How To Find The Best wedding florist near me
How To Choose An Amazing Florist For Your Wedding
How to choose a wedding florist?
If you've ever dreamed about your wedding, it's likely you envisioned a beautiful bouquet or expertly crafted centerpieces.
In this guide, we are going to share:
7 Tips for Choosing an Amazing Florist!
13 Mistakes Brides Make with their Blooms!
I hope you're excited because we have a lot of wedding flower ideas and great information headed your way!
Weddings require you to be patient and flexible.
This is especially true when it comes to choosing your florist and your blooms!
Many brides turn to sites like Pinterest for inspiration and that's a great idea. However, we do need to keep in mind that much of what we see on these sites are perfectly staged photographs. We see perfectly "posed" brides and grooms or pictures of lavish floral centerpieces.
What they don't tell you is that these photographs were taken using the perfect location with professional models. Or they capture these extravagant floral centerpieces found in $70,000 weddings.
When using sites like Pinterest, use them to help you convey your likes, dislikes, and your overall vision.
7 Tips For Choosing An Amazing Florist!
1. Visit Their Website
Choosing a florist is similar to choosing a wedding photographer. The first thing you're going to do is view samples of their work.
So, when you view their website what should you be looking for?
First, take note of their website design. You might be thinking - "what in the world does this have to do with choosing a florist?"
Website design can tell you a lot about a particular professional. Is their website "clean" looking? Modern? Is it easy to navigate? Does it provide helpful information?
Or does it feel "clunky", cluttered, and outdated?
It's certainly not always the case, but it may be a reflection of that professional.
Once you've gotten a feel for their website take a look at their portfolio. How do their images make you feel? Do you like their arrangements? Do they seem have to a good design sense? Do they use color well? Do they appear to be imaginative?
2. Ask Your Wedding Professionals
Chances are you've already hired your DJ, photographer, and/or your videographer. They are valuable resources, so don't hesitate to ask them for recommendations.
As wedding professionals, we work with a lot of different vendors and we see a lot of different styles.
3. Word Of Mouth
Word of mouth is the best form of advertising, right? Ask friends, family members or co-workers if they know of someone who was recently married and how their florist was. This is a great way to find a quality professional .
4. Bridal Shows
Bridal shows can be a great way to gather information, but they often can make you feel overwhelmed because so much information is thrown at you at once.
If you're going to attend a bridal show, make a list of 3-4 things you want to accomplish. This will help to keep you focused and productive!
5. Know Your Budget
Before meeting with any florists, you will need to know your budget. This will obviously be important information so they can make professional recommendations that best meet your needs.
6. Interview Multiple Florists
Once you'r ready to actually meet with florists, set-up 3 or 4 interviews. With any professional, it's imperative to hire professionals with great personalities. Even though they don't spend the entire day by your side like your photographer, they still need to deliver quality customer service and work well with other vendors.
While interviewing florists pay attention to their design abilities, use of color, imagination, and of course, their professionalism.
It would also be worth your time to research questions you should ask potential florists and focus on the questions that are most relevant to your wedding, and your needs.
After each interview, request a written proposal outlining the price and everything that's included.
7. Bring Examples
Your florist can only be as good as the picture you paint for them.
To ensure they fully understand your needs, be sure to bring pictures of flowers and arrangements you like and dislike! This will ensure your vision is clearly communicated.
13 Mistakes Brides Make With Their Blooms!
1. They Don't Know Their Budget!
The price of flowers can vary greatly! If you don't know how much you have to spend on your blooms, it's almost impossible for your florist to make recommendations.
2. Expensive Blooms!
Many brides will immediately rule out expensive blooms because they don't think their budgets will allow for them.
Before ruling anything out, consult with your florist. Often, the more expensive blooms provide greater coverage so you require less flowers .
On the flip side, many brides insist on exotic flowers or flowers that are out of season. In many cases, this is going to run up your flower costs quickly!
3. They Choose Impractical Blooms!
A favorite flower among many brides is the hydrangea, however, they require lots of hydration. Once they're removed from water they only last about 3 hours. This doesn't make them very practical for weddings.
It's critical to choose flowers that are resilient and will look good all day long. This is especially for your wedding photography because you don't want pictures with wilted flowers. Sorry ladies, but we can't Photoshop that! :)
4. They Don't Clearly Communicate!
As we mentioned earlier, your florist can only be as good as the picture you paint for them. It's imperative to clearly communicate your likes and dislikes.
Bring pictures for the florist to convey the overall look and feel you're trying to achieve.
5. They Aren't Flexible!
While you may have your heart set on a particular flower, it may not be practical for the season or it may cause you to go way over budget!
It's extremely important to be flexible.
Many times florists can find blooms that produce a similar appearance as a more expensive flower, but at a fraction of the cost. Keep an open mind and consider all your options.
6. Not Trusting Your Florist!
A good florist is a wealth of information. Be sure to communicate your budget, your likes, your dislikes and let your florist use their experience, and expertise to bring your vision to life.
Trusting your florist will really help to get the most out of your flower budget!
7. Waiting Too Long To Book A Florist!
Many couples make the mistakes of waiting too long to book their florist. You'll want to make sure you book them at least 9 months in advance.
This will help to ensure you get a talented florist and allow them plenty of time to develop, and implement game plan for your floral needs.
8. They Try To Use All One Color!
When brides are picking out their blooms they will try to match the color of the flowers to the color of the bridesmaids dresses.
By using one color you lose the impact of the flowers because they get lost in the dress.
And from a wedding photography standpoint it's not good either. We want pictures that show depth, texture, and contrast. Select a bloom color that compliments the dress and your pictures will look much more aesthetically pleasing!
9. They Use Aromatic Blooms!
A lot of brides choose blooms that are highly aromatic. While their scent adds to the romantic value, it's going to make the day miserable for guests with allergies. You want to be very careful when choosing scented accents.
10. Obtrusive Centerpieces!
Brides often see these amazing centerpieces online or in magazines, and they insist on something similar for their wedding.
Many of these centerpieces are quite large and obtrusive, and they actually detract from your wedding. They prevent your guests from being able to interact with one another or they block their view of the reception venue.
Some couples have chosen a particular wedding venue because of its extraordinary views of the water, but their centerpieces were so obtrusive most of the guest were unable to see it. You definitely want to avoid these situations.
11. They Forget About The Table Linens!
When choosing your centerpieces, don't forget about the table linens. This is a detail often overlooked and it could result in flower colors that clash with the linens or you could have a disparity in styles.
If you show your florist a sample of your linens, it will really help them in their recommendations.
12. Not Using The Ceremony Flowers At The Reception!
A great way to save money on your flower budget is to select ceremony arrangements that can also be used at the reception.
With so many couples electing to have their ceremony at the same location as the reception, most wedding venues are very good about making sure the flowers are moved as necessary.
13. Ignoring The Wedding Dress!
This is a big one!
Brides will typically spend a considerable amount of time picking out the perfect wedding dress and then they pick a bouquet that's either too large or contradicts the style of the dress.
Check with your dress salon to see if they can provide you with a picture of the dress. If they can't, then take a few pictures yourself being sure to capture the unique details. This too will be essential for your florist when it comes to creating your bridal bouquet.
One of the hardest parts about planning a wedding is placing your trust and your dreams in someone else's hands. But remember, you're hiring professionals and paying for their creativity, expertise, and professionalism.
Make sure to supply them with the pertinent details - budget, likes, dislikes, etc. and then let them work their magic!