How to Plan Your Wedding Flowers, Part 4: Booking Your Florist
All right. You've inquired with some floral designers, talked about your ideas and heard their suggestions, and received a few quotes from them. If you've inquired with more than one designer, you've now got a decision to make: who do you choose?
Image by Brittany Mahood Photography, designed by Stone House Creative for Host Winnipeg
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR WEDDING FLORIST
Your best bet will always be to go with your gut: choose the person you CONNECTED with the best. If you're debating between two floral designers and they both came in at similar price points, but you had a better conversation with one than the other, then your decision is easy-peasy. Now, if you're debating between two or more designers who came in at different budget numbers and who offered you different ideas, I'm again going to suggest that you consider the one who genuinely GOT YOU better (assuming, of course, that you are a fan of the work of all of the designers you're considering). Selecting the person who really understands your vision and is excited about bringing it to life with her own creative spin on it, will be the happiest decision. If this company is a touch over your budget, you can come back to her with a request for a lower budget option, knowing that she'll still be able to create something that works for you because she gets you!
A FEW DETAILS:
- Expect to sign a contract and submit a non-refundable deposit (your payment structure and refund policies should be noted in the contract).
- This is the perfect time to ask any last questions that have come up since your consult and your initial conversation!
- Send your designer any inspiration pictures and pictures of your dresses for your designer to keep on file.
- Here are some tips on how NOT to plan your wedding flowers.
WHEN SHOULD YOU BOOK YOUR WEDDING FLORIST?
I suggest that you book as soon as possible after you know who you want to work with. There will always be minor changes (or sometimes, even major changes!) that you need to make throughout the wedding planning process, but donât feel like you have to wait until you know all of those details. In fact, it will likely work AGAINST you to wait - your floral designer may be booked up by the time you get around to it. Most floral designers suggest booking their services 8-12 months in advance of the wedding, and keep in mind that Winnipeg vendors tend to book up even earlier than that (I'm currently booking 2017 weddings!).
Don't miss a single post in this helpful 4-part series! You can find Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here. And, now that you know everything you need to about planning your wedding flowers, click the button below to check your date with me, and tell me a little about your plans so far! As mentioned, I'm now booking 2017 wedding consultations. I have some winter 2016 availability still, so if you're planning for November/December of this year, shoot me an email right away and we can start talking.
How to Plan Your Wedding Flowers, Part 3: The Consultation
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I strongly believe planning your flowers should be one of the most fun parts of your wedding. And therefore, your floral consultation should be nothing but awesome! So today, I'm going to talk a little bit about how you can prepare for your wedding flower consultation, and what to expect.
Image by Brittany Mahood Photography, designed by Stone House Creative for Host Winnipeg
WHAT TO BRING TO YOUR WEDDING FLOWER CONSULTATION
The BEST way to use your consultation is to help the designers get a really good feel for your personal style and your wedding plans so far. Have you found your gown, or the bridesmaid dresses yet? Bring a picture. Talk about your colour palette and bring swatches. Have you done the hard work of narrowing down that highly curated Interested board yet? Perfect. Sharing images that you're drawn to will help your designer get a good understanding of flower types you like, the bouquet shape you love, and more. If you've planned details like your stationery or your table linens, be sure to tell them.
You'll also be asked about the list of floral items that you're needing, so have a good idea of the number of table centres you need, the approximate number of rows of chairs you'll have at the ceremony, and who you'd like to have boutonnieres and corsages (parents, step-parents, grandparents, siblings, ushers, and so on).
WHAT YOU NEED TO COMMUNICATE TO YOUR FLORIST (HINT: Budget)
Now that you've shared some of your wedding plans, the floral designer you're meeting with should have a good feeling for your style. Now, you'll also need to share your budget. I know, this isn't always easy. Along with the budget conversation will also come your top priority: in a lot of cases, the wants list exceeds the budget. So, make sure your floral designer understands what the most important elements are to you. That way, should your budget not match up with your dreams, your florist will be able to come up with some ideas for special arrangements or elements to add in that will help you achieve the look you dream of at a more affordable price tag.
