Choosing A Florist For Your Wedding

Flowers are such an important part of a wedding. They add beauty, romance, and can create mood. Tropical flowers for a modern wedding, all white flowers for an elegant wedding, mismatched vases full of favorites for an informal event. That's why it is so important to choose the right florist. Having the flowers arrive on the big day and be damaged, droopy, or even in the wrong color, can ruin everything. Below are some tips on how to shop for one.

Ask friends. A referral from friends or family is your best bet. By getting someone close to you to make a recommendation, you can be sure that they are basing it on experience and not making a suggestion based on a business association. If you've attended a wedding where you thought the flowers were gorgeous, call the bride and ask who she used! She will probably be more than willing to talk to you about her experience, and may even be able to give you advice on which floral businesses to avoid. That will save you some time comparison shopping, if nothing else.

Look at a portfolio. If you cannot get a good referral, your next best bet is to carefully examine their portfolio. Have they done a lot of weddings? Do you like their style? Pay attention to how many you like versus how many are unattractive or okay to you. If something went wrong at the last minute and they had to throw together your wedding flowers with what they had left in the shop, could they make something amazing? If you're not sure, do not hire them.

Consider the distance. Flowers are fragile, and they do not respond well to heat. Cut flowers and finished arrangements have to be kept cool and delivered promptly. The further away the florist is from your venue, the more the chance the flowers will not be at their best when they arrive.

Prepare for the worst. If something awful happened, how would the floral designer and delivery crew handle it? What if the delivery truck broke down the morning of the wedding? Do they have a back-up plan? Do they bring extra vases in case some are broken during set-up? Make a list of all the things that you can envision going wrong, then ask the florist what he or she would do in that situation.

Consider a professional. There are flower companies that do weddings only. If you plan on transporting your flowers from the ceremony to the reception, or you need a complicated set-up of any kind, seek out someone who is used to coordinating these things. Having someone who understands the difficulties will make the set-up go quickly and smoothly.

Get quotes in writing. This is a simple little step, but very valuable when comparison shopping. Not only can you look at all the prices side-by-side, but you can hold them to it if they try to raise a price on something they quoted.

Shopping for the perfect florist for your wedding can be challenging. But do not make the mistake of rushing into hiring the first florist you interview. With a little extra effort and thought, you can make sure you get the wedding flowers of your dreams.