Once you’ve narrowed it down to the top florists, schedule an in-person appointment. It’s best to do this during the week, during normal business hours.
Start by asking for recommendations from other weddings you know, or search for photos online to get a sense of their style. Be sure to check out full galleries, not just tagged images, which may be more curated and filtered. Contact Dallas Wedding Florists now!
- Look for Experience
A professional wedding florist will have a portfolio of past work that you can view in person or peruse online. When reviewing their portfolio, pay special attention to how well their work aligns with your vision and overall style. If you’re looking for a rustic or vintage look but their portfolio is full of brooches and bling, it’s likely that the florist’s expertise won’t align with your style or budget.
Once you have narrowed down your selections of potential florists, schedule a consultation with each one to discuss your vision, style, and budget. Be sure to bring inspiration photos or a Pinterest board to help convey your ideas. During this time, the florist should also provide you with a high best-case scenario and low bare minimum proposal based on what you’ve discussed. This is a great way to compare and contrast floral options and make the most of your budget.
Wedding florists will usually have multiple weddings booked on a weekend, so it’s important to find out how many weddings they service each day. Having a large workload can affect the quality of their work, so it’s crucial to hire someone who is available and capable of handling your wedding on the date you have in mind.
Depending on the size of your wedding, you may be working with multiple vendors to coordinate your event design, including stationary designers, linen rentals, lighting companies, photographers, and venue hosts. It’s important to share these details with your potential florists so that they can incorporate flowers and greenery into the design that will compliment your other vendors. There’s nothing worse than beautiful invitations and flowers that don’t synchronize with your other design elements.
- Ask for Recommendations
When it comes to finding a wedding florist, price is often the first thing that couples look at. However, it’s important that you search for a florist who understands that floral design is an art form, not a commodity. As such, they should be able to work within your budget to create an elegant and beautiful event.
One of the best ways to find a florist who can bring your vision to life is by asking for recommendations from past clients. You can also review their portfolios on social media and websites to see the type of floral designs they have created in the past. However, remember that beauty is subjective and it may be difficult to pinpoint exactly what your style is from a photograph alone.
Start by looking around your home and closet for inspiration. What colors and textures do you gravitate toward? Is your aesthetic romantic, vivacious, or modern? Once you have a sense of what you’re drawn to, create a Pinterest board and begin narrowing down the options. Once you’ve whittled down your choices, remove repetition and what you no longer like from the list and focus on the images that resonate with you.
Once you’ve done some research, schedule a consultation with the florists who made your shortlist. At this meeting, you’ll be able to discuss your vision, your budget, and any specific requirements for the day. Be prepared to discuss the approximate floral counts for your centerpieces, bouquets, and boutonnieres so that the florist can provide you with an accurate quote. Remember that your florist isn’t a mind reader, so it’s best to come prepared with photos and/or a Pinterest board to help you convey your vision.
- Review Their Portfolio
A florist’s portfolio is a key component of their professional experience. It showcases their unique style and variety of work that they can bring to your wedding day. It’s important to understand their approach to design so that you can make sure it aligns with your vision.
Look for photos of bouquets, boutonnieres, and centerpieces in the style that you’re drawn to. This will help you figure out your floral aesthetic, select a color palette, and start narrowing down your flower preferences.
Ask to see a florist’s full portfolio in-person as well as digital versions of their work. Look for photos of real weddings and events rather than styled shoots to get a more accurate representation of how their work might translate in person.
You’ll also want to ask about the florist’s training and business history. This will give you an idea of how long they’ve been in the industry and their level of expertise.
It’s also helpful to ask about their day-of logistics, such as how they handle deliveries and what happens with the flowers at the end of the night. Both McNeff and Hancock stress the importance of ensuring that a florist’s policies align with your expectations.
For example, ask whether they offer a contract to ensure that both parties have an accurate account of the arrangements and their associated costs. This can help you avoid any surprises on the day of your wedding and prevent any miscommunication between you and your florist. It’s a good idea to schedule an appointment at least 8-12 months in advance of your wedding day to ensure that the florist you hire has availability. This will allow you to review the proposed floral arrangements in advance and make any necessary adjustments before signing a contract.
- Schedule an Appointment
Once you have narrowed down your florist choices, set up an appointment to discuss your vision for your wedding day florals. This will give the florist a chance to see your ideas and provide you with a comprehensive proposal.
A few things you should bring with you:
-An estimated flower count, including how many bridesmaid bouquets, boutonnieres, centerpieces and other decor items you may need. Providing your florist with an accurate estimate will help them create a quote that is reflective of your needs and won’t change too much between the initial consultation and your wedding day.
-Sharing your general inspiration photos (or a Pinterest board) is always helpful, but it’s also important to discuss the emotions you want to convey through your florals. This will allow the florist to translate your vision into something that is truly unique to you.
If you have a specific color palette in mind, sharing paint or fabric swatches will be very helpful as well. This will give the florist a more accurate idea of what your color scheme looks like and allow them to find the best flowers to match.
Once the appointment is complete, your florist should put together a detailed proposal that includes everything they plan to do for your wedding, including the flowers and their costs. They will also give you a high and low estimate for your florals, so you can have an idea of what to expect.
One of the most important things to remember is that your budget will influence what is actually possible for you on your wedding day. Bringing your dream floral wants to a florist without understanding what you can actually afford could lead to the dreaded “sticker shock.” Don’t let this happen to you!
- Sign a Contract
A robust and finely crafted wedding contract cultivates trust, clarity, and mutual protection for both the couple and vendor. Your contract should clearly detail the florist’s responsibilities and costs such as their cancellation policy, deposit amount and terms, how many flower stems are in each bouquet, arrangement, and centerpiece, delivery and set up times, and the total cost. The contract should also clearly outline the couples responsibilities such as payment, communication and changes to their order.
Ask about the florists process and how they will work with you to bring your ideas to life on your day. Some florists will request specifics like how many bridesmaid bouquets, boutonnieres, and centerpieces you want so they can provide you with an exact proposal. Others will offer average pricing guides upfront so you know how much to expect to spend.
Additionally, inquire about the florists onsite services including setup, tear down, and repurposing. They may provide this service themselves or they may have a separate team that handles these tasks. If they do outsource this part of the job it’s important to ensure that their team members are well trained and familiar with their style.
Finally, find out if they are familiar with your venue and its layout. This can save you time and money if they have an understanding of the space so they aren’t guessing how things will fit or where to put your flowers. It also helps if the florist has experience working with your venue’s coordinator or planner. This will help them be better able to communicate your vision and expectations with the other vendors. It will prevent confusion and miscommunication on your big day.