If you're having trouble communicating to your fiancĂŠ or parents why flowers are important to you, this post will be a great read for you. Remember that there's a lot more to selecting your florist than just the budget they present you with, so be sure you keep an open mind during your consultation to hear what she has to suggest to you. You want to hire someone who is excited, creative, and shares your vision!
WHEN TO LOG OUT OF PINTEREST
Okay girl, now is officially the time to stop looking at flowers on Pinterest. I know that Pinterest is full of so many great ideas, but it can also be a very dangerous trap, convincing you to spend more money than you can afford and adding way too many things to your to-do list. So here's what you do: stop pinning wedding stuff. Delete the images that no longer fit with your vision. Find more tips here.
Keep your eye out for Part 4 next week: Navigating the quotes and booking your florist!
Don't miss a post! Here are the other posts in this series:
Part 1: Find Your Style
Part 2: Find The Right Florist
Planning your wedding flowers? I'd love to help. Click the button below to connect with me!
How to Plan Your Wedding Flowers, Part 2: Finding Your Florist
Planning your wedding flowers begins with figuring out your style and what you like. Once you've got that down, it's time to see what your local floral designers can offer you!
Image by Brittany Mahood Photography, designed by Stone House Creative for Host Winnipeg
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A FLORAL DESIGNER
So, what should you be looking for in your floral designer? How many should you meet with? How do you compare them to decide who to meet with?
Start by a simple google search, "Winnipeg Wedding Florist" and open up a few websites. Click to their portfolio or their wedding tab to see what they offer. Visit their social media channels or their blog to see their most recent work. Do they have any current testimonials on their site, or have any of your friends used them? This initial search will help you create a shortlist of a handful of local floral designers who you're interested in learning more about.
Next, consider what's really important to you. Is great customer service something that's going to help you streamline your wedding planning process? Are you all about a specific design style? Is it important to you that the florist has worked in your venue or with your wedding planner? Compare your needs to what these websites are telling you. No recent blog posts? Scratch it off the list. Does their online portfolio look like it hasn't been updated in a couple of years? I'd be worried. How do they interact with their clients on social media, and how frequently are they posting quality work? Does it seem like they share your aesthetic?
Hopefully, now you'll have found 1-3 florists you're interested in inquiring with.
Keep in mind the most important thing: you need to have a great connection with your floral designer (click for more on that).
You will be trusting a huge part of your wedding day (and your hard-earned money!) to this person, and they need to do a good job for you.
what to include when you're inquiring with a floral designer
Whether you're sending an email, a message through a contact form, or leaving a voice message, there are some very important details to include when putting together your inquiry.
-Your wedding date (obviously)
-Your ceremony and reception venues
-Your estimated floral budget
-A few extra details that will help determine if the florist can accommodate your needs:
how large is the bridal party? are you requiring floral decor? what is your personal style?
All of this info will help the floral designer(s) you're inquiring with to know whether or not they can take your wedding, in which case, it will be time to set up a consultation.
WHEN TO BOOK YOUR FLORIST
Winnipeg is an interesting market, where wedding vendors are booked up fairly far in advance. We're 6 weeks into 2016, and I'm already meeting with couples for their 2017 weddings, and many photographers and venues are booking heavily into 2017. So, when it comes to inquiring and booking your floral designer, be sure to give it enough time.
I'd recommend inquiring 8-16 months in advance. I know, that seems a little crazy. But, it's important to connect really well with vendors who bring your aesthetic vision to life, and therefore, it's important that you book those vendors early before someone else does.
Â
Part 3 is coming next week, and we'll be talking about the actual consultation itself - how to prepare, what to expect, and so on!
Want to book a consultation with me? Click below!
