but disappointing bouquet to walk down the aisle with in front of all your friends and family, you will be let down. If flowers are something that are important to you, don’t make the mistake of thinking you will be relaxed about how they turn out. Instead, save yourself the drama and hire a professional. Also don’t try to supplement your professional florists work with other complicated pieces to save money. While this may be okay for smaller things like greenery tucks or candles, it can look out of place. People notice when skill is compromised on larger things like arbors or complicated centerpieces.
6. Don’t ever choose your wedding florist based on price. Decide based on value.
In other words, don’t settle. The highest dollar bride we’ve ever designed a proposal for was ready to move forward with us last summer, but I knew she was trying to save a good amount by not using another florist who specialized in her style. Although I loved her vision, it wasn’t our brand, and part of what brides pay their florist to do is to relieve their stress and anxiety. If you’re not confident your florist will put your mind at ease, you’re wasting your money. I advised her to use the other florist who specialized in her style and could give her EXACTLY what she wanted. Floral designers want happy clients. If you know you’d be happier with someone else, even if they’re more expensive, don’t hesitate to go with the other one. Don’t go with the lowest bidder, and be honest about your budget. Most florists can work within a budget or point you in the right direction to get your vision met.
Did you find this post helpful? If you’ve been wondering how to choose a wedding florist, now you know where to start! If you’re in the wedding planning process, check out our blog for more helpful resources. Up next we will go more in depth on what to look for in your wedding florist, so stay tuned!
