Flowers add romance and beauty to any setting so it’s no wonder that brides want them to look perfect. They are the main feature of wedding bouquets and buttonholes and will provide the perfect decor to your ceremony venue and reception area. Flowers sometimes also feature as hair accessories for the bride and/or bridesmaids and even on the cake. The wide variety of colours and types of flowers available can make choosing the right blooms a difficult task, especially as wedding flowers can ramp up costs considerably. The right florist will marry, pun intended, your desires and budget to help you achieve the perfect florals for your dream wedding!

1. Experience Counts

Once you have found your florist, be sure to ask about their experience. Go through their social media pages and website, but also ask direct questions about previous experience with weddings. Important questions to ask include years of experience, how many weddings have they handled and whether they have provided flowers for weddings with a similar theme to yours. Ask also whether they have decorated your venues beforehand and if any pictures are available for you to see.

2. Money Matters

Be open and honest about your expectations and budget. This will allow the florist to discuss options with you. Many factors can contribute to raising costs, for example, choosing blooms that are out of season, or extravagant arrangements, so make sure that both you and the wedding florist are on the right page to avoid potential pitfalls.

3. Check It Out

Ask to see examples of the florist’s work. This could be seeing the actual flower arrangements or a portfolio. You need to be certain that the florist’s work matches your taste, theme and floral vision. Ask for feedback regarding choice of flowers and recommendations based on the season, colour palette and budget. Try to work out together the best way that you can maximise your budget. If you are using fresh flowers on the cake, ask how this is handled.

4. Good Timing

Normally, it is recommended to book your florist approximately 6 to 8 months before the wedding date. If you are wanting elaborate flower arrangements or blooms that may be out of season, then you might have to allow more time. Discuss timeframes with the florist at the first meeting as this will determine what is possible and whether you can work together.

5. Schedule

Following on from the above, enquiring about the florist’s schedule leads onto some crucial questions. Will you be the only wedding that they will be delivered to on the day? Does their schedule permits helping you set up the flowers or will they just be dropping off the arrangements? Will the males of the wedding party have their boutonnieres delivered? All this and more are questions that need to be asked and answered as you will be pretty busy on the big day.

6. Extra Expenses

When you receive your quote read it through carefully and go through the fine print also. Ask whether there are any hidden/unmentioned extra fees such as delivery/transport costs, breakage costs and fees for setting up. Seeking clarity on these issues will go a long way towards avoiding misunderstandings and bad feelings.

7. Payment Protocol

Wedding flowers tend to swallow up a sizeable chunk of the wedding budget. Plan for this outlay by asking your florist about payment options. Normally, a deposit on booking is required. Discuss with the florist when the balance is required as different florists often have different expectations regarding payment.

8. Set Up

Now that the flowers have been chosen and delivered, they will need to be set up. Important questions to ask are:  What time will they be delivered? Will they just be dropped off or will the florist do all the setting up? Will he/she be expecting assistance? And will any storage space be required if an early drop off is being considered? Some florists provide decor elements such as candles, draping fabric, lanterns, mirrors, topiaries and so on. It makes sense to have them provided by one supplier. Discuss whether these items are included in the quote and, if not, ask for itemised prices.

9. At The End of The Day

After the wedding, you will be left with an array of beautiful blooms. Whilst these are obviously yours and you can do with them what you will, do, plan and organise how best to utilise them. There may, however, be objects such as vases and decor elements that you might have to return to the florist. Discuss beforehand such an eventuality and create a plan so that this is taken care of after the big day.

10. Insurance Issues

Very often, this is forgotten amongst all the other to-do items on the wedding checklist. Nowadays, many venues will expect vendors and suppliers to have liability insurance. Check in with both your venue and florist to see what is required. One can never be too careful!

If you need assistance bringing your wedding to life, let Malta’s leading wedding planner guide you. Sarah Young is experienced in making couples’ dreams become reality, and, with the help of her team, your wedding will become her priority.