Here at The French Bee Events, we do our own in house florals. We have seen so many couples really overwhelmed with the idea of their wedding flowers. They are a big investment and with so much information out there, one would wonder where to start?
A Scared Bride
Our recommendation is to not start thinking about flowers before you
know the date of your wedding
know the venue
picked all the wedding attire/ if you are having bridesmaids, the color of their dress will help in deciding on colors in your flowers
calendar with wedding date marked with rings
Now that you have checked all the items off the list above, start looking at different designers work. Be sure to look at several different sources such as Instagram, and their web-site. Things to look for when choosing a wedding designer.
Do you like their look or style
Have they done some weddings similar to what you might want
Are they close in proximity to your venue (you dont want to pay travel fees unless you have to)
Do they have a professional looking web-site and social presence
Do they have good reviews on Google
How fast do they respond after you contact them
Are they excited to hear from you and seem eager to hear what your thoughts are
Are there multiple designers incase something happens to lead designer
Do they do complete table scape design, along with flowers do they provide candles are whatever it takes to complete your look
Have they ever worked at your venue before
Do they have their own containers or do they use disposable
Do they require you to rent the containers
Do the containers have to be returned
If containers have to be returned can they provide you with your flowers afterwards
Do they clean up afterwards
Do they service more than one wedding per day
Do they have a minimum spend
Do they have event insurance
So you have picked one or two floral designers that you think may work for you, what’s next?
What’s next?
Call and chat with them on the phone, and schedule a consultation. (If there is a consultation charge, move on) OK, you are half way there!! You will need to have some information to provide during your floral consultation and they are:
Budget - believe me floral designers do not get rich from this line of work, they reason they need a budget from you is so that they can tell you where is the best place to spend your money and so that they don’t waste their time and yours designing a floral package that is too expensive.
A list of all the different items you will need, bouquets, boutonnieres, flower girls, Altar design, table centerpieces, and so on……
Adjectives- I always ask for three adj. to describe the feel of their wedding. Words, like romantic, chic, english garden, mid-summer nights dream, rustic and on, and on…………
Colors- A good floral designer will not need you to supply a list of flowers for them, that is there job. Obviously if you love roses or peonies, be sure to mention. Remember some flowers are not always in season. You have the option of getting them but they may be at a premium price.
Time-line- What time will designer be allowed into venue and what time will everything need to be cleaned up
Any limitations that your venue may have, such as no open flames
Be prepared to spend at least an hour or maybe two for your consultation
Large arrangement at the entrance to a wedding reception
So now you have received your proposals from your floral consultations. How do you pick the one that best fits your needs.
The cheapest is not necessarily the best. It is hard to compare prices from designer to designer. At The French Bee, we price our florals with a very lush, full look and also with a premium product. Many other designers will be less expensive than us but will use far less flowers and a lesser quality product.
If you feel that a designer fits your needs the best, you can always ask for suggestions to lower the bill.
Do they offer all the services you need, such as complete table design, take down, delivery
Who did you like the best, you will be working with them so it is nice to have a good relationship.
Once you have hired your floral designer
give them room to be creative, that’s why you hired them
be specific about the importance of the different pieces, maybe the bouquet is super important but not the Altar flowers. Let them know what needs to be the show stopper.
meet with them in person about a month before your event and ask just to go over the final details. Ask to see the different containers they are going to use and double check the time line with them (unless you have a wedding planner, and if that is the case, they should be doing this) You should have your RSVPs in, so you may need more or less table arrangements. Find out what time they are delivering everything and if the bouquets need to go to a getting ready location, be sure to give them all this information.
Afterwards
If you like your florals, let your designer know. We are all creatives and love to hear that we made you happy.