Unless you throw a lot of very fancy dinner parties, your wedding is likely the first time you’ve ever had to hire a florist. You may have no idea where to start when it comes to deciding on floral decor for your wedding. Even if you already know what kind of flowers you want, there are some other practical concerns to address when hiring a florist. I’m here to help!

Stylistic Considerations

Getting started is as easy as thinking about your favorite flowers. Maybe you’re a huge fan of peonies, or roses are your go-to. You can also rule out flowers that you don’t like. Some people love gerbera daisies, others not so much.

What’s your color palette? You’ll want florals to coordinate or complement your overall color scheme. But don’t worry, there are flowers in every color! And you can combine different shades of the same color by using different flowers.

You should also think about whether you want formal structured arrangements, or a more natural “just-picked” style. Pinterest and Instagram can be great sources of inspiration for florals because they are visual media. You can find some florists to stalk and get a sense of what the various styles look like. See what appeals to you.

I recommend creating a Pinterest board (or a saved collection on Instagram) for flowers and just pinning things you like without overthinking it. Once you’ve collected about 30-40 pins, you can step back and evaluate your choices and look for commonalities. Did you pin a lot of very tall, structured arrangements? Did you love a bunch of long garland centerpieces? Patterns will begin to emerge, and then you’ll know what kind of style you like.

Another reason to check out florists on Instagram is that many of them don’t have the greatest websites. When I got married in 2013, my florist didn’t have a website at all! If it hadn’t been for my planner, I never would have found her, and she was fantastic! By looking at Instagram, you can get a good sense of their past work and what they’re capable of creating.

Practical Considerations

Once you’ve found a few florists whose style you like, it’s time to schedule some consultations. It’s helpful to bring some examples of work you like to help guide your floral designer. But be sure to stay open to their ideas as well. After all, this is their craft and they are likely to have great suggestions.

Some questions to ask:

1) Do you charge for delivery? How much? Is there a travel fee for weddings that are further away?

2) Will you make a complimentary tossing bouquet? Usually this is a smaller version of the bride’s bouquet with the same flowers and overall style.

3) Will you make a mock-up centerpiece for review and approval? This way, if you decide you don’t like something, you can make changes before the big day.

4) Will you provide extra stems on the wedding day? As a planner, I find it useful to have a few extra stems for outdoor summer weddings. If one wilts or gets bent, I can swap in a fresh stem. Your photographer will also want to use the extra stems to dress up detail photos, like your rings and your stationery suite.

5) How far in advance do you make the bouquets and arrangements? Florists have large coolers where they store prepared arrangements to keep them fresh, but it’s still useful to know how far in advance they’re being put together.

6) Where do you source your flowers? This question is especially relevant if you’re concerned about sustainability or labor-friendly practices.

7) How many weddings do you do on a given day? You want to make sure your arrangements are getting the designer’s full attention.

8) Do centerpiece containers have to be returned? If so, will you pick them up at my venue or does someone need to bring them back to you?

If you follow this advice, you should be off and running as far as florals go. And remember, I’m here to help you. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below!

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