7 Tips to Remember When Meeting with Your Wedding Florist

Ever wish you had a fairy godmother to help you plan your wedding? Enter our new video series, Aide of Honor, dedicated to helping a young couple, Kaitlyn and Matt, navigate the planning process with ease. Created in partnership with Samsung, the series showcases how the new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the best way to immortalize wedding planning milestones and memories, as well as help you stay organized and make decisions along the way. Watch the full video on Kaitlyn’s floral appointment here.

Talk to anyone who’s had a wedding and they’ll tell you that the flowers were a surprise in more ways than one, from budget to availability. When you consider that it could cost you around $100 to send a bouquet to your friend for their birthday, the money piece kind of makes sense. But then you throw in other factors such as seasonality, number of guests and deadlines, and it’s a recipe for hidden disaster—that is, if you’re unprepared. Luckily, we got the scoop from two wedding florists who laid out everything you need to know ahead of your very first floral appointment. Here are their top tips for achieving your dream aesthetic.

Much like your dress, or hair and makeup, you likely already have a vision for what you want your wedding flowers to look like. Althea Wiles, owner and creative director of Rose of Sharon Floral Design Studio emphasizes the power of photos advising clients to bring several examples of bouquets and centerpieces they admire, noting what they like and dislike about each. “Words like ‘whimsical,’ ‘boho,’ and ‘classic’ can have different interpretations, so visual references will ensure that you and your florist are on the same page,” she says.

There are also a few helpful additions to have ready before your consultation. “Basic information about the venue, estimated guest count, and date are all important,” advises Rachel Cho, owner and creative director of Rachel Cho Floral Design. Details like a floor plan, on-site contact, and the timing of different events during the day will make the consultation more efficient with fewer costs and surprises down the road. If you haven’t yet chosen your venue, it may be best to hold off on the florals until you do.

If you’ve always dreamed of an explosion of white peonies, but your wedding is set for October, it’s going to cost a pretty penny. “Choosing flowers that are out of season could inflate the cost of your flowers considerably,” says Cho. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but seasonal growing conditions and demand will make things a bit harder. When overall budget matters, it may be wise to stick to in-season flowers.

“While it's crucial to be clear about what is most important to you—whether it’s color, style or a specific flower—it’s equally important to allow your florist room for creativity,” says Wiles. Embracing collaboration and being open to the florist’s suggestions could help cut down on costs if your original choice isn’t in season.

“We always do our very best to accommodate any last-minute changes, but there does come a point where those changes become much more difficult to achieve,” says Cho. For example, if special flowers need to be ordered, they likely need to be ordered at least a week in advance of your wedding day. “If you want an additional several items at the last minute, this could present a greater challenge, not to mention additional preventable costs if your vendor needs to source something at a higher price locally,” adds Cho.

Wedding flowers are often one of the more pricey elements of the big day, but it’s for good reason. “The entire process of designing, curating, delivering, setting up and creating your event takes a village, and there are considerable fees for labor that go along with the cost of flowers,” says Cho. “We often tell our NYC clients to expect to spend $75-$150 per guest on your floral budget.”

There are also costs you may not have thought of right off the bat, such as additional fees to break down the arrangements at the end of the night—overnight work comes at a premium, notes Cho.

When tips are expected everywhere from the coffee shop to the nail salon, it’s understandable to wonder if it applies to wedding flowers. The fact of the matter: some clients do, some clients don’t. Cho’s opinion? “While it’s not required, it’s a classy thing to do. Your vendors want nothing more than to make sure you have the most perfect day, and put their hearts and souls into making sure that happens.”