What its like to work with a wedding florist:
We work with brides from all over the world. While each wedding is as unique as the couple its celebrating, we strive to make working with Petals Flower Farm an easy and enjoyable process with no surprises. What makes working with Petals so special is that each and every wedding we take on is bespoke. Jennifer, our owner and lead designer will be hands on with every part of your wedding from consultation, to proposal, to day of design.
Here you will find the 5 basic steps involved in working with a professional wedding florist as well as tips on how to reach out to a florist and the information they will need. I have also provided an example of an actual email and photos I got from a bride who knew EXACTLY what she wanted and how to get it.
5 Steps to working with a Wedding Florist :
Reach out to the florist you want to work with. See below for details on what your florist needs to know but the most important things are: date, location, budget, and a few (like 3) inspiration photos.
Pay your deposit. This is usually 50% of the estimated whole. Wedding florists are only human and the good ones will only take on the number of weddings they can actively design and manage. This means their calendars fill up fast! If you want to be one of the few who's name makes it onto that calendar, you gotta pay the deposit as soon as possible.
Finalize your design. This may require some back and forth emails, phone calls, even an in person consultation. We may tag along to your walk through of the event space, especially if its a venue we are new to or your event has a lot of big pieces such as floral installations. This all wraps up by around 6 weeks prior to the wedding with only minor tweaks after that date. Here is an example of a proposal we did recently.
Make your final payment. This is usually due 1 month prior to the event. Its almost party time!
Enjoy your day and be sure to stop and smell the roses at least once during the event.
Reaching out to your Florist:
Most florists can be reached by phone or email. At Petals we also have an inquiry form online to get the ball rolling. However you decide to reach out these are the most important details to include:
Wedding Date: (in case the florist is already booked. In a perfect world you will reach out at least 6 months prior to your event or even a year in advance. Getting married in 8 weeks? Its always worth it to ask!
Wedding Location: Some florists have limits on how far they will travel or venues they don't work with. At Petals we generally won't travel more than 2 hours for an event but we have been known to fly to Italy for a wedding (3 times, we've done 3 weddings in Italy, so far!) Its always worth asking and be sure to provide this crucial information when you reach out.
Budget: This one can be tricky but it is absolutely necessary information. Now, do you need to know exactly how much your wedding flowers will cost? No! That's the job of your florist but without at least a range of what you are comfortable with spending on your florals, your florist will have no way to gauge the kind of design to create for you. Check out our handy guide on what wedding flowers cost for some general estimates. Generally the wedding floral minimum at Petals is $1,500. We also offer an elopement package for $450. That stated, we did five small weddings last year that were less than $1500 so it is always worth asking, no matter your budget, as long as you have reasonable expectation.
Photos: Pictures really are worth a thousand words, but too many pictures can also muddle the message. When you first reach out to your florist I recommend providing 3-5 photos. No more.
The Bouquet: Provide a photo is of a bouquet that you adore in the colors and shape/style that inspire you. If you need two photos (one for colors and one for shape/style) that's fine too, just make sure your florist understands which is which.
Ceremony Flowers: At some point in your wedding you will probably stand in front of your guests and say some kind of vows. However you imagine the flowers to look during this crucial moment is useful for your florist. If its a golden arch, find a photo. If its floral pillars on either side, send a photo. The picture doesn't have to be exact, in fact it never will be, but think architecturally on this one and find a photo that comes closest to how you imagine the floral structure/design around where you'll give your vows. Check out our article on Best Wedding Ceremony Florals.
Centerpieces or other This should be like your bouquet photo in that it gives an indication of colors and or structure/shape/style you like.
Example Email & Photos:
Here is a real-life email I received that checked ALL the boxes and then some:
"Hi Petals, I've been following you on insta and adore your style. Sustainability is so important to me for my wedding flowers so I think we might be a perfect fit! I'm getting married on September 1st of next year. My wedding colors are blush and wine. The ceremony will be at Chautauqua and the reception to follow will be at the Flagstaff house. I have two bridesmaids and we have two groomsmen. I am hoping for a flower arch. I like the round ones but have also seen some triangle ones I liked. The dinner reception will be for about 60 people. I'm attaching a few photos. Our budget for flowers is $4,500 but I'm really hoping to stay under that. Please let me know if you are available for our date and what the next steps are."
Go forth and find your florist! If Petals might be the one for you, please reach out, we are beyond excited to bring your floral dreams to life!
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