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In the continuing Real Groom series by Danny Lai, I am grateful that Danny is tackling a very helpful subject - flowers and the florist selection process.

Danny gives his male perspective on what he feels are great questions to ask a florist and what to look for. For a change, it's nice to have a client tell me what they want to know instead of me telling all of you what I think. You'll be surprised to find out that Danny and I share many of the same insights.

I can't thank Danny enough for his frank and candid post. Hope you enjoy!

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Floral arrangements play a major role in unifying any wedding theme, as you see them everywhere at a wedding — on the wedding party, altar, seats, and on the reception tables. When choosing a floral designer, it's important to choose someone who understands your style and vision (Nancy interjects….”amen to that”), and can make it real while keeping within your budget. When interviewing your prospective floral designer, make sure you've covered the following points:

Budget

Ask the difficult questions first. Ask your floral designer about his/her past weddings of similar size and venue, and get a rough estimate of the floral costs for those weddings. This should give you a ballpark range for your expected floral costs. Some floral designers produce unforgettable art using only the most expensive elements, while others produce art across a broader spectrum of elements and prices. Make sure your potential floral designer has worked within your budget before.

Photography by Tu Photography

Photography by Kevin Chin

(example of an easy, simple centerpiece designed by Nancy for Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay, followed by very elaborate and grand arrangements in the same hotel and ballroom room as the first set of images. Flowers by Nancy Liu Chin. )

Knowledge

Make sure your floral designer understands the basics about picking the right flowers for your design.

Ask him/her questions regarding the relative availability of flowers during your wedding month, to get a rough idea of what flowers are in season and would be cheaper, and what flowers would be difficult to get.

Also, find out what flowers can easily be substituted for each other, so you can create similar designs/effects using cheaper elements.

A good floral designer should have a good understanding of basic supply-and-demand of common wedding flowers throughout the year, in order to give good advice regarding cost-effective ways to create arrangements that you want.