HOW TO SAY ‘I DO’ TO YOUR WEDDING FLORIST

Flowers are a central focus of a wedding – aside from the gorgeous bride of course! – so it’s vital to tick all the boxes before going down the aisle with a wedding florist .

Early planning is esssential.  Around four to six months before the big day is ample time to get started on your flower choices.

Getting a heads up from other people is a good place to start.  It’s always good to hear from people who’ve been on the receiving end of exceptional service, so ask friends and family for their recommendations.  Other people who will have first-hand experiences and who are great sources of information include hairdressers, the venue manager, dress designers and photographers..

Visit online florists for ideas and inspiration.  The web is a fantastic resource and you can get good ideas of trends, colours and new floral designs.   Start an ‘ideas file’ of fabric swatches, clippings from magazines or newspapers, photos and downloads which you can share with the florist when you start your selection process.

Before making a commitment on the flowers, it’s best to have sorted out the wedding venue as well as finalized the bridal retinue’s outfits.  The design, colour, style and proportions of your dress and those of your bridesmaids are really important aspects when it comes to designing bridal flowers.

It’s best to narrow down your list to two or three potential candidates.  Before you go to the appointments, it may be useful to think about the following:

·         Have you got your collection of photos and magazine clippings?

·         The design of your wedding gown

·         Fabric swatches from your gown and the bridesmaids’ outfits

·         Photos or cuttings of how you’ll be wearing your hair on your wedding day

·         Your requirements : ie bouquet, posies for the flowergirls, rose petals for confetti, church flowers, venue flowers, corsages and buttonholes, cake decorations, table centerpieces etc

·         Venue details

·         Examples of containers for the flowers if you are supplying them

At the meeting, you should ask the florist for :-

·         Customer referrals

·         A full breakdown of costings – including insurance, after-hours charges, delivery fee, charges for out-of-season varieties etc

·         A comprehensive contract, including cancellation and refund policies

·         When you’ve finalized your bouquet etc, ask the florist to make a sample for you.  Flowers are also seasonal, so if you’re planning months in advance, always check about availability.  Out-of-season flowers carry a heftier price tag, so you may want to talk about options. 

Get a clear grip on all the costs and make sure you’ve covered all the bases.  Get a straight answer from them so there are no nasty surprises at the end. 

There’s a close relationship between bride and florist, so the chemisty has to work.  If ‘yes’ is your answer to the following questions, then you’ve found the right one :

·         Do they fill you with confidence? 

·         Do they offer creative solutions? 

·         Do you feel they are really listening to your needs? 

·         Do you feel they are sharing your excitement? 

·         Are they transparent about all expenses?

Don’t be shy to ask questions and demand answers.  At the end of the day, it’s your big moment and the florist is there to help create special memories. 

Once you’ve evaluated a few florists, take some time to really think about your final choice.  As a leading Perth florist which specializes in wedding flowers, Angel Flowers, says : Flowers are the universal language of love and no wedding is complete without them, so make them perfect!