6 Ways to Prepare for Your Initial Consultation with Wedding Florist
Preparation is key during the wedding planning process, especially when meeting with your florist and other wedding vendors. The initial meeting sets the foundation, and with your florists specifically, it’s key to bringing your floral dreams to life. You’ll discuss your budget and vision, and you’ll have the chance to ask any questions you may have. By coming prepared, you can maximize your time together and ensure your vision is clearly communicated and understood.
From setting your budget to knowing which questions to ask, this guide will help you get ready for your first consultation with your wedding florist. By coming prepared, you'll walk into your meeting confident and ready to turn your floral dreams into a breathtaking reality.
1. Decide Your Budget
Before you start meeting with vendors, including your florist, you have to have a clear understanding of your budget. So, before tackling wedding planning tasks, sit down with your partner to discuss your wedding funds. While you’ll want to have an agreed understanding of your overall budget, you’ll also need to break down specific numbers for each aspect of your wedding.
This will be useful when you meet with your florist. Knowing your budget, they can show you some arrangement options and alternative recommendations that comfortably fit your desired price point.
2. Have an Idea of What You Like and Dislike
Coming into a meeting with your florist with no idea what you want isn’t ideal. While you don’t have to have every detail sorted, it’s essential to have a baseline understanding of what you’re drawn to. This includes your flower preferences, color palette, arrangement styles, and more. Spend time scrolling through social platforms like Pinterest to see what catches your eye. This will help you and your partner clearly envision your desired wedding flowers.
But remember that it's not just about knowing what you like. It’s equally important for you to understand what you and your partner don’t like.
3. Create a Wedding Mood Board
Before your initial meeting with your florist, create a mood board that visually represents your likes and dislikes. Scroll through Instagram or create a Pinterest board to gather all the inspiration that catches your eye in one place. You can share this with your florist, giving them something to peek at before making recommendations. It'll help you communicate your vision and leave no room for miscommunication.
4. Draft a Wedding Checklist of Priorities
Flowers typically make up the majority of wedding decor. And for those dreaming of a floral-filled celebration, there will inevitably be countless details to sort out. That's where having a wedding flower checklist comes in handy. Before your meeting, list all the floral arrangements you want to incorporate into your wedding design. This includes bouquets, corsages, centerpieces, etc.
Having this list will ensure that no detail is overlooked. But remember, it doesn’t need to be a finalized list. A rough draft will be enough to share with your florist.
5. Write Down Your Questions
The odds are that you’ll come to your initial consultations with a million questions. From booking information to design questions, there are endless topics to cover. And no matter how much you prepare in advance, it can be easy to forget everything when you enter that meeting.
To maximize your time and ensure no questions are missed, draft a list of questions you want to ask to ensure you’re on the same page from the start. This will also prevent you from bombarding your florist with all your questions via email later. Not exactly sure what questions you should be asking your florist? Here are a few to consider writing down to ask your florist during your initial meeting:
Are you available on my wedding date?
Have you worked at my venue before?
Do you have a minimum floral budget?
Do you offer customized packages?
Which flowers do you recommend based on my wedding date and season?
Do you require a deposit? If so, how much?
What is your cancellation policy?
Do you deliver flowers on the wedding day, and is there a delivery fee?
When do you deliver flowers and set up the ceremony/reception arrangements?
6. Be Open Minded
You don’t need to have every detail sorted before meeting with your wedding vendors. It’s best not to have every detail 100% figured out before your initial consultation. Remember, you hire a professional for their experience and skills, which also stretches into the preparation process. That’s why remaining open-minded and listening to your florist's suggestions and invaluable advice is important.
While it’s necessary to come into your initial meeting with a vision and budget in mind, it’s essential to stay open to any recommendations your florist may make. They might offer some unexpected color combinations or blooms you haven't considered.
Prepare for a Meeting with Flowers Valley
Flowers Valley is a reliable and trusted wedding florist in the San Francisco Bay area, offering stunning wedding flowers and decorations that exceed expectations. The Flowers Valley team understands that every event is unique, so it creates a personalized wedding proposal explicitly tailored to your desired flowers and color palette. That’s why it’s crucial to come to your meeting prepared. With their experience paired with your vision, Flower Valley will work magic to make your wedding day truly unforgettable.
So, if you’re ready to bring your floral dreams to life? Contact Flowers Valley by filling out the form.
