Behind The Scenes: Wedding Florist Q&A
- hellothefloralpop
- Aug 16, 2024
- 8 min read
Want a peek behind the scenes of how a wedding florist creates and writes floral recipes for couples? Hi! It’s me, Maegan, with The Floral Pop, a local Nashville florist and wedding vendor with a heart for creating unique florals for your dream wedding. Come behind the scenes with me as I showcase my process of writing wedding floral recipes.
So, let’s start from the beginning and show you a peek behind the scenes with a wedding florist:
What is a floral recipe, and why is it essential to the process?
A florist’s recipe includes all the elements it will take to make each floral design. The recipe consists of how many stems of each flower, greenery, hard goods (vases, compotes, floral foam (or eco-friendly alternatives!), chicken wire, candles, rental items, etc.), and labor costs I will need to create each couple’s floral vision. This recipe allows me to break down each line item a bride has requested to know exactly what products I need and how many. It also creates a shopping list to send directly to my wholesaler and/or local vendors. Each floral recipe is curated to reflect the individuality and uniqueness of the couple. Most florists typically wait to write recipes until after a client has officially booked, but I choose to start with this process, to give myself and the couple the most honest view possible for the pricing of their desired wedding florals, whether they're extravagant and luxurious or simple and minimalistic.
I know that budget plays a huge part when couples choose which florist to work with, so I provide all of the specific pricing information upfront. Some florists work from a set price list; however, this can be inaccurate due to the ever-changing prices of florals. My overall goal in writing individualized recipes is to always avoid blindsiding couples with a change in the quoted price, or eating that unexpected cost myself if the flower market changes significantly. This is exactly why I take the time and effort to create a specific list ahead of giving the couple their proposal.
What helps me the most to understand a couple’s inspiration and build this into their recipe?
My first step is always asking for visual inspiration through Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, or anything else showcasing what the couple likes and dislikes. The visuals create a clear vision for me as I learn which florals suit each couple. Once I receive their intake form and visual inspiration, I will have a “get to know you” call, and I always ask each couple, “Is there a theme or a vibe that you are going for? What do you want people to feel when they walk into your ceremony or reception space?” Are they looking for clean and modern vibes, or warm and elegant? As a designer, I've honed my ability to mentally picture and visualize in a space, and these conversations create images for me. In the end, I've built out their floral designs in my mind at their specific venue before we even get off our call.
Another critical element to consider is the wedding venue itself. Is it rustic barn-like or downtown elegant? You should generally know this before contacting your wedding florist, even if you haven’t finished the venue hunt yet! At the end of the day, your florals should reflect who you are as a couple and not be influenced by others' desires or choices.
We also discuss the couple’s dream color scheme and any specific flowers they want to see included in their florals. It is vital that I fully understand the overall vision, including the shape, style, and look of their inspiration, because creating florals is an art form. Each designer adds their unique style, especially those with more experience. I absolutely love it when a couple gives me “designer’s choice” for specific pieces. Within this process, I will provide advice and a set of options in the quote to give couples the choice, so that they can pick their favorite. This is an excellent alternative for couples feeling overwhelmed by all the possibilities, and want to narrow their field of options.
How much of my recipes comes from overall vibes from the bride, or how much comes from my initial meeting/intake form?
The bride’s personality plays a role in the overall floral design, but it is not the deciding factor. I always lead with their preferences previously discussed on our call and shown through their visual inspiration and then add unique twists based on vibes and personality. Nine times out of 10, their personality goes hand in hand with their inspiration. This is why I want to get to know the couples I work with even before they sign their agreement to ensure I am providing them with a unique and on-the-nose floral design. My favorite question I ask in getting to know a couple more is to ask them about their engagement and how they met each other. It shows their personality and interests, and I get to know a bit about their personal love story.
What would it look like if I needed to improvise at the last minute because my recipe items were unavailable? How do I prevent this from happening?
For most weddings I design, I have to order the flowers from the wholesaler and local flower vendors four to six weeks before the wedding. This means that if the wholesaler or local flower vendor does not have what I need, I can make the appropriate adjustments based on the inspiration of the bride and groom. I will begin substituting the flowers I had chosen for those with similar structure and texture while also making sure the substitution is of an equivalent value to the original. In these situations, I will always keep the couple appraised of significant changes and will discuss options to stay within budget or splurge if necessary.
Unfortunately, there really is no way to prevent these situations; however, I have many wholesale and local vendor options to ensure I can acquire the flowers each couple is requesting.
