Skip to content

Tips For Choosing Your Wedding Florist

  • by

The overall design of your wedding to make an impression — and your florist is a major player.

Flowers for weddings are at the center of your event and will create the vibe you’re going for romantic, modern or whimsical. The list goes on and on. Engaging a florist can be essential to your wedding’s planning, however there are some steps you’ll need to do before signing an agreement with your floral pro. This step-by-step guide will help you in selecting the best flower designer for your special day.

How Do You Choose an Florist for Your Wedding?

We recommend that you begin looking into wedding florists approximately 11 months before your big day, with the intention to conclude a contract within 9 to 10 months prior to your wedding. In essence, when you’ve booked your venue and have agreed on a date you can start researching other vendors, including your florist. Due to the current wedding boom, vendors are booking up quicker than ever (especially especially if you’re getting married during peak wedding season), so the earlier you are able to secure an appointment with a florist the more convenient!

1. Establish Your Flower Style

Some florists are specialized in tall, lavish elaborate centerpieces, whereas others excel at simple, modern arrangements. Look up photos of bouquets, centerpieces and boutonnieres you like to discover your preferred styleand pick your wedding colors. And familiarize yourself with some of the most popular floristic terms and varieties of greenery and flowers so that you can discuss your options with your florist.

2. Find out what your floral needs are

Are you looking for someone to not just design your floral arrangements but also design the look of your reception tables as well as your aisles for the ceremony? A floral designer is probably more your speed. Do you have a wedding plan or an eye for style? A regular florist will likely work. Determine which one is the best fit–this will allow for you to limit your options and decide on your budget.

3. Design Your Floral Budget

Flowers and decorations should add up approximately 10% of your total wedding budget. According to the Knot Real Wedding Study, the average couple will spend about two thousand dollars for flowers, but that figure varies significantly based on your wedding location, guest count and other factors. If you’re fond of flowers and are looking for a stunning floral arrangements, or are dead-set on peonies in November, plan to bump up this amount. Be sure to include additional expenses like set-up and breakdown costs as well as taxes and suggestions. It’s important to have a specific number in mind when you start meeting the wedding flower vendors.

4. Get Recommendations

As with all wedding pros It is essential to choose a florist who’s reliable as well as competent, and is within your price range. You should also find someone who is willing to listen to your ideas and has a taste you trust. One of the most effective ways to locate your florist is via referrals from friends and family members who are newlyweds. You can also review online reviews from The Knot Marketplace. You can also check out photographs of real weddings that took place in your wedding location, find photographs of floral arrangements you like, and then find out the people who made the floral arrangements. When you’re working alongside a wedding planner or a venue coordinator, they should offer suggestions for local wedding florists.

5. Schedule an Interview

You should hire someone you trust to make appropriate floral decisions. Someone who intuitively can tell what works together. Arrange meetings together with the “short list” of florists so you are able to meet them in person and view a portfolio of their work. It is a good idea to have your list of questions and have the following info in hand:

Your wedding date
A rough estimate of guest count, including number of wedding party members
Your wedding venue
Flower ideas and color schemes
A list of other wedding vendors who have been booked

6. “Show, Don’t Tell

Are you a true minimalist? Are you planning to plan an ultra-romantic, glamorous wedding? Your florist doesn’t have a mind-reading ability and pictures are more persuasive than words. Take your Pinterest board, bridesmaid dress fabric swatch and a photograph of your wedding dress or outfit for your interview. Talk about your dream and your budget.

7. Review the Proposal

Determine your top picks and hold an interview with them again or a subsequent discussion to discuss specifics such as the exact amount of flowers costs, materials cost, rental costs, as well as set-up along with breakdown prices. Each florist should put together an elaborate proposal for your wedding floral design based on what you’ve told them about your ideas and budget. If you’ve talked about many possible ideas, request the florists to create an “high” most likely scenario and a “low” minimal proposal. You are able to mix and make a mid-range package–perhaps you spend more on the centerpieces , and then reduce the bouquets of your bridesmaids.

8. Pick a Winner

Check out your proposal and figure out the most suitable match. If you’re concerned about certain costs or aspects of the proposal, speak about them with the chosen florist immediately. When you’re completely satisfied with the proposal, the wedding florist will turn into a formal written contract.