One of the majour vendors you’ll need to secure for your wedding is the florist. Your flowers are important in setting the tone for your special day and are necessary for all parts of the wedding including the ceremony, the attire, and the reception. It’s important that you ask the right questions before booking a florist. If you choose the wrong one you won’t know it until it’s too late unless you spend some time up front getting answers to these important questions.
• Do you substitute flowers if needed? This could be a problem if you order expensive imported orchids and end up with carnations. You need to find out what the policy is about getting the exact flowers in your contract.
• How soon do you need to sign the contract? How much down payment is required? It’s essential that you know how much money is needed to hold your date – never pay the full florist bill (or any other vendor) until after the wedding is over.
• Ask how long the florist has been in business. Also, find out who the floral artists are and find out how much experience each of them has. You don’t want to pay for a top quality florist only to be assigned a minimum wage worker with very little experience or knowledge.
• Request to view photos of their work. Florists will have a book that displays their best work. Keep in mind that this is their best of the best. If possible, view some of their work in person (find out the next wedding and ask to visit).
• Find out their schedule. How many weddings can they comfortably book in a single weekend? You don’t want them to be so busy that they don’t spend enough time on your flowers.
• Ask about set up and delivery of the various flowers. For example, you will need your bridal bouquet for photos early in the day. The flowers for the church need to be delivered and set up according to the church schedule. Flowers for the reception need to be brought to the venue.
• How many people will be working on your wedding flowers? How soon ahead of time will they begin to make up the arrangements and bouquets? Are they comfortable with a wedding of your size and complexity?
• Find out who will be managing your account so you can speak to them whenever necessary.