Questions To Ask Your Florist

You’ve got the venue, you’ve sorted the food, you’ve tried on and chosen the dress - or maybe you’ve done none of these, but flowers are usually high up on the list of wedding priorities - in fact, in 2019 they were the 5th most important expense when it came to planning a wedding in the UK! From the Bridal Bouquet to the Pew Ends, you want to find a florist that fits your style and your vision. Most of all, you want to build trust, and a shared dream that makes you as excited as it makes your supplier.
As a florist, of course I provide a service for every couple, but more than that - I always strive for a collaboration. I’m not alone, a quick google and you’ll soon find there are a lot of us out there with the same care and love for what we give every job. So how on earth do you choose? I wanted to write a post on what I think are the best questions to ask to find out who is perfect for you on your big day - hope you' find this interesting and helpful!

Before I get into the nitty gritty question part of this post, a lot of you might wander ‘why hire a wedding florist?’.
On occasion a couple might want to do their own flowers, which is sometimes seen as a cheaper option, but don’t be fooled, it is by no means the easy option. You hire a florist for their expertise, their training, and their art, and flowers for your wedding require a lot of all three. Early mornings at the market, researching, pre ordering, buying at the right time to ensure all flowers are open and having back ups incase they aren’t - and that’s before we’ve even made anything! The work itself, although fun in the eyes of the beholder, is also time-consuming and intricate. From huge arrangements, to a single buttonhole, and from early mornings to late late nights, your florist will do it all. They’ll deliver your flowers safely and efficiently, they’ll even probably have spares to go the extra mile on arrival too!
Trust me when I say, the price doesn’t leap up for flowers because you said the word ‘Wedding’, it takes into account all of this time, energy and immense care - and takes the stress away from you! So, if you do decide to hire a florist, know that it is money incredibly well spent, and here are some questions you might want to feel the most ready to find yours!

ARE YOU AVAILABLE FOR MY WEDDING DATE?
I know I know, this one seems hella obvious, but you can be surprised how easy it is to forget the essentials when all you want to do is dream about flowers and all that good stuff. But it’s simple, if your florist isn’t available, then it would be a poor use of your time to dream and fall in love to just be disappointed later.

AND WILL YOU BE WORKING ON ANY OTHER EVENTS ON MY DATE?
Now, this will vary quite a lot depending on who you’re asking - and if they are, know it’s not necessarily at the detriment of your own day! Just remember, whatever their answer is, you want to just make sure they will give as much attention to you as you need, and they can deliver everything efficiently. Also, communication is paramount, and get their timings as early as possible so you can relax as much as possible.

DO YOU KNOW MY VENUE? HAVE YOU WORKED WITH THEM PREVIOUSLY?
If they have - amazing, they’ll likely have a familiarity with the space and the staff there so this can be an advantage. If they don’t, they're professionals that should have an eye for a space and how to utilise your vision in it. Maybe, for your ease of mind, you’d like to schedule a walk through with the venue itself before your Big Day so they can get to grips with the space, but this isn’t completely necessary if you’re not having big installations or going mad on venue flowers (in my opinion). But it is nice to get to know your Florist better, and generally great to generate more creative ideas and get excited for your Wedding. Be prepared that some Florists might charge for the visit.

HAVE YOU DONE MANY WEDDINGS? CAN I SEE SOME EXAMPLES PRETTY PLEASE?
NOW, if I’m honest, if a couple has found my details and contacted me, I would hope and assume they’ve taken a moment to look at my Gallery or Wedding page to see what I do and previous weddings. However, if you are looking for specifics, like if they’ve made an arch before, this question can be vital in finding out their experience if their website/social media doesn’t give you many clues. If they haven’t made something you’ve dreamed of before, it doesn’t mean they can’t, but you might prefer to go with someone who you know can execute your vision (and give you a good night’s sleep).

DO YOU REQUIRE A MINIMUM FLORAL BUDGET? CAN YOU WORK WITHIN MY BUDGET?
As English men and women, we have been conditioned to find talking about money uncomfortable, but if I had a penny for every time a client said the words ‘I don’t really know how much flowers cost’, I’d be one wealthy lady. It is completely understandable to not know the cost of things when it comes to your wedding - it’s unlikely you’ve ever had to plan an event on this scale before right? But it’s important to state clearly what you can afford early on, and your Florist, being a wonderful and understanding soul, can quickly alter your expectations, give you options that fall within what you can afford, or tell you they simply might not be able to cater to your wedding budget. Understand that Florists are often freelancers, trying to also pay their bills, for their families and for their livelihoods too, and so minimum spends are just what they have to do to survive. It’s not the end of the world if they say your budget will not cover your Pinterest dreams - if you love the Florist, listen to their suggestions, or go back and look at where you’re spending your money and see if you can make it work.
At the end of the day, flowers are a luxury, they are not cheap. If you don’t want to spend the money on them, then don’t either. We understand, and it’s your day, do it your way.

WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND WITH MY COLOUR SCHEME AND SEASON?
I’ll say this again and again until I’m blue in the face - the cheaper flowers are the ones in season, and the best, lushest flowers are seasonal ones. Ask your florist what they recommend, what would fit your vision. It’s okay not to know your Ranunculus from your Rose, or your Anemone from your Alstromeria, that’s what we’re here for, and for me personally, that’s the bit of the job I love THE MOST.

WHAT OTHER SERVICES DO YOU OFFER?
You might find that a lot of Florists cover other areas of your venue, and can sometimes be referred to as event designers, and will be a portal for you to hire vases, chairs, draping etc through too. Not every florist will do this, but it’s worth asking, and might save you valuable time and money by only having to deal with one wedding supplier, rather than 4 or 5.

Other topics like logistics, payments and drop offs can all be organised once you’ve decided you’ve found THE ONE (florist obviously, not partner, you’ve got that sorted already I expect). These are just some easy questions to point you in the right direction, and help you get to know your supplier. I personally already feel like a lot of my couples have become more like friends, and I pride myself on the fact that I try to provide not just a service, but also a calm, trusting and joyful experience. I can’t help but become invested in the love stories of all my Brides and Grooms, I come away from meetings energised and impatient for the day to come when I get to create their Wedding Day to the fullest, and I hope you find that same relentless joy with your florist in some small or big way.