How to Pick the best Wedding Florist for You

There are no words to describe how much I love flowers. Flowers are always in our house. They provide that pop and happiness. This is exactly what I dream for our wedding day, that the flowers provide that pop and happiness that they do everyday.

Wedding flowers are one of these things that I found are a bit more expensive than I would like, but I didn’t get discouraged. I stuck to our budget and did  my research.

Doing the Research

• Head to Instagram: Like most of the vendors I found for our wedding, I found the perfect florist for our wedding on Instagram. Who doesn’t want to see a repertoire of the florist’ work before you put that down payment in and say “yes” to the florist? Hashtags to try in your search:

– #(city of wedding)florist: #denverflorist

– #(city of wedding)wedding: #denverwedding

– #(city of wedding)wedding florist: #denverweddingflorist

– #(city of wedding) flowers: #denverflowers

Making a List

• Make a list of all the florists you found on instagram. I recommend creating a larger list than you think you need, 6-7 florists, versus just a few. You need options when making the final decision, and you won’t be stressed out when one florist ends up not meeting your budget criteria. I created the below table in my wedding planner to organize the florists I found.

Making Phone Calls-Sending Emails

• Once you have your list I recommend calling or emailing them all. You will note in my spread sheet above I include columns for: bridal bouquet, bridesmaid bouquet and boutonnieres. When I emailed all the florists I found, I asked if they could give me a price range for those items. While I do not believe price should be the sole determining factor in picking the florist you go with, you do need to stay in budget.
• As I received price estimates I added them into the chart above.

Making a Decision

After I completed the table above from all the florists I liked. I went through and narrowed my decision down. The first criteria I narrowed my list down by is price. If the florist gave me quotes for the above items that would make me exceed the floral budget, I crossed them off. This left me with a few options left.

• Next thing I did was go back to instagram and look at the bridal bouquets. Let’s be real here it’s our wedding and I want my bouquet to be gorgeous. Looking at the bridal bouquets helped me narrow down the list a little more.
• With the options I had left I scoured reviews online to see which ones had the better reviews. This was the last deciding factor for me. Reviews speak a thousand words.
• I found my florist!!! Yay!

Preparing for the Floral Consultation

I can’t tell you enough to be prepared. Every floral shop has their own way of getting to know you prior to the consultation. The florist I choose emailed me a list of questions, and I, with my type A mentality, sent a table of my answers back. In addition to completing the florist required questions I recommend doing the following:

• Look at flowers that are in season for your wedding.
• Create a Pinterest board of bridal bouquets you like, bridesmaid bouquets you like and floral arrangements that speak you. The floral shop will want to see this. I guarantee it!
• Be ready to be decisive, and don’t be afraid to say “no” when asked if you like things. The florists are here for you, and won’t be offended when you say “no.” Promise!

Questions to ask during the Consultation

• Do you deliver or will I have to arrange for pick up?
• If I have to pick up the flowers, how does that work?
• How will the flowers hold up the day of the wedding?
• Is there anything that I need to have or do the day of the wedding to ensure the flowers are the best they can be?
• Can you work within my budget? Do you see any issues with this?
• Do you have any recommendations to maximize my budget?
• What are the flowers that are in season the month I get married?
• Any flowers you recommend more than others?
• What is your standard wrap on the bouquets and boutonnieres? Is this an extra cost?
• How far in advance will my flowers be put together?
• What additional fees should I expect to see on the cost estimate?

Best of luck finding the florist for you! I am sure it will all come together. If you have any additional questions please comment here or send me a message. I am happy to help.

 

Cheers! XOXO

 

(Photos from day of floral consultation; outfit I wore to make the floral magic happen!)