A Bride’s Guide to Floral Design Consultations

Did you know that the holidays mark the biggest engagement season of the year? It is estimated that 1/3 of engagements happen during this prime time, which is why I thought it appropriate to prepare the many newly engaged couples with a quick and easy guide to floral design consultations.

Do your homework.

Before you meet with 10 different floral designers and have the headache of having to sort through proposal after proposal, do a little research. My top favorite places for finding great wedding vendors are wedding blogs; try Style Me Pretty, Green Wedding Shoes, Once Wed, Wedding Chicks–and Indie Bliss, of course!), preferred vendor lists from wedding planners or venues, and recommendations from friends and family.

Before you even meet with a floral designer for a consultation, be sure you like their style, that your wedding date is available, and make them aware of any budget concerns. Other helpful information to have before you meet is their average wedding cost, their business philosophy, and their booking policies. Once you have all this information in hand, schedule 2-3 consultations with your favorites.

Bring on the inspiration!

Be prepared for your consultation with photos of your dress, the bridesmaid dresses, color swatches, and any other inspiring photos you may love. I’ve had brides bring all sorts of inspiration to consultations, from patterned napkins to magazine clip outs, pantone color chips, and lace from their gown. Bring it all even if you have to explain how it inspires you! You will know you have found a great fit when a designer can see all these elements and come up with a floral vision that compliments your style, theme, and colors.

Be flexible.

You will stifle creativity and originality if you come to a consultation with an exact count of how many roses you want in your bridal bouquet. Bring photos of flowers or arrangements that you love, but plan to be open to ideas. Remember, you are not a floral designer, and you are paying them the big bucks for their creativity, experience, and artistry. If you hire someone you can trust with a little creative license, you will likely get a more beautiful end result than if you had envisioned it yourself.

Remember: you aren’t the only person interviewing.

Many floral designers work only one wedding per weekend, which means they have the flexibility to say “no” when they feel the client isn’t a good fit. So, if you meet your perfect fit, make it known that you would like to work with them by being as gracious, punctual, and organized as you would expect them to be.

Compare apples to apples.

Be sure that when you meet for your 2-3 consultations, you are communicating your ideas in the same way to each floral designer. When you do this, you will likely get back similar proposals, which makes comparing pricing, style, and booking policies much easier.

Now that you’re prepared for your consultation, how, oh how, will you choose? Stay tuned for Choosing a Floral Designer that’s Right for You.

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