Will I provide ideas and/or make suggestions to support a bride’s vision best?
There are certain times when I will outright let a client know that specific colors will not mix well to prevent their colors from distracting from their overall vibe. One example is light pink and baby blues, because it could look like a baby shower. Through my experience, I have found that specific flower varieties don’t always work for wedding flowers, even if they are beautiful in other circumstances.
Another factor to consider is whether specific designs and certain flowers will work outdoors, especially during your chosen wedding month. Weather and other external factors play a massive role in placing floral arrangements throughout the venue.
These are some questions to consider as you choose your wedding and reception venue and how your chosen floral arrangements will work in these environments.
Are you okay with having a weather plan for an outdoor wedding or reception?
Will rain or direct sunlight impact any of your floral arrangements that will be placed outside?
Do you have a space for these arrangements indoors until closer to your ceremony?
Can we make quick changes based on the weather the day of?
Another item to consider in lousy weather situations is that items such as bud vases or tapered candles with glass hurricanes over them could fall and break or even cause a fire. These game-day decisions come up while setting up, and I will work with the wedding planner or you, the bride, to pivot during these situations.
Are you wanting to reuse your bridesmaid's bouquets and aisle flowers at the reception?
It is important to remember that these items will be in people’s hands all day, likely out of water in the hottest part of the day. Nature will impact these florals, and they will not look as lovely as they did at the beginning of the day. From years of experience, I suggest that brides who want to reuse these florals only use them in spaces that are not at eye level. The most commonly requested space to reuse bridesmaids' bouquets is the head table or guest tables at the reception. I don't recommend this due to the logistics and visual impact, and suggest alternatively using these at the welcome table, bar, or other accessory areas within your venue that could use a pop of florals! If you're wanting to reuse your aisle "meadow" flowers - some great spots for these are on the floor in front of the sweetheart or head table, or in front of the stage if you're having a live band!
What is the best part of writing a wedding recipe for a couple?
I absolutely love making wedding florals unique for each individual couple. This is truly my passion. I am honored each time I get the opportunity to use my creativity to design a couple’s dream florals. Within my process, I don’t create cookie-cutter designs but instead create highly individualized pieces for each of my couples.
What are the steps for sharing my proposal with the couple?
Once I have written the recipe for the couple, I will build the official proposal and send it to them for review. The proposal will include an itemized list of arrangements with pricing, a mood board with inspiration images and a color palette, an area to give constructive feedback, and information on the next steps the couple can take in the booking process.
How does budget impact the recipe?
I understand that budget plays an enormous role in choosing your wedding florist. To start writing my recipe, I need to know the couple’s budget. Even with the budget information, I write my recipes to include everything on their wishlist first. Then, I will look to see where that falls into their budget. If it is over budget, I will ask the couple if they want to see the proposal with everything included or if they would like suggestions on cuts to make it more budget-friendly before I share it. This creates a space where we can settle on the best options and determine if the couple is willing to spend more money to reach their dream florals or scale down to stay within budget.
As I mentioned before, I don't use a price sheet even though it is a common trade practice because I always want to do my best to create the most honest pricing in a proposal while fulfilling a couple's wish list items. Unfortunately, luxury comes at a price, and I will happily provide luxury florals; however, I am always transparent with my couples that it likely will cost more than they expect. I have had a bride come to me with a $12,000 budget but her wishlist was closer to $24,000 so we needed to make a lot of cuts or decide on items that she was willing to splurge on. I have found that the average bride does not understand the reality of how much event florals cost and why. When I am in a meeting with a couple, I will provide insight and guidance on whether their ideas will be close to their budget, what designs can be repurposed, and where I would make changes if needed. This is probably one of the hardest parts of this process for me because I always want to provide everything a couple has requested, but sometimes it is out of reach financially.
What is one takeaway I hope couples gain from this blog post?
I hope this helps brides, grooms, mothers of the bride and everyone in between to understand what's important for each step of the process. From the initial consultation call, visuals and good descriptive words, budgeting, and pricing, to artistic style and substitutions, I want each couple who reads this to feel armed and ready with the information they need to confidently move forward in finding a wedding florist. As my final piece of advice (A.K.A. the hill I will die on), ALWAYS choose your floral designer intentionally, finding one who aligns with your style, mood board, and vision. Don't go around price shopping for the cheapest option; instead find a designer you work well with, who understands your dreams, and who will bring your fantasy wedding florals to life!
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