Hiring a Wedding Florist
Florist or Do it Yourself?
Once you've got an idea in your head, you'll need to decide how to make it a reality. Traditionally, most brides have hired florists 
to obtain and arrange their wedding flowers, supplying a general concept and relying on the individual florist's experience and skill. These days, more and more brides are choosing to take matters into their own hands, and purchase and arrange their own flowers, with help from members of their wedding party. These days it's easy to buy flowers from the local farmer's market, and purchase vases, decorative stones, ribbons, florist's wire, and other nuances online.
Nonetheless, there are advantages to each approach.
Use a Florist If:
- You're planning an extremely elaborate wedding with lots of arrangements full of many kinds of flowers.
- You've chosen flowers that are hard to find or out of season.
- You simply don't want to do it yourself -- you have other, more important things to worry about!
- Your wedding is in a location where you don't have space or tools to deal with all the flowers.
- You're willing to pay a bit more for something that's as professional as can be.
Do It Yourself If:
- You feel confident working with flowers, and are excited to learn even more.
- You're on a budget, but still want a lot of flowers.
- You're excited about creating a wedding that's true to your vision, and about doing it with your own hands.
- You have friends and/or family who are willing to help.
- You want flowers that are simple, and would be easy to arrange yourself.
Most importantly, try before you buy. Whether you're using a professional florist or purchasing flowers in bulk (from an online source or a local farmer), see if you can get a sample first. Ask to see the florist's work, or order a sample of flowers to experiment with creating bouquets yourself. And make sure to get price quotes from several different sources, preferably at least three. You'll be glad you did!
Steps for Hiring a Florist
Always check ahead of time with your ceremony and reception site to see if they provide flowers as part of the service package. You may then forgo searching for a floral designer at all. Once you know that you need and/or want a florist, ask around to your friends and family for recommendations. Chances are someone knows a reputable florist that can assist you. Add these listings to a list so you have a minimum of three and a maximum of five.
Go to each of the florists that you are considering and check out their shops. See if you like the way the store looks, avoiding disorganized shops, those with wilting flowers, or those with arrangements you don't care for. Talk to the florist and see if his or her personality jives with your own. You are going to need to talk about your vision openly so that you can come up with a plan that fulfills your wishes and stays within budget. Ask him or her if there are any photos you can see of previously made arrangements so that you can get an idea of what the florist is capable of.
Once you've chosen a florist (or at least narrowed it down to two choices) you'll need to get into the specifics with them. This happens around six to eight months before the wedding. Bring in samples from magazines, or print off things you've seen on the Web which appeal to you. You should also bring your wedding binder or whatever you keep all of your wedding planning information in so that you can show the florist what style of wedding you're having. Then you can discuss options and start brainstorming with full knowledge of where and when the wedding will take place, which colors are most predominant, or if you are working with a theme. Make sure to tell the florist how many guests you'll be having, how many tables there will be at the reception, pews at the ceremony, bridesmaids, groomsmen, etc.
Be sure if you are having an outdoor wedding that you hire a florist who has experience in outdoor weddings.
Ask Lots of Questions
It is always better to be safe than sorry. Asking plenty of questions in advance will keep you and the florist on the same page and will ensure that come the big day, everything will be carried out as you had planned.
- Can the florist fit you into his/her schedule?
- How many other weddings will the florist be taking care of the same week as yours?
- See if the florist has tips for keeping costs low, but your vision in the spotlight. If the florist is unwilling to compromise, you should look elsewhere.
- Ask the florist if you can see samples of what you are ordering ahead of time and if there will be an extra cost associated with this service?
- What's the florist's style? Contemporary, traditional, trendy, exotic, avant garde?
- When will the flowers be delivered and will they be set up as part of the service fee or not? Does it cost less if you set up the flowers yourself?
- How long will set up take? This gives you an idea of how long in advance you'll have to have the ceremony and reception sites open ahead of time.
- Some people use the same flowers for both events. Make sure that the florist is okay with this and that the flowers can be transported. Also check if the florist charges an extra fee for transportation.
- Will the florist be able to rent large decorative items and potted plants?
- Can the florist coordinate with the cake maker?
- How much will the services cost and can the florist give you a detailed invoice of what is included in the services?
- What are the payment procedures, deposit, refund, and cancellation policies?
- Is there any performance insurance that the flowers will arrive on time, fresh, and placed properly?
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