How to prepare for a wedding flower consultation
Photo by Derek Andrew Photography
This is the first in my “probably-way-too-detailed guide to wedding flowers” series! Today we’re talking all about booking a wedding florist for your day. Read on to learn how to prepare, and what to expect during and after a wedding flower consultation, both in general and with me, HQS FLORAL <3
Before you inquire
All you really need is to have your venue booked and date secured! Seasonality is at the core of my work, and the time and place of your event is essential to determining pricing and floral availability. It’s also great to have an estimated number of guests so we can provide a better estimate of the number of aisle arrangements or centrepieces.
It’s also helpful to have a general idea of:
The overall look and feel of your wedding, including colour palette
Wedding party numbers and attire
Floral elements that you’re looking for (bouquets, ceremony backdrop, centrepieces etc)
An estimate of your budget (stay tuned for a deep dive on this in an upcoming blog post!)
I recommend reaching out to a florist 8-12 months prior to your event, and no earlier than 18 months before. However, if you’re confident in your vision for your wedding decor and are ready to book a florist, or if there’s a florist that you know you want to work with it’s definitely worth connecting with them early.
What even happens in a wedding flower consultation?
For me, this first meeting is collaborative and conversational. My inquiry form collects all of the basic info that I need, so the consult is to get a better understanding of your vision and priorities in order to create a custom proposal and mood board. Expect to chat about your colours, decor ideas, style, the overall look and feel of your event, and budget. I also like to look at photos with clients, sometimes doing a little “this or that” game if you’re feeling really undecided!
No need to prepare or study up on anything, we’ll guide you through the process and provide expertise to create a cohesive vision that aligns with your style and budget. Here are some things to think about before your consultation, or to guide your questions during the meeting:
Inspiration photos
A Pinterest board, a Google Drive folder, a slideshow, whatever format works for you! Inspiration photos can represent the flowers, colours, and/or styles that you like. I also find it helpful to see inspiration photos for other elements of your wedding, especially other decor as it helps keep things cohesive. Anything that helps to convey the look and feel that you want for your wedding day is helpful! I like to get inspo photos before we meet so I can better prepare for our meeting, so I ask for them in my inquiry form.
Floral needs
Think about the main areas you’d like flowers: personal flowers (bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, other wearables), ceremony backdrop, aisle, reception centrepieces, or installations like arches. It’s good to have an idea of your priorities and think about what is a must-have and what is a nice-to-have.
Other design elements
It’s helpful to share other decor elements like table decor, fabric swatches for tablecloths or bridesmaid dresses, signage, rental furniture, or any other details, confirmed or not! Images of your venue and floorplans for the ceremony and reception are also helpful, and will allow your florist to put together the most accurate pricing.
What you don’t need to worry about
Specific flowers and what’s in season
I actually don’t recommend giving your florist a list of specific flowers! Letting them know a few favourite blooms can be helpful but keeping things more general can actually keep costs down, as your florist will have more freedom to shop seasonally and cost effectively.
Exact quantities of arrangements
You probably don’t have your exact floorplan and guest count at this stage, your bridal party numbers may shift, and that’s totally fine! Your proposal will contain estimates based on your expected guest count. We can finalize these details closer to your date, either at our follow up meeting (about 3 months prior) or the final check in (6 weeks prior).
Your florist will also know how many arrangements/flowers will be needed to achieve the look you’re going for, and can provide tips to maximize your budget by repurposing as much as possible!
Okay but WHY is a consultation so important? Couldn’t this be an email?
Ugh I get it. Planning a wedding takes so much TIME!! But for me the consultation is essential - your wedding vendors are important collaborators for one of the biggest events you’ll ever plan! It’s not just about gathering all of the info to create a quote, it’s about better understanding your wants and needs so I can create a proposal that reflects you, leading to only good surprises on your wedding day. It’s a little more work up front, but then you can relax and feel confident that your event is in good hands with vendors that fully understand your vision.
My consultations are about 20-30 mins on average, definitely faster than emailing back and forth for a week ;-)
On this same topic, if you’re wondering how to know that you’ve found the right florist; they should make you feel excited (and less stressed) about your day. You should feel like you can trust them! The consultation process is huge for this, and helps make sure that we’re a good fit for each other.
As a bonus behind-the-scenes detail: these are examples of some of the sketches I’ve made for my clients either after the consultation, or closer to their wedding date to help us visualize the designs.
digital collage mock-up
rough sketches
table layout mock-up
After the consultation
Every florist has their own workflow, but here’s what to expect after a consultation with me:
1 - 3 days after: Receive custom proposal and mood board. Once everything looks close to your vision we can move forward with the booking, which requires a 50% retainer and signed contract to confirm your date.
3 months before your wedding: I’ll reach out to schedule our final flower chat if needed. This is a good time to talk about any larger add-ons or changes to our order, as we’ll go over the design details to make sure everything is still matching your vision.
6 weeks before your wedding: I’ll be in touch to confirm all timelines and finalize any remaining details if needed (like guest count and table numbers) before sending out the final invoice, due 30 days before your wedding date.
The big day: Myself and my team will be there to hand deliver and set up your florals and ensure that everything looks perfect.
Photos by Derek Andrew Photography
I hope this was helpful, stay tuned for future entries in this series! If you’re ready to start planning your wedding flowers or have more questions about the process, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Check out our Weddings page for more info and to inquire :-)
About HQS FLORAL
Photo by Evangeline Belzile
Hey! I’m Hannah, owner, lead designer, and the hqs in HQS FLORAL. I’ve been working in the floral industry since 2013, mainly in retail flower shops before starting my own business in 2021. My focus is on creating artfully arranged florals for weddings and special events in Edmonton, Alberta and beyond, specializing in elevated colour palettes and texture-forward details, always with sustainability in mind. I also love sharing my skills and the joy of floral design through workshops! Read more about me here <3