When it comes to planning a wedding, the flowers are my absolute favorite part. Then again, I am a florist, so perhaps I am a little biased. I’ve also been around flowers nearly my entire life.
As you will see throughout your time planning your wedding, there are endless options with nearly every aspect of the wedding, and that certainly applies to your wedding flowers as well. Wild flowers? Classic flowers? Seasonal flowers? Colorful flowers? I could go on forever.
But what is more important than choosing the right flowers is choosing the right florist to help you on your special day.
If you are considering hiring a professional to do your wedding flowers, there are a few things you should consider to make sure you get exactly what you want for your wedding flowers. Here are 8 steps to hiring a wedding florist.
1. Identify your style
Knowing what kind of ‘feel’ you are going for will make it much easier to find a florist, as well as set a budget. If you don’t have any ideas yet, or if you want something more concrete, a great resource is Pinterest. I highly recommend you looking up various wedding flower arrangements to see what kind of style you like.
While there are many different styles when it comes to wedding flowers, and some may overlap each other, here are just a few quick categories.
Classic flowers
Photography: Byron Roe Photography
Romantic Flowers
Photography: Mary Wyar Photography
Natural flowers
Photography: Sargeant Creative & The Blossom Tree
Wild flowers
Photography: Chic Vintage Brides
Bold flowers
Photography: LOVE BY SERENA & Modern Wedding Photography
Modern flowers
Photography: Colin Cowie Celebrations
No matter your style, they are all beautiful. So stick to what you love the most!
2. Decide how much Individual attention you want
There are 3 main types of florists though these could be mixed together as well.
First is your retail florist. This is your typical flower shop where you can pick up a few bouquets and boutonnieres. These can be sufficient if you have a small order, however, this is not typically where most brides want to get their flowers from. The attention would be very limited and, for your wedding day, you will most likely want someone who genuinely wants to make your wedding dreams come true.
Second is a floral designer, your typical wedding florist. This person is more focused on creating beautiful floral arrangements specific to an event, such as your wedding day. You can expect much more personalized attention than from a retail florist as well as a creative, artistic ability to combine bouquets, centerpieces, boutonnieres and other floral décor to fully realize your dream wedding.
Lastly, there are full-service event and floral designers. From decorations to flowers to set-up, they can offer a full package to make your venue look absolutely stunning. Many of these full-service florists will have rentals such as candles, lights, vases and other décor items. If you have an image in your mind for how you want the venue to look, combining flowers, centerpieces, arch décor and more, a full-service event and floral designer would be your best choice. They will certainly alleviate the stress of pulling everything together for you!
3. Come up with an estimated budget
Being realistic with your own budget will save everyone time. If you don’t set a number ahead of time, you can end up with proposals from $1,500 to $20,000. Some florists only work with certain price ranges but you can certainly find floral designers that are willing to work within most (reasonable) budgets. All you have to do is be honest with yourself and them right from the beginning.
4. Search for a florist
Once you have an idea of what you are looking for, it is time to start your search. Be careful using Google as this will often point you to national floral companies and chains which will certainly not offer any individual attention. Instead, we suggest asking for recommendations and then visiting that florist’s website to see their portfolio. Recommendations are key for choosing your florist because this decision is more than just picking a vendor. It is choosing someone who can bring your wedding day dream to life. That said, you want someone who will be a joy to work with, artistic, creative and open-minded. Another point to make is that some florists use stock photos from Pinterest and other websites as part of their portfolio images. Try to validate the images that they show you as much as you can versus assuming the photos are original.
5. Narrow down your options
Once you have a few contenders, now it is time to ask how they will work with you. Knowing their communication styles, as well as the specifics of what is included in their services, will help ease your mind on your big day.
Here are a few questions you can ask:
- What is their design process? Are they open to Pinterest pin examples? Do they want complete freedom?
- How far in advance will you have to finalize your decisions with the flower arrangements?
- Do they help with the setup or will you have to pick up the flowers? Is there a delivery fee?
- Do they have containers you can rent or do you need to provide your own?
- If so, will they come pick them up or do you have to return them yourself?
6. Agree on a budget
While you came up with an estimated budget earlier, now is the time to decide on your final spend amount. After talking to your florist, you should have a good idea of what your vision will cost. If you really love the florist but they are over your budget, ask if there are other similar flowers you can substitute to bring down the price. If they are right in the range you are looking for, then it’s time to move on to the next step!
7. Sign the proposal
So you’ve found the florist you love and you have reached an agreement on budget! Exciting! Now it is time to seal the deal. You should always have a set agreement with your wedding vendors. Typically your florist will have one ready for you to sign. Make sure this includes deposit amount, final payment date, the budget, venue information, services as agreed upon and any other details you have discussed with your florist. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the proposal – it is always best to have clarity on what you are signing.
8. Relax and get excited for your gorgeous wedding day!
Now that you have this major vendor squared away, it is time to relax and get excited for your wedding day (or move on to the next item on your list.) Either way, you can breathe knowing that you have a creative, artistic florist on your side, ready to help make your dream wedding day come true.