What Makes a Wedding Florist Worth it: the Difference Between Florals and Floral Design
We’ve all heard a friend say “Why don’t you just buy flowers from Trader Joe’s and throw it into some vases?” And while that might be a great option for someone’s birthday or baby shower, it doesn’t include the whole picture of what goes into making your wedding flowers happen. So what does it mean to have a floral designer at your disposal? Immeasurably more than TJ’s can give you.
Think of building a house: Architect vs contractor. One professional is with you giving advice on what looks best with the budget you have and guides you to achieving your vision. The other professional builds what they have been told by someone who has already made the hard decisions. So how does that translate to flowers? Having a floral designer is having someone in your corner with the eye for art as well as the mind for compromise. They are able to show you three different ways your pinterest board can become a reality within the confines of a real world budget.
What Ordering Florals Looks Like
There’s a time and place for just ordering flowers. In life we all need someone to quickly fulfill our needs when the moment calls for it. Ordering a bouquet, some boutonnieres, and bridesmaids bouquets to pick up for a wedding on the side of a mountain in the middle of nowhere might be the right move. It’s quick, simple, and an easy transaction. Money for flowers. An al la carte option would be the perfect example for that situation. You love roses so you get roses. You tell someone what you need and they make it happen. Your wedding day looks great. Simplicity and ease rule the day and takes a burden off your shoulders.
What Hiring a Wedding Floral Designer Looks Like
Our process looks very different from other wedding florists. We have an initial phone call and we get to know you. What is your story, how did you meet, what does your fashion style look like, and (our favorite) what does your decor style look like? This all plays a part in getting to see who you are and how you see the world. It lets us in on how we can guide you to the right bouquet style, the right ceremony arch, and the right centerpieces for your tables. It may sound like a lot but we take pride in knowing who we are serving and being able to show them what they want.
After we get to know you and see what you are looking for, we have a more in depth meeting and that’s where you have to be brutally honest with us. We don’t want to show you a trend that you never asked for and isn’t in your budget. We akin it to looking at houses with a realtor. There’s no point in showing you a house that isn’t in your price range. We want to show you what you love that is in your budget and style. Every pinterest pin that grabs your attention gets dissected and we talk about what you love in the photo and what you don’t. We get to chat about what flowers are sentimental to you and how they affect certain memories. We hold your hand as we walk with you step by step to provide what you need. Every decision is yours. It’s important to us that we give you custom wedding florals. Not just flowers that look like the other three weddings you attended last year. Your wedding, your style, your day.
Once we nail down everything in that meeting, all the decisions have been made — there’s nothing else you have to do. We have a system, a plan, and a team that knows what they’re doing. So you can cross off wedding flowers from your list to enjoy your season of engagement. Then with a quick check in 30 days out from your wedding, you give us your thumbs up and its showtime.
How to Know Which One You Really Need
Maybe hiring a wedding florist isn’t high on your priority list. If you just need something in your color scheme that fits your budget, a quick phone call or email is all it takes to make it happen. Sometimes all you need is a list, a quote, and a ‘yes we can make that work’. Weddings are a time of celebration and joy; not everything wedding related has to be complicated.
Some weddings put great thought into every detail and it deserves to have the florals reflect that. Maybe you’re a graphic designer who designed custom menus for the tables. And we have the opportunity to have the lines of the font match the lines of the flowers as they reach over the table. Or maybe you want to go back in time and have your wedding flowers reflect the ones your mom had at her wedding. A wedding floral designer comes into play there to make what you’ve imagined a reality because some weddings require intentionality, even in the little things.
What the Investment Includes When You Hire a Designer
A lot goes into having custom wedding florals. It requires custom planning too.
Communicating with local growers for specialty flowers
Venue layout planning (what is expected and what might change unexpectedly)
Figuring out logistics and building structures for big installs
Building a timeline for day-of installs
Having a rain plan (or three)
Planning tear downs so your family can leave sooner at the end of the night
It all revolves around what makes this process worth it to you and how can we make it as smooth as possible. When you hire a wedding florist, you hire people in your corner who know you, are here for you, and want to see your wedding day succeed in every way. You hire people who are eager to answer your hesitancies with sure answers because we know how to handle any situation that gets thrown at us. No matter how complex or simple your needs are, they are poised and ready to collaborate with you every step of the process.
Ready to Figure Out Which Type of Florist is Right for You?
Whether you need a few staples for your big day or want to see where your imagination can take you— let’s figure out what you need together.
Want to chat about the basics and see what’s the best bang you can get for your buck? Look at our pricing page.
Want to get in touch and talk through what you’re planning? Let’s get to know you—contact us!