Wedding: Questions to ask your florist

Before you meet with some potential florists for your wedding, write down a list of questions to bring with you to the appointments - some suggestions are below. Don't forget to bring pictures of flower arrangements that you like. Bringing pictures of your wedding gown, bridal party attire, and ceremony/reception sights will also help the florist get a good idea of your wedding plans so far.

During your meeting, you want to "click" with the florist. You want to walk away from the meeting feeling that he or she understands your vision and what you want for your wedding. Ideally, you should feel comfortable bouncing ideas of the florist. The florist should respond with some suggestions on how to make your idea work better or how to make your idea work within your budget. This is a good sign. Sometimes, the initial meeting will just be that - an initial meeting, where you talk about your ideas. The follow-up to the meetings or phone calls may be where you start getting into the brainstorming and budget fitting discussions.

Questions to ask:

• Who will be the floral designer making the arrangements? Make sure you get a chance to meet and speak with that person.
• How many weddings do you do per day/per weekend?
• Are you familiar with the ceremony/reception spaces? Have you worked there before?
• How does delivery and set-up work?
• Do you offer rental items?
  
• Are there any current wedding styles that you would suggest for my wedding?
• What flowers are in season at the time of my wedding?
• What flowers work with my color scheme?
• Can I change my mind about certain elements along the line? What is the cut off date for new ideas?
  
• Can I see some examples of your work, particularly other weddings?
• Do you have some references of past clients who I can contact?

Before you leave, make sure you take a look around the shop to see if you like the arrangements they have on display. Take a look what fresh flowers they have available too.

Next week, we will provide some suggestions on how to work around your floral budget. A good florist should be able to provide you with flower suggestions within your budget and ideas for getting the most impact out of your budget.