Florals to me are the icing on top of an entire wedding design, maybe the right word is sprinkles…icing, sprinkles, you get the picture. The right floral designer can transform your wedding space and bring to life a vision that truly evokes you as a couple. From your bridal bouquet to your centerpieces you deserve a designer who is a perfect fit. There are lots of choices when it comes to choosing a floral designer and you may feel overwhelmed when it’s time to choose.
So here are 5 steps to help you narrow it down.
First things first…
Florist shop vs Floral Designer
A floral designer is an artist who creates unique and one-of-a-kind florals for weddings and events. They work with a wide array of flowers and are typically very involved in other aspects of your wedding day.
A florist typically has a store front and creates pieces from stock designs. They tend to not specialize specifically in weddings and events, but offer arrangements everyday using their large on hand product. Their designs aren’t usually super unique and after booking with them, you have little to no contact until your wedding day. This may be perfect for a bride who doesn’t want to fuss with the design process and would like to just make it simple and check florals off her list.
The biggest difference for brides between these two options is creativity. A designer will create your florals to your specifications and order in the exact flowers and completely bring a vision to life. A florist will have certain designs and most times do not stray from them. If you want an aesthetic created and be able to talk about your ideas and vision throughout your planning journey, a designer might be the right pick for you!
And don’t think cost will be less with a florist, a lot of times it is, but keep in mind they have overhead like rent for their shop, staff, utilities, and staff. A designer often times is home based and their overhead is smaller allowing them to be more economical for brides. Don’t think a designer is not in your budget!
Aesthetic
You want to choose someone who aesthetic you love. Scroll through their website, blogs, their Instagram, and even their Pinterest boards. What is their overall style? What colors do they use throughout their work and life. Is it on line with the overall look you’re going for on your day? Does their past work speak to you? Floral designers are known for creating all types of pieces, but go with a designer whose past work you absolutely love. It’s a bonus when you meet with a designer and you feel like you already know him or her based on what you’ve seen from them.
WORK LOAD
Are you comfortable with a floral designer who books multiple events in one day or only takes on one event? This is an important question to ask. There are many designers that can effortlessly handle many setups in a day and that may be totally fine with you. Or, do you prefer a designer who’s only event on your wedding day is yours? If your wedding has installations that require many hours of set up, you may want someone who only does one event per day so they can ensure they will not be rushing. Hiring someone who only takes on one event a day or weekend may mean they are more available to discuss updates or changes you would like to make.
BUDGET
On top of creativity, choose a designer who can bring your vision to life within your ideal budget. A great floral designer will be upfront and honest with you about where you budget can take you, but should be able to help you achieve the look you are going for without breaking the bank. For example, we have consultations and listen to what our couple is thinking. We ask for budget and then tell them what can realistically happen inside that budget. We then create a proposal within that budget. If we need to go over that budget in our initial proposal, we will. We however we will list ways to get back to that number they have in their head. If things are must haves, then the couple knows their budget will need to be upped. A great designer will allow things to be repurposed from ceremony into reception and has a bunch of creative ways up their sleeve to save without sacrificing overall look.
TRUST
More than anything, after speaking with a potential designer you should feel completely confident in their ability to take your floral dreams and not only bring them to life, but run with them. You should trust them not only to do incredible work, but to be creative and think outside of the box. There should be no doubt in your mind that you are on the same page visually and that your preferences will be priority.
Warmly,
Michelle