In the Beginning...

So you're getting married (congrats!) and you're about to embark on a rather intense -- and expensive -- journey into that mysterious place known affectionately as Wedding Vendor Land. One of the most expensive one-time purchases you will ever make, often requiring planning for a year or more, and subjecting yourself to intense scrutiny, often unbelievable stress, and massive