The Complete Guide That Makes Choosing the Best Florist Simple

Now that people are making up for weddings they had to cancel in 2020, plenty of people are trying to figure out what type of vendors they need for the big day. One major vendor that often doesn’t get the attention they deserve is the florist. 

Are you thinking about trying to find the best florist, but aren’t sure what you need to know to choose the right one? There are plenty of florists available to you, especially if you’re not planning on buying that many arrangements or decorations in the first place.

The real question comes down to this: how can you choose the florist that will help make your big event a success? 

Keep reading below to learn some of the basic things you need to know if you want to hire the best florist in town. 

What Does a Florist Do for You?

Florists will help you select the flowers and arrangements that you need for an event. You’ll have a say in the matter as well, but they have the expertise as to what color, type, and composition will work best in many cases.

Not only does this help ensure that the flowers you choose look perfect, but it also helps to ensure the flowers “function” as needed with the rest of your event. You need to be sure that the best wedding bouquet you can get, for example, will work and look good as an actual wedding bouquet. 

In addition to this, a florist is an asset for keeping your flowers fresh. They will be able to make sure that your flowers look great on the day of the big event with flower preservation techniques that aren’t available to the average person. 

Florists are able to design weathers, corsages, centerpieces, and other floral arrangements as needed. They will clean and process the flowers, cut and arrange them, and then lay out the finished product as their final design. This takes a lot of work off of your shoulders, especially if you’re not experienced with flowers or arrangements. 

How Can You Tell if the Prices Are Fair?

One of the biggest worries that people have when they are hiring a florist is that they are getting charged too much for the service. Flowers can be pretty pricey, especially when you are trying to hire the best wedding florist or you want to get a lot of small details just right with a highly rated florist in your area. 

A recent survey suggests that most people pay between $600 and $804 for a florist that works on a wedding, as an example. This is for all of the flowers involved, including centerpieces, decorations, and personal flowers used in bouquets or corsages. 

The truth is, however, that there is a lot that goes into what a florist does from start to finish. Although it may seem simple to you, the work and effort, not to mention the value of the actual flowers, will add up in cost. 

A fair price is going to depend on what you think the value of the work is overall. It also depends on what others in your area are offering. You should do a little bit of research to see if the florist you’re considering has prices that are comparable to their competitors, and if not, ask them why they are able to charge more or what they have to offer that other florists do not. 

Creating an Affordable Flowers Budget

Before you start to consider what types of flowers you want or how many centerpieces you need, you will want to determine what you’re able to spend.

When you’re creating the overall budget for your event, don’t forget to factor in flowers! You may also need to think about the cost of delivery or installation, labor fees, sales tax, and deposit fees. 

It costs a lot less to send flowers to someone than it does to set up flowers for an event because there is a lot more prep involved. For this reason, you should take these costs seriously, or they will end up adding up to far more than you imagined.

Get Your Ideas Together

As you start to consider which florist you want to work with, you need to have a clear idea of what your vision is for the event and how the flowers will play a role in it. You can use websites, like Pinterest or Canva, to organize your ideas and even create a vision board to help you.

If your event has a theme or other inspiration, try looking up photos that are similar to those ideas to get started. You can decide on color schemes, arrangement styles, or even specific types of flowers and bring those ideas to the florist.

Having these ideas are going to help your florist create a design that you love, but it also helps you determine how many flowers you’ll need. Some florists are more capable of handling large orders than others, so knowing what your expectations are from the get-go will help you find the best florist available for the job.

Pay Attention to Their Reviews

No matter what industry it is, a business is going to have reviews available for you to peruse sooner or later. With the internet available to so many people, a simple online search will help you figure out what previous customers have to say about a florist (or any other vendor you may need to hire). 

A review tells you a lot about a business. It will help you understand how they treat their customers, how their customers feel about the transaction, and what types of relationships the business has with their community. All of these are important factors to think about if you want to hire a vendor, such as a local florist, for your big event.

Not checking the reviews before you hire someone is not a smart strategy. Imagine having a wedding without looking up the caterer first and having horrible food for all of your guests. That’s not something that you want to have to deal with, especially since it may overshadow your big day!

Vetting a florist through reviews is smart and helps you gain knowledgeable recommendations from others that could help you in the long run. 

Obtain a Detailed Quote

Before you sign on the dotted line agreeing to pay someone for their services, you should always get a detailed quote in writing that explains everything you’ve discussed. This way, if something goes wrong, you would have proof that you had an agreement that wasn’t upheld by the other party. 

You should review a copy of what they would consider a standard customer contract as well. You can talk about potential flexibility with certain policies or terms that may be dealbreakers for you.

Although it may seem intense to have to work all of these details out, you’re protecting yourself and your finances when you are proactive. Even if it is “just a florist,” you’re paying hard-earned money for the service, and you deserve to get exactly what they say you’ll get! 

Always ask plenty of questions and make sure everything is crystal clear before you start negotiations with the florist. 

Go With Your Gut

In the end, finding the perfect florist is going to come down to you and what you want. The best florist for you may not be the best florist for someone else!

You want to choose someone that you think is competent and can get the job done but also is someone that you get along with well. Looking at samples of past work, taking the time to have conversations about the plan, and learning about their history with other clients are all great ways to tell if you’re content with the florist. 

Pay attention to how they treat you and whether or not they are easy to communicate with. You want to ensure that the person you choose has a lot of experience and plenty of people skills to make the task easier on everyone! 

Choosing the Best Florist for Your Event

Don’t put off your search for the best florist until the last minute. You need to make sure that you have options so that you can get the flowers you want. 

If you’re looking for a florist with experience, you need to be sure that they have worked with your type of event in the past. Don’t forget to check out their reviews and get detailed information from them before you decide to hire.

Did you find this content helpful? If so, be sure to take a look at some of our other useful articles today for more tips.