Photo: Lisa Lefkowitz
Peonies or poppies? Roses or ranunculuses? The choices are endless when it comes to your wedding flowers, so it's crucial to find and book a florist who understands your vision and has a design style that's similar to the one you're envisioning for your big day. To make sure you get the bridal bouquet of your dreams, sit down with your potential florist and go over these essential questions listed below. Tip: We recommend printing out this list and bringing it with you to florist appointments!
See More: The Ultimate Guide to Tipping Wedding Vendors
The Wedding Date:
•Is my wedding date available?
•How many other weddings or events will you schedule on the same day?
•Have you done events at my ceremony and reception location(s) before? If not, are you familiar with the sites?
•Are you available to do a venue walk-through before the wedding date? If so, do you charge a fee for this?
•Will you be doing my arrangements yourself or would it be another florist?
•How far in advance of the wedding will you create the bouquets and arrangements, and how are they stored?
Floral Budget:
•Do you require a minimum floral budget?
•Can you work with my budget?
•What recommendations can you give me to maximize my budget?
•Do you offer specific packages or is everything customized?
Background Check:
•How long have you been in business?
•How many weddings have you done?
•Do you have a portfolio of weddings you've recently done that I can browse?
Floral Design:
•How would you describe your design style? (e.g. traditional, modern, rustic, organic)
•Based on my wedding style and budget, what set of floral arrangements would I need?
•Which flowers would you recommend based on the time of year/season, color palette, and budget?
•Are you able to provide organic, pesiticide-free, or sustainably grown flower varieties?
•Which flowers can be substituted to better fit my budget?
•If I give you a picture of a bouquet and/or centerpiece that I like, can you recreate it?
•What types of vases do you suggest? And do I rent the vases from you or do I get to keep them?
•What other décor elements can you provide (aisle runner, candelabras, trees, chuppah, votives, mirrors, etc.)? Are these rental items? How will these items affect the overall cost?
•Can you create sample arrangements before I sign the contract? If so, is there an additional fee for this?
•Will you work with my cake designer if I decide to add flowers to my wedding cake? If so, is there an additional setup fee for this?
•What color lighting would you recommend based on flowers and color scheme?
•Can you assist me in the preservation of my bouquet after the wedding? If not, can you recommend someone?
Payment & Logistics:
•How do you price your floral arrangements?
•Do you charge a delivery fee?
•Do you have an extra charge for the setup and breakdown of the floral décor?
•How long do you need to set up?
•What time will you arrive to deliver personal flowers and set up the ceremony and reception arrangements?
•Is there an extra fee if I need you to stay throughout the ceremony to move arrangements to the reception site?
•Are there any additional fees that have not already been taken into account?
•How far in advance do I need to secure your services?
•How much is the deposit and when is it due?
•When is the final payment due?
•When should I finalize the order?
•Will you provide me with an itemized floral proposal of all the elements we've discussed, along with prices?
•What is your refund policy if for some reason I need to cancel my order?
•When can I expect to receive my contract from you?