How To Choose Your Wedding Florist
How to Choose Your wedding Florist
Every couple getting married has different priorities. And let’s be straightforward — weddings are typically expensive, and no matter what your budget is, we each care about different things and how we spend our wedding budgets are going to vary from person to person. I want to make sure that no matter how much you’re spending on your flowers, you’re spending it wisely (my husband is a financial planner…so we seek the balance between wise decisions with some fun expenditures around here!).
When it comes to weddings, I like to think that I know a little about a lot of things. But when it comes to wedding flowers, I know a lot. My experience in the wedding industry started in serving weddings at a golf course, and then I worked as the editor of a small, local (now defunct) wedding magazine. From there, I went on to manage the weddings for one of Winnipeg’s largest floral shops, followed by a couple of years working in sales and editorial writing for one of the largest fine art wedding blogs in the US. During this time, I started Stone House Creative, and we’re now looking towards year 11 in business! So yes, I know a fair bit. I also know that most of YOU don’t really know much about weddings. And how could you?! You probably haven’t done this before.
All that to say, let me help YOU make a wise decision on how to hire a wedding florist.
What to look for in a wedding florist:
The first thing is possibly the most basic, but often overlooked: ask yourself, what’s important to you? What’s IMPORTANT TO YOU needs to line up with the unique value that each designer offers.
For example, one of my unique values is my holistic design approach: attention to the overall and complete event design, to make sure that the florals seamlessly become part of the design. For example, I absolutely hate to see flowers placed on a cake by the baker that have absolutely no tie to the wedding flowers themselves. So I’m a proactive designer, communicating with the client and often the bakery directly what the plan is, so that your cake doesn’t stand out in a bad way. Or, you might be after the lowest quote that you can get because you don’t really care much about the flowers. Instead of inquiring with a designer like me, rather look for a florist who markets themselves as budget-friendly. The types and quality of the flowers they use are different, the design approach they take is different, and they will fill that need you have.
—Other things that may be important to you:
-a beautifully curated rentals collections that suits your aesthetic
-a focus on environmental sustainability within the florist’s business
-a small business or a larger team (*and note: all of the floral shops and studios in Winnipeg are considered “small” businesses so no matter who you choose, you’re supporting a small biz!).
-a dedicated wedding studio vs a large retail shop
-if you’ve seen their work first-hand at the wedding of a friend, that can be great!
-maybe you really need a designer to guide the entire process for you, and someone you can trust to take the reigns
prior to reaching out to florists, here’s what you need to do:
-Take a good look through their portfolio. If they don’t have a lot of images of their work readily available on their Instagram or their website, or if they don’t have a lot of images showcasing the style of design that you want, then just move on.
-One of the most important ways that you can make sure you’re going to love the florals you get on your wedding day, is if your aesthetic and the designer’s aesthetic are aligned. If you don’t love your work, then don’t bother reaching out.
-Read through their FAQs or pricing information they have on their site, to find out what type of budget range you should be expecting for the designs that you want. It’s helpful to at least have an idea of how much you absolutely CAN’T spend on your flowers.
Questions to ask a wedding Florist:
*I don’t usually have couples asking me that many questions. I think that’s likely because as we talk, most of these questions are answered. It’s better to have a great conversation with your florist, rather than pepper them like it’s a job interview. You’re hiring a creative and you need to trust their process. But if you have any red flags, then ask the questions you need answered.*
-again, what’s important to you? If keeping strict to your budget is the top priority, be CRYSTAL CLEAR about that. I’ve always got floral design ideas swirling around in my brain, but if I know that you absolutely need to stick to a strict number, then I’m not going to fill our conversations with ideas of things that you cannot afford.
-what is included in their service fees (do they deliver and set up, do they offer 1 am teardown at your venue, can you pay them to stay and flip the ceremony flowers to the reception, can you pay them to re-deliver to their brunch the next morning, mileage, etc)
-Do they offer creative and personalized design plans? If the florals and overall event design are a priority for you, then it can be really helpful to hear them talk about their design process.
-What rentals do they have in inventory that will fit your style?
-Can they take care of candles, if desired?
-How large of a team will be needed for your particular wedding? (and don’t worry if the answer is 1-2 people. Most weddings in Winnipeg are perfectly well taken care of by a floral team of 2 people).
-What sustainability practises do they follow? (and if this is important to you, then specifically ask: do you compost? Do you use dyed or preserved flowers? Do you use floral foam? If the answer is no to composting and yes to the dyed flowers and foam, then this is not the florist for you).
-Have they worked at your venue before? (Note: it’s really not crucial that a florist has worked at your venue. If we need to go and take measurements of a fireplace mantle or consider how we’ll suspend a hanging piece, then we can do that. It doesn’t mean you can’t trust someone who hasn’t worked at your venue yet. BUT if the designer you’re interested in HAS worked at your venue, then it can be a bonus to be able to rely on their experience.)
-HOWEVER, if they have worked at your venue, they can often offer very valuable insight into what it’s going to take to create the look you’re going for, given the scale of the space. Someone might ask for me an arch corner piece, but if I know the venue’s arch is 10 feet wide, that corner piece is going to look like you spent $5 on it. We might need to go more. Similarly, I’ve had people ask me about doing fireplace mantle installations but I know that the mantle just doesn’t have the depth to actually add flowers to it, so it would be a waste.
-How long will it take to receive a proposal? and, what is the booking and payment process?
-Don’t ask if they offer packages. That’s a very 1990s thing. Pretty much no florist offers a set package anymore; we’re designing for you, and figuring out what you love and dream of. It’s going to be a custom quote, baby.
When to hire A wedding floral designer:
There’s not really a wrong time to hire your floral designer, but generally: if you’re particular about your flowers and the florist you hire, then book earlier. If you’re not picky, then you can hold off a bit. My clients usually seek me out for my elevated approach and unique designs, and flowers are a budget priority for them, which means that my calendar is usually booked farther in advance. I typically book 6-18 months in advance of your wedding, with a lot more date flexibility in the off months (November through April).
Bonus Question:
If you need recommendations on other vendors to hire, then don’t hesitate to ask your florist for referrals! Vendors have the inside track on which other vendors have similar work processes, or who they work well together with. You can usually trust a referral from a vendor a lot more than a referral from a past client.
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
If what you’re looking for is a designer to guide the vision for your wedding, come and ask me any questions you want — I might just be your girl. I offer custom designs, creative and unique design boards that communicate the vision, have countless testimonials that speak to the creative trust the client had in me, and I also just love what I do.
Reach out to check your date!
