Doing a Google search to find a "florist near me" may be your first step in finding your florist. However, what happens afterwards? What's the process of booking a wedding florist? Most brides have never had to search for a wedding florist before, so here is some information that will help you understand the process behind booking your florist.
By the time brides get to the point of booking their florist, they have already booked a venue, a wedding planner, a photographer and possibly a cinematographer. By the time brides get to the florist, they are overwhelmed and tackling flowers is no easy task. There are tons of details that we florists need to know in order to provide you with a quote and a design. I hope that knowing the process to book your florist will help ease the stress!
"Booking a florist consists of three steps; consultation, proposal and booking.”
Most florists will conduct consultations by phone, which require a bride to schedule an appointment. Consultations can take from as little as 15 minutes to over an hour - if you're having fun. :)
I can't stress enough how important these consultations are. During these calls is where we find out about who you are, your likes and dislikes, your vision, your color palette, the experience you want your guests to have and so much more! You will want to be prepared for several questions, including the total number of bridesmaids, groomsmen, centerpieces, ceremony ideas etc. If you don't have these finalized as of yet, that's okay. The information can be provided a bit further down the road.
In-person consultations are also an option, especially for florists that have a storefront. However, appointments are always recommended. That's how we ensure we dedicate that time to you and not be distracted by other duties. For florists that don't have a storefront scheduling in-person consultations require a bit more planning. Either way, consultations will be the first step in choosing your floral designer.
NOW, comes the proposal. After we have gotten a good idea of your vision, florists will put together a proposal and discuss it with you. Some will email it, others will have you come into their shop or meet at a coffee house. Every florist has their preferred method of sending proposals to their clients. I am always game for coffee!
You may find that some floral designers will require that you book them before they provide a full visual design proposal. Now, before we raise that one eyebrow, there's a reason for this. Visual design proposals are pretty much a full vision board of your event and require hours of preparation. Because of the time and work it takes to put these together, some floral designers will opt to wait until their client books their services before the visual design proposal is provided. Of course, we don't expect you to book our services without knowing a price. A price on the cost of your flowers will be provided, but a gorgeous visual proposal may have to wait until after we are booked.
Once the proposal is accepted, its smooth sailing baby! All that's left is to make it all official and sign the contract! A day and time are set to have the contract signed and the retainer fee paid. Most florists will require a certain percentage to retain their services for your event. These percentages can range between 20% - 50%. My retainer fee is 30% of the total balance.The retainer fee is typically non-refundable and it is applied to the total balance. After a client has booked my services, I schedule an in-person meeting to have the contract signed and the retainer fee paid. Like I said before coffee is always an option, but I can settle for wine.
I must admit, in this digital age, many florists choose to email contracts and invoices for payment. Personally, I have done that many times. As much as I love connecting with my brides over coffee or wine, sending an email with the contract and one with an invoice is incredibly simple and many of my brides opt for that. Regardless of which method they choose, they have booked their florist and so can you!
Photos by SamShots Photo & Video
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