How To Hire The Florist For Your Wedding
December 4, 2008
You have bought your bridal gown; you have reserved your reception venue, what’s next? Decorating your reception venue is an important task that you can’t start early enough. Your first step in decorating your venue is to find the right florist. It sounds simple, but it takes a lot of work.
When you interview florist make sure you don’t just take their word for it. You should see their previous work. An experienced bridal florist should have plenty of pictures in her portfolio. If the florist is unable to show you pictures of her previous work, you should walk. Decorating is too important to leave it to an inexperienced person.
The right florist is not only making sure the right flowers are delivered and arranged on your wedding day. A really good florist is an advisor about the overall decorating of the venue. Florist should have an eye for making any location look its absolute best, and it goes beyond arranging the flowers. Florist should be involved in selecting the right flowers, lights, candles, linens, decorative linens, and more. Of course, it doesn’t mean you have to agree to every suggestion. But, it certainly helps to get suggestions.
You can’t start soon enough for the right florist. It is certainly an essential part of your wedding planning project, and you should not leave it to the least minute. You should start interviewing florist as soon as you have reserved the reception venue. If possible, invite the florist to visit the venue with you to make suggestions about colors and decoration in general.
Make sure to have an idea of what you want by the time you hire the florist. Bring as many pictures, magazines, and catalogs you can to describe your requirements to the florist. It helps them too to understand exactly your likes and dislikes.
You should work within your budget. Make sure your florist understands how much you have allocated to flowers and decoration. When both you and your florist understand your budget, you don’t have to worry about surprises.
Ask for references, and check references. It is not enough to ask for them, so take the time and call the references and ask detailed questions regarding budgets, timeliness, customers service, quality, etc.
Put everything in writing, and be very specific. Make sure the name and color of the flowers, the time of delivery, the location of the delivery, and guarantees are part of the written contract. Always have a written and signed contract in place. It protects you and the vendor.
9 Responses to “How To Hire The Florist For Your Wedding”
When should you hire a florist for your wedding day?
My wedding is a little less than 10 months away. I’m not sure when to try to look for florist. My wedding is in June of 2009, I know that this is a popular month so I’m not sure if I should hire one now or wait.
By dixiegrl787 on Dec 4, 2008
At least a week before the wedding.
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By euro_son on Dec 4, 2008
Whats the point in waiting? It only adds to your long list of things to do later.
Now! We booked a year in advance, and some florists were already booked out.. luckily the one we wanted was available on our date.
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By fizzy stuff on Dec 4, 2008
Hire now! I just got married two months ago, I had my Florist by September of last year. You can go in, sit down and discuss everything you want at the moment. Then if you change your mind, you’ll have plenty of time to do the adjustments with the florist. The sooner the better for everything!! Trust me.
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By jekealey on Dec 4, 2008
Start calling florists now to find out if they’re available and if you have multiple options, set up appointments to sit down and ask questions about their fees and what they offer. Once you find one you really like, book them. I’m a proponent of getting stuff like that booked WAAAAY ahead of time, I don’t want to be stuck without one of my major vendors because I waited too long. Early birds catch the juiciest worms, as they say.
I have my florist booked, but there are only a handful in my town and, like many people here, I have a favorite. In fact, the only vendor I haven’t hired yet that I need to is my DJ, and that decision will be made by the end of the week. I like having my ducks in order so I can concentrated on the little details.
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By teacherjen2004 on Dec 4, 2008
Definitely now. I am getting married in October of 2009 and I have a florist already, you never know what could happen, and who is going to be booked. Don’t wait!!!
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By yay!!! on Dec 4, 2008
Do it as soon as you can. Good florists will be taken up early, especially for the month of June. Actually, you should probably choose all your vendors as early as you can. Meet with them and pick the best ones, and give them deposits to ensure that they’re yours for your wedding date. You can write up full contracts that include all the details after you book them. Always make sure you get a written contract from each vendor including the date and time you need them, what their exact services/products are that you’re paying for, the cost, and who will be doing the services.
You know what? Use http://www.theknot.com. It’s free, and it’s got a checklist, planner, & budgeter in there. It’s so useful! It’ll tell you when you need to do each task for planning your wedding.
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By Eden Rose on Dec 4, 2008
The more you have organized now, then less you will have to worry about during crunch time. Be prepared. Lots of little things come up in those last couple weeks, and you’ll run yourself ragged if you’re not on the ball. Start thinking about contingencies. Run through it in your head and try to anticipate everything. Because those last weeks, even though you’ll have people to run errands for you, will still be tough.
When I planned my friends wedding, we had everything done 3 months before the wedding. I mean EVERYTHING. Not one stone left unturned. Naturally, there were a few little snaffoo’s, but for the most part, it was a very relaxed wedding!
Keep a notebook so you can have all your ducks in a row. You’ll need to call and confirm with ALL your vendors one month before the wedding. Then again one week before the wedding. Things happen. Vendors have lives, too and personal tragedies happen, so if you call a month ahead, then if your florist keeled over, you’ll have time to make other arrangements. Not that that would happen, but what’s a wedding without flowers?
Congratulations!
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By Answer Fairy on Dec 4, 2008
As soon as you can. I am getting married in August 2009 and my florist had only 2 dates left open – one of which was mine, thankfully! She said they book up fast so the sooner the better!
Good luck
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By Kristy on Dec 4, 2008