How to Prepare for Your Wedding Floral Design Meetings
As the wedding season is in full swing this Spring, many brides-to-be have begun the exciting and intimidating process of planning their weddings! One of the most important wedding planning steps, and perhaps one of the most nerve-wracking, is meeting with floral vendors to decide who will design your wedding. Regardless of budget, theme, or location, flowers are essential in every wedding through bouquets, table arrangements, arches, and decor!
Despite your nerves, I am here to tell you that you don't have to know everything before you begin your meetings. They are meant to be fun and allow you to get to know the personality and style of the vendor. To help you get the most out of your floral consultations and put your minds at ease, we have created a list of our top 5 tips to know before going into your floral design meetings:
BRING INSPIRATION
Whether it's a Pinterest Board, Instagram saves, or your own personal mood board, it is key to bring inspirational photos to help the floral designer understand your vision! Spend time before your floral meetings looking online at different ideas for your wedding. This will help you get an idea of what you like and don't like before entering your meeting. For example, maybe you love the look of a rustic wedding with wooden tables, but you know you can't stand the look of bright red florals on the tables. This is great! Let your floral designer know what you've found and how you feel about it. It will help them understand your preferences and guide the conversation.
Additionally, there are many aspects to a wedding the floral vendor will have to design. It is a good idea to have some ideas or pictures for different parts of your wedding, including ceremony decor, cocktail hour arrangements, reception decor, and your bouquet. One of the biggest worries brides tend to have is that they don't know the names of flowers and may not be well-versed in the vendor's vocabulary. That is totally okay! The floral designers have enough experience to identify what kinds of flowers you like based on your photos.
Pro Tip: Separate your Pinterest Board or photos into individual sections to help you stay organized!
KNOW YOUR THEME OR COLOR PALETTE
Aside from photo inspiration, it is also essential to know what theme, vibe, or color palette you are going for in your wedding. For example, are you looking for a modern, minimalist design with geometric shapes, a whimsical design with bright colored flowers and multicolored balloons, or a romantic design with a twinkling starry night sky and greenery running along the tables? Having this type of idea will help the vendor understand the big picture of your wedding. Once the big picture is decided, the more minor details will fall into place.
Keep in mind, it is also important to be open to new ideas throughout the design process. The floral designer may provide you with suggestions or advice to help you achieve the vision you are trying to create. Take their experience and opinions into consideration to help you make an innovative version of your dream wedding!
HAVE AN APPROXIMATE BUDGET
Come to your meeting prepared with an approximate budget for your wedding. It is okay if your budget changes later on, but the floral designer will need a general starting point as a foundation for what they should and shouldn't suggest. They don't want to show anything that will significantly exceed your budget; instead, they will help you successfully create your vision within your spending guidelines.
It is also a good idea to think about which of your wedding's aspects are most important regarding spending your budget. If you are working with limited numbers, you may need to decide if you want to spend more of your budget on the ceremony, reception, or bouquet. Suppose you are working with a more flexible budget. In that case, other questions may arise, such as, are you willing to get a smaller arrangement to feature your favorite but more expensive flowers? You do not need to have all of these answers going into your first meeting. Still, it could be beneficial for you to write down your top priorities to keep in mind while discussing design possibilities.
HAVE YOUR EVENT DETAILS READY
For the florist to correctly design your wedding, it is necessary to have your essential wedding information. This includes the approximate guest count, the number of people in the bridal party, floor plans of the venue or layouts of the spaces, and a wedding day timeline with a ceremony start time and the reception duration. Having these main details will ensure that you are coming to the meeting prepared.
ASK QUESTIONS
Remember that the point of your first meeting with your floral designer will be to get to know them, their style, and their experience. Each floral vendor you meet with will have their own set of talents and unique styles. As you consider each floral designer, don't be afraid to ask questions to get to know them a little better, clarify event details, and understand the total cost. Here is a list of some popular questions people may ask their floral designer to help you brainstorm a list of your own!
May I see examples of your previous work?
Have you done events at this venue?
Are the flowers that I want in season the month of my wedding?
Do you have experience with all kinds of arrangements?
Do you offer packages?
How much will I pay for your full service?
Will you be the only designer?
Do you have any recommendations based on my vision?
