So, you've reached that point. You have your dress picked out, your bridesmaids gowns are in the works and your colors for your Big Day are set in stone. You're still six months away so what's next? Book your florist!
The initial floral consultation can last anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour. In this very short period of time, I want to get to know you like your friends know you. And this is my advice to reaching that level of understanding.
I would try to limit the number of people you bring with you to the consultation. One, maybe two people you trust is plenty. Any more than that and the Bride tends to get overwhelmed with opinions and suggestions. It's your day - you get to make the decisions!
I've read a Bride should commit to a florist anywhere from a year, to nine months, to six months in advance. If you're planning a large wedding, the longer a florist and their team has to prepare, the better. However, the truth of the matter is I don't think it's necessary to start talking about flowers until you have a few things set first.
First and most importantly: your dress. It is the mascot of the entire day and the ultimate style guide for a floral designer. Bring a picture and a color swatch of the dress to the consultation.
Two: your wedding colors. Your flowers serve to enhance these colors and until we know what they are, it is difficult to suggest arrangements and bouquets that will match your wedding. Again, swatches are very helpful. If you don't have your own we use the brilliant Pantone Wedding Color fan deck for reference.
Three: the scale of the wedding. Knowing the size and location of the venue, how many attendants and guest you will have, will help a great deal in the planning stages. If you're planning a small garden ceremony, the flowers I would suggest would be very different than an elaborate sit-down dinner reception entertaining 300 of your closest friends!
After you've gathered this information you may be asking yourself: "what should I bring to the consultation?" I always suggest, "anything and everything!" I'm trying to gather your likes, dislikes, style preferences, color combinations, fashion favorites - even musical tastes! The best way for me to learn this information, quickly, is with pictures and color swatches. Also, Invitations and Save-The-Dates help me see your sense of style quickly. Anything clipped out of a magazine or printed off the Internet works wonders. It is a quick snapshot into your vision for your very special day.
So you can see the questions I will be wondering in advance,I am starting a new questionnaire for Brides to fill out prior to our meeting. This way I can spend more time talking with you about flower choice, color and style. Check it out here. (First download the file to your computer, top left corner Download button, and then print off.)
If you would like to set up a consultation please email me with your wedding date and location to:FlowerGirl@BellaBouquets.com I would be thrilled to chat with you about your Big Day! And don't forget to bring all your goodies with you!
