For those of us not in event management, planning a wedding is difficult. You have basically gone from never planning a major party to planning the most important party of your life. This is the equivalent of playing football in your back garden to being thrown into a world cup final. That may be a slight exaggeration, but you get my point, it is a big step up. Often we don’t realize how big each task is and how to approach it. One task that often appears like a molehill but turns out to be a mountain is the flowers. Here are the right questions to ask your florist to ensure you are on top of everything for the big day.
Who is in charge of set up?
So you have picked your flowers, your turn up on the day and they are sitting in front of your venue with no one in sight. Turns out your florist only does flowers, no arranging. This is not a big issue if you were aware months in advance but 2 hours before showtime, it is a disaster. Ask your florist from the outset if they will arrange the flowers in the venue or just drop them off.
Exclusivity?
You are in a long term relationship and about to get married. You don’t need to ask your groom if he will be with anyone else on the wedding day, he is yours for life. The florist, on the other hand, may have other appointments. It is best if you are the florist’s sole focus for the day/weekend so ask early if you are the only wedding she is providing for or if she needs to be somewhere else at some other time.
Familiar with the venue?
Where to place the flowers, how many are required, what type of installation? These are all tricky questions that require some knowledge of the venue. If your florist has been to or dealt with the venue before, easy. If not make sure you book an appointment to show your florist the venue early so that they can visualize what is needed.
Can you work closely with the venue manager?
Many venues have a long list of rules about what can and can’t be put in certain places. Give your florist a direct line to the venue manager to save yourself some headaches.
What is the budget?
Weddings are not cheap and neither are florists. Make sure the florist is aware of your budget from the outset. Ask is there any way to lower costs if you are on a tight budget.
Ask to see a portfolio
Don’t judge them on just the reviews or word of mouth. Ask to see examples of past wedding work so that you are confident you are choosing the right partner.
Anything Else
Florist and weddings go together like well, flowers and weddings, its a match. This means many florists have now started to offer complementary services as they experience more and more wedding madness. Ask them what other services they provide.
