How to Choose Wedding Florist

Wondering what’s the difference between floral designer and florist? How much will the flowers cost? Should you ask your wedding planner to recommend someone? Here’s how to choose wedding florist.

Ask for recommendation

If you have colleagues or friends that got married in the same area, ask them for recommendations. If you have selected the venue, ask for their list of recommended vendors. Florists on that list will be familiar with the venue space and they will also know how to maximize its beauty. If you have a wedding planner, ask for some suggestions.

Know the difference between florist and floral designer

Florist is probably working in a brick and mortar store, selling individual floral arrangements. Floral designer is someone who creates arrangements for weddings and he also knows how to work with a team of other vendors. If you need a few small floral elements (boutonnieres, bouquets, small table arrangements), florist will do just fine. Pick a floral designer if you want someone to help you bring a wedding theme to life or if you want to include items such as floral chandeliers or floral arches.

Keep your budget in mind

Pricing compatibility is a big part of choosing your wedding florist. Usually, 10% of the wedding budget is spent on flowers. Various factors can increase the price, including flower preferences, flower season, guest count and design choices.

Ask additional questions

There are several logistical matters to discuss with your florist. How many weddings does the florist work on per weekend? Will they personally set up the flowers at the ceremony and the reception or will they send someone from their team? Will they help move the flowers from the ceremony to the reception site? Who will handle the cleaning?

Think about sustainability

Flowers are one of the biggest opportunities for waste, along with catering. If your priority is to minimize the environmental impact, there are a few additional things to consider when choosing your wedding florist. Choose someone who works with locally-grown flowers. Check what materials are used for designing – floral frogs and chicken wire can be reused, but floral foam can not. Consider donating the flowers after the wedding.

What are your thoughts on how to choose wedding florist?

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