Most of my clients have never booked a wedding florist before. As with almost all parts of planning a wedding, it can be an intimidating process! I am one of those people who wants to read all the things and be as prepared as possible (keener much?) and figured a detailed break down of my consultation booking process would be helpful! So here it is: How to book a wedding florist.
What does a wedding florist do?
My goal is to enhance your special day with flowers. They have this incredible ability to help tell your story by reminding you of time and place. Whether you’re tying the knot in May surrounded by peonies and lilac or in September with dahlias and crabapples, I want to make sure there are unique touches that will help you remember your day 5, 10, 50 years from now. We work together to come up with a plan that feels just right and then I work my flower fairy magic to bring it to life.
How to choose the right wedding florist:
Check out our work
I want to make sure you love what we do. Have a look through past real weddings to see how happy our past couples look. Imagine yourself on your day smiling like that! I want you to see yourself celebrating this incredibly important day!
Then have a look at the styled shoots we’ve worked on. Styled shoots – while not “real” can show what I enjoy making, doing or experimenting with. It’s a great way to get inspiration or see some unique colour palettes in action.
Decide what you need
Are you excited for a dramatic ceremony backdrop or do you want loose foliage draped all over your big tent wedding? You are looking for the Full-Service option. Click here to get in touch or keep reading to learn more about the consultation process.
Or do you just need a handful of bouquets and a few small arrangements for your cocktail reception? Check out Acorn. No need to inquire, just browse the options.
Get in touch
When you’re filling out the Full-Service Wedding Inquiry form please give as much detail as possible. It will really help me to understand what you’re thinking so we can give you the best service possible. If your vision is out of line with your expected budget, I will let you know. This will help me brainstorm alternatives so our consultation can be as effective as possible!
If you don’t know what you want – thats ok too! Any info you can give us is helpful as a jumping off point. You don’t have to be a flower expert – we’ve got that covered. My goal is to meet you where you are and come up with a plan you’ll love.
Consultation Process
We’ll start with a phone consultation which generally takes about an hour. We can talk about colours, style, flow of the day and all the things that will make your wedding special. After that I will create a customized package for you. In order to be as accurate as possible in my estimate, it is super helpful if you have some of the following details ready:
- wedding party numbers
- description of the ceremony space
- number of tables/ style of tables (rounds or rectangles) for your reception
- preliminary timing of your ceremony and reception
- a few inspiration photos – doesn’t matter if you like the style or the colours or the overall feel – just that something about the photos excites you.
Customized Package
I will create customized package options – typically with all your wish list items on it and one paired down. I create two options because 95% of potential clients have more wish list items than can feasibly fit in their budget. I don’t ever want clients to over extend themselves, so presenting a more affordable option is always a priority for me. I will also create a mood board to capture the look and vibe of your florals.
We will schedule a quick follow-up call to go over the options and mood board to ensure I’ve captured the vision we’ve built together.
Booking
To book, I require a non-refundable retainer (counts as your first payment and is applied to your balance) and a signed contract. Once I receive both, you’ll officially be booked! Without both your first payment and contract, I can’t reserve your date.
Once it’s official you can relax about your flowers! The remaining balance will be broken into two payments (3 months prior to your wedding and 4 weeks prior to your wedding) but don’t worry! I will remind you about this!
Finalize
Before your final payment is due at 4 weeks out, we will schedule a quick phone call to go over all the details again. This final call is super important because I know things can sometimes change – maybe you need a few more boutonnieres or maybe you’ve decided to nix them altogether. No sweat. We will confirm all the table numbers, ribbon colours, little extras you might want to add like cake flowers…etc. We will also talk through the delivery logistics and your timeline to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Enjoy
That’s it. I’ll take care of all the flower things. You guys celebrate. It’ll be beautiful and special day!