Should I Hire You? What to Consider when Hiring a Wedding Florist

Submitted By: Kimberly Liles, Floral Festivities

Your wedding day will be one of the most important days of your life.  You will have pictures of that day to show your family, friends, coworkers, and anyone who stops by and sees that album sitting on the coffee table!  Your wedding flowers will be in almost all of the photographs so it is extrememly important that you pick the right person for the job.  How do you know who you should hire to design your wedding flowers?  Here are some great points to keep in mind:

1.  Look at their portfolio at the consultation.  Make sure there are pictures in their portfolio that are also on their website to ensure that the work you see on their website are their own designs.  A great website is a wonderful tool to draw people in, but if the pictures were "borrowed" from other sites, you need to know it!  

2.  Ask if the person you meet with at the consultation will also be designing your flowers.  This is important to know because alot is said during the consultation and I always have a really good feel for what a bride is looking for and I have a very good sense of her personal tastes and style.  All of this can't possibly be known by simply looking at a piece of paper with notes from the consultation.  

3.  Also ask if the person you meet with at the consultation will be delivering and setting up your event.  This is important because there may be something that comes up last minute that only a floral designer can handle.  If the floral designs are given to delivery workers or drivers, they will most likely not be able to take care of the final details that will take place on your big day. 

4.  See if your personal style  is a close match to what the florist envisions.  If the floral designer has a difficult time picturing what you want or tries to steer you in a different direction, be weary.  It may be beyond their skill level or they may be trying to convince you to do something they are more comfortable with.  Your floral designer should be versatile and able to accomodate your wishes.  And, if not, he or she should be able to give sound reasons why what you desire isn't in your best interest.

5.  Don't automatically eliminate a florist's services based on price alone.  Choosing your wedding flowers is a stem-by-stem process and the price can literally change when a flower is added or taken away from a design.  If you really like a desiger but their price is a little too high, ask for an  explanation.   It is entirely possible that he or she plans to have more flowers in your designs which will look nicer and more beautiful, but may cost a little more.  Communicating your budget with your florist is the best way to ensure that there are no surprises when you get your quote. 

6.  Be careful about price comparisons from different florists.  While knowing what you can afford is important, it's more important to feel comfortable knowing that your florist will do a great job!  Anyone can bring a quote to another florist and ask if the price can be beat.  And guess what?  The answer is almost always "Yes."  But, it is very difficult to compare apples to apples when it comes to flowers.  Like I said before, this is a stem-by-stem business.  So, you can almost always find a lower price, but you will most likely also find that you are getting less than what you wanted. 

7.  If value is the most important aspect of picking a florist, then I suggest letting your florist know that up front and do one of two things:  (a) have pictures of almost everything you want before going to your consultation and say, "How much will it cost to make my bouquet exactly like this?" or (b) be completely up front and honest with your florist.  Let them know that you need flowers but that you just can't go over a certain price point.  See what he or she can come up with.

Choosing your wedding florist should be a fun and enjoyable experience.  Most importantly, choose someone who is a good fit for you and someone who you feel will do the best job at a reasonable price. 

Bouquet Photo on this page is © 2008 Floral Festivities. All Rights Reserved.

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