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There seems to be plenty of articles on what to look for when you hire a florist or floral designer, but what about after the “interviewing” process?  What happens after you get the proposal and you decide to work with a florist?

When I was planning my wedding ten years ago as a naïve bride, there were no manuals on the proper things to do after you've selected a vendor.  Do you sit back and do nothing?  Do you email your vendors once a week to talk about flowers?  Do you need to meet with them again if everything looks good?  What happens if you suddenly need to cut your floral budget?  How many changes can you make before your floral designer may want to cancel your order?  How do you build a good relationship with your vendor?  What if your color palette changes?

These are all great questions and I hope to answer some of them for you.

Most importantly, I'm going to clarify what happens after you get your proposal, review the terms of the contracts and select the floral designer you want to work with.

How to get your first pick?

First thing - if you are happy with your choice, call or email the floral designer right away to secure your date.  Of course some floral shops take on several events so this may not be a problem.  However in the Bay Area, I know that most floral designers do not take more than one wedding a day. Informing the professional of your choice may seem obvious, but I've encountered many brides who request a proposal and never follow up (even after several follow up emails or a call). 

I had a couple recently who called me five months after our initial consultation to ask if the date was still available.  Fortunately for them we had the date open, but I've also had many brides who email weeks after we've followed up with them and we've become unavailable.  It is one of the hardest things to tell a bride that you are booked.  I hate disappointing brides, believe me; it is heartbreaking but it happens.  Many times, books and magazines tell you not to be too excited or show your true feelings. I'm sorry, but I completely disagree with that.  When a bride or groom shows enthusiasm, I thrive off their excitement.  Who doesn't want to work with a couple who is excited, trusting, and appreciative?

I've lived through those “gray areas” where a couple appears to be interviewing several floral designers and are trying to weigh the many options.  I know that this is often part of the wedding planning process, but some clients have made their choice and do not take any action.  Although it may seem like a floral designer is only working on your wedding, they may have several proposals going out at the same time.  They may be working on various corporate events, weekly deliveries, or various other projects, so don’t assume that the date is yours.  It is never final until there is a signed contract between two parties. 

Bottom Line: Don’t assume your date will be held for an extended period of time.

How many meetings do you have with a florist or floral designer during the wedding planning process?

I usually average two meetings with a client after the initial consultation.  I like to meet with them 3 months prior to the wedding.  During this crucial second meeting, I go over the details line by line so that I haven't forgotten a thing.  I ask if colors have changed (although if you change your colors, you might want to share this with your floral designer right away if it affects the flower choices). We also talk about linen choices, chairs they are planning to use, and fine details that will transform their wedding from the typical to something exceptional.  We talk frankly about what we liked from the original proposal and add more things.  Afterwards, I rewrite and create a final proposal.  

To me, this meeting serves a purpose — we aren't just meeting to meet, we are actually moving toward finalizing details.  That's why I like the second meeting so much.  It also allows me another chance to get to know the client.  By the second meeting, invitations have been finalized, dresses have been picked, and most of the vendors have been selected, so it is a great time to catch up.

This is our final meeting unless we do a site visit.  Not all weddings require a site visit, but I do offer them to my clients.  This differs with the floral designer you pick.  If you feel that it would benefit you and the floral designer, ask them if they do a site visit.  If they don't, ask them what they would charge to do one.  It is very common to pay for someone's time; however, I do find many vendors are willing to do a site visit as long as you respect their schedule.  Scheduling a site visit during the weekend is not only difficult for most vendors, but hard for venues that might have events to prepare for.   

Bottom Line: Meetings are a good thing when they serve a purpose.

How many changes can you make?

Once again, this is going to differ among floral designers, so I can only speak for myself.  We allow at least 2 major revisions.  I find when a bride is constantly changing a proposal, mistakes can happen.  I've had brides make minor changes and that's not so difficult, but if you continue to ask for changes and flop back and forth, ultimately things can fall through the cracks. 

Keep in mind when making changes, a phone call is a nice way to communicate and build a relationship, but always put things in writing.  Try to send one email of changes instead of a bunch of separate regular emails.  Also try not to write over an invoice or proposal, and always keep a copy of the most updated proposal.  After you have made a request for change, make sure to ask for a copy of those changes and then make sure that the changes reflect what you discussed.  Remember, it is not uncommon for vendors to charge for their time.

Most importantly, make sure to communicate final counts.  I know many brides who add an extra table and forget to communicate that to their florists. I've had my share of horror stories where I walked into a large wedding and we were 6 centerpieces short because the client forgot to update their final floral order.  

Bottom line: Communicate changes in writing and limit them so that mistakes are minimized.  Get changes in writing whenever possible.  

What happens if you need to cut your budget?

This does happen and it might happen to you.  Before you call your floral designer, take a deep breath and review the details of your proposal and your contract.  Like many quality vendors, your floral designer might have a minimum on an order, so legally you might be held responsible for a certain dollar amount. 

Call or email your floral designer and tell them you need their help to trim the budget.  For me, to trim a budget, you need to remove things.  But what if you can't?  Then you should ask them what realistic things they can do to get your budget where it needs to be.  Asking them to cut their prices and yet expecting them to deliver the same product may not be fair to the vendor.  Ask them if you should substitute a more expensive flower with a more modest flower.  If you purchased your own candles, would that lower the budget?  If the bridesmaid’s bouquets were simpler, would that help? 

Bottom line:  Be partners with your vendors if you need to cut but give them an opportunity to come up with creative ideas.  

Next on Wedding Flowers 101: Avoiding Disappointment