How to Plan Your Wedding Flowers, Part 1: Find your Style
You're engaged. Congratulations! This is a really exciting time, and planning a wedding can be a lot of fun. And in my completely unbiased opinion, planning your wedding flowers is one of the most fun parts! But, where do you begin?
Image by Brittany Mahood Photography, designed by Stone House Creative for Host Winnipeg
FIND YOUR STYLE
Get started with the basics - figuring out what you like! This is the perfect time to get online or pick up a couple of bridal magazines, and do some looking to see what's in style right now and popular for weddings. You're going to be carrying around your bridal bouquet for most of the day - figure out what bouquet shape you like. Have you selected your dress yet? Your bouquet should complement your dress well, so you may need to think about the shape and size of your skirt, the embellishments on the bodice, and so on. Are there any flowers you know you really do like or don't like? Have a general idea for the overall colour palette for your wedding, and if there is a "theme" or specific vision for your wedding, consider how that might play into your florals.
Think about other areas where you'll need flowers. Do you envision a floral altar, or something lining the aisle? Do you like tall or short centrepieces? What type of decor would look good in your venue?
START WITH PINTEREST - CAUTIOUSLY
Chances are, you've already got at least 1 secret wedding board on Pinterest. Head over there and take a good look at it, and here's a great hint: Don't be afraid to hit DELETE! Your engagement is the right time to start with Pinterest, but don't rely on it throughout your planning process. It's better to create that wedding board, and then a few weeks from now, go through and start deleting everything that doesn't fit into your vision. If you end up with 3-15 images, that's great. Much more than that, and you won't really be looking at your "favourites" anymore, but just a large selection of things that you like.
Here's why it's important: your wedding in an amazing opportunity to celebrate your unique relationship and your decision to commit yourself to your fiancĂŠ, honouring and supporting each other throughout your lives. Pinterest shows us a lot of awesome ideas on how to do that, but the thing is, once you've seen something on Pinterest, it's no longer unique. It's much better to find ideas that you love on Pinterest, and consider WHY you're attracted to them. Then, think about how you can personalize that to your own wedding! "When you replicate things seen on Pinterest, you are doing what was right for THAT bride, not what is right for YOU" - Every Last Detail (more on why you don't want to have a Pinterest wedding, here).
SET YOUR BUDGET AND YOUR EXPECTATIONS
I know that setting your budget can be incredibly tricky. After all, you've never planned a wedding before! A general rule of thumb is to allot 10% of your total budget to your flowers. If you want floral decor at your reception, you'll probably need to increase, but if you just need bridal party and family flowers, you can probably get away with less. It all depends on what your floral needs are.
Knowing what to expect can be even harder, again, thanks to Pinterest. I have spoken with brides who have a $20 budget/table centrepiece, while the image they're showing me that they want is at least $500/table. Ouch. That sucks for all of us. We'll talk more about budget specifically in your consultation, once I get a good feel for what you're looking for, but in general, be flexible. If you don't know what to expect, just tell me. I'll do everything I can to come up with some awesome ideas that you'll love, that fit your budget, and that create the look and ambiance that you're looking for. Being flexible with your expectations will go a long way.
Â
Keep your eye out for Part 2 next week: What to look for when researching local florists and inquiring!
Planning your wedding flowers? I'd love to help. Click the button below to connect with me!
Host Winnipeg Launch - Brand New Winnipeg Wedding Blog!
I'm so excited because this week is the launch of Host Winnipeg! Host is a brand new, local wedding and lifestyle website, created by a former wedding planner! Winnipeg has absolutely been in need of something like this - a platform for brides and wedding vendors to interact in a stylish, well-designed way. I'm so excited to see how the full launch of Host impacts the local wedding industry and how brides plan.
I was so thrilled to be asked to take part in the branding shoot, and my small part was to provide florals. I had a lot of fun with this palette and these pretty blooms. Photos by the lovely Brittany Mahood Photography.
