Finding a Floral Shoppe Near Me
On the hunt for a bouquet of paper, silk, or real flowers from a trusted florist? Easily find the best florists right here. Looking for a quote before choosing your florist? We can help with that too! Simply submit a quote request and we’ll find the best florists at the price you need.
What is a Florist?
A florist is someone who cleans, cuts, and arranges flowers and other plant elements into pleasing and beautiful designs. They may design using real, dried, or silk flowers. They can create a variety of designs - from bouquets and corsages to centerpieces and ceiling displays.
Why Hire a Wedding Florist Near Me?
There is a big difference between picking up some arrangements at a flower shop and having a professional floral designer bring elegance, flair, and professionalism to your event. Even if you fancy yourself good with flowers, it’s extremely time-consuming to arrange them and a time-sensitive task that comes at the busiest possible time in wedding preparation - typically within 24 hours of the event. With a wedding florist, you aren’t just paying for the flowers you’re also paying for their knowledge and experience.
Questions to Ask a Florist Before Hiring
- Flowers add such beauty and elegance to any event. You want to be sure you’re happy with the end results that start with picking the best florist to meet your needs, to begin with. You’ll want to inquire about their experience with the venue, their ideas for your event, their experience, and rates.
- Designing Style and Ideas
- What other events do you have booked that day?
- Is there a limit to the number of weddings or events you book on the same day? Check with the ceremony site to know what other weddings they have that day so you know how much time is available in between and if the florist can work within that timeframe.
- How close can you get to X color? (if you have a unique color in mind)
- Which flowers would you recommend based on my wedding date (time of year), colors, and budget? What is in season then?
- Do you take the venue into account when designing? Have you designed in my venue before? If not, ask if they’d do a walk-through and what they’d charge.
- Will I know what my arrangements will look like ahead of time? Do you provide any kind of pictures or live examples?
- Do you prefer a lot of direction from clients or a lot of creative freedom?
- If I show you pictures of arrangements I love, can you replicate those?
- Is there anything else that you would suggest?
- If my venue requires tear-down the same day, are you available to do that?
- Do you order flowers fresh for each project?
- Do you ever use organic flowers? How much more do those cost?
- How flexible are you with last-minute changes?
- Do you have liability insurance?
- How many floral designers do you have on staff?
- Experience
- What kinds of events do you typically get hired for?
- Which designers are available for my event? Can I see some of their work?
- Can I talk to your last few clients?
- Do you have photos of work you did at my specific venue?
- Can you tell me who did these specific arrangements? Is that person available for my wedding day?
- Have you ever worked with (cake designer) before? Would you be able to coordinate directly to incorporate flowers into the cake decor?
- Have you ever worked with my decorator before? Would you need to coordinate about designs or set-up?
- What other services do you offer? What are the rates? Some will offer ceiling decor, chair covers or other rentals, balloon arrangements, and invitations. When it comes to balloon arrangements, definitely check out pictures. There is a big difference between including a balloon in a flower delivery and a professional balloon design for an event.
- Do you offer floral preservation? If so, what is the cost and the process? If not, do you have a recommendation?
- Rates
- Do you offer any discounts (especially if having your event during the week or on a Sunday)?
- Do you offer packages or is it all ala carte?
- Can I get a detailed quote so I know the cost of each item if I have to scale back?
- Do you just deliver or also do the set-up?
- Are there any other fees besides the flowers like delivery, set-up, and consultations?
- What would the payment schedule be?
- What is the average cost of X (a centerpiece, church decor, etc)?
- How can I best maximize my budget?
- Do you require a minimum floral budget?
- What is your cancelation policy? None of us know what the future holds with the pandemic so it’s best to know ahead of time. Or, God forbid, something gets in the way of holding your event at the last minute. You need to understand that, even though they may not have ordered your flowers if you cancel two weeks ahead, they may have turned down other clients. It would be assumed that your initial deposit would not be returned.
- Once You've Decided on a Florist
- When do you need a final count? This could include tables, corsages, bouquets, boutonnieres, etc.
- Will you check with the venue before you come up with the final designs to see if they have any restrictions?
- How soon will I have the contract?
- For a wedding:
- Do we need to pick up the corsages and boutonniere or do you deliver them? How should we keep them fresh?
- What time do you plan to arrive at the church? How much time do you need for set-up?
- When do you plan on arriving at the venue? (You’ll need to make sure the tables will be set up by then)
- How much time do you need to set up?
- How far in advance of the event will you finish setting up?
- Do you have any special needs when doing set up or tear down? Can you coordinate directly with the venue on that?
Wedding Flowers Cost
- The average cost of wedding flowers varies on a number of factors. One of the biggest factors that will impact your price is whether you use in-season flowers or not. Demand can drive the price up somewhat. When deciding how much to spend, you need to consider how important an intricate design is to you. The longer it takes to create the arrangement, the higher the price, even if using the same number of flowers for, say, a centerpiece and altar display.
- Certainly, the price will be higher in a major city than in a smaller town. The travel distance to the venue also comes into play.
- Fees and taxes are added expenses many people don’t think about but can be the make or break of the budget. Be sure you budget in sales tax, set-up fees, service, and/or delivery fees ahead of time so you’re not surprised. Is tear-down involved? That might be at midnight so realize that there can be a significant fee for that.
When to Order Wedding Flowers
Placing your wedding flower order as early as possible, or 6 to 9 months ahead of the wedding, will give your florist time to get the right flowers and make your arrangements perfect! The recommended least amount of time before a wedding to order flowers is 2 weeks to a month. If you do wait until 2 weeks prior, make sure you have a plan and are ready to sign and book as soon as you get a proposal.
Should You Tip a Florist?
It’s not typically expected but sometimes people will tip a delivery or set-up person, especially if you need them to make a tight deadline or come back late at night to tear down because you didn’t want the music to stop. As a general rule, you wouldn’t tip the owner of the business. Unlike a venue, you’re not expected to tip a percentage of the bill.
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