Get married is an exciting time.

There is so much to plan and so many fun thing to do. From dress shopping to popping the question to your bridesmaids to picking a wedding date, the list goes on and on. Undoubtedly, you have waited for this moment a long time and are ready to dive in to this thing called marriage. But first, let’s get prepared for the biggest party of your life! It’s so important that you not only have an amazing celebration, but that you also understand how to plan an amazing celebration. Today, I will be sharing 5 tips and tricks to having a successful floral consultation from start to finish.

Ready? Let’s dive in…

#1 The first thing you need to do is your homework.

Research florists in the area of your venue or ones that would be willing to travel to your destination. Pick a few that not only service your area, but also fit within your budget. Many wedding websites and florist websites will give you a good guideline to florist minimums and package pricing.

#2 Decide on your budget

Before you determine your floral budget, it’s a good idea to figure out your overall wedding budget. You can best do this by asking newly married friends.  Find a friend or two who just got married and who had a similar style wedding to yours (ballroom, reception hall, wedding barn, etc.) Ask they what their overall budget was and you can expect yours to probably fall within $2-3,000 of that. Your floral budget will comprise about 10% of your overall budget and if you are adding in draping, lighting, furniture rentals, etc., it may be closer to 12%.

#3 Pinterest it up!

Designers need to get inside your head. When I meet with clients my number one goal is to get to know them and their wedding vision. We talk about their partner, about how they met and what kind of wedding they forsee themselves having. Have you heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”? Well, nothing is more true in design. If you are able to show images of what you like and designs that fit your aesthetic, a designer can quickly interpret that to fit the needs of your budget.

#4 Determine your areas of impact

Areas of impact are where you focus you decor budget for drama. Some clients have an amazing ceremony installation that they choose to spend a good bit of their floral budget on. For others, it is the estate table at the reception or the lush and full bridal bouquet. Pick 1-2 areas of impact and tell your designer that those are where you want to focus your budget.

#5 Don’t wait.

If you know you love the designer and they agree to the price-point you want to stay within, put down a deposit for your wedding day. I can’t tell you how many times I have done a consultation and the client does not respond to the proposal within the allotted time, thus opening up my calendar for that day. When they call to book weeks down the road, their date has been reserved by someone else. While many florists can accommodate multiple events in one day, the larger events require more staff and may cause that date to become blocked off and unavailable.

I hope these tips have been helpful to you in your planning journey and I hope to walk this journey with you, too!

~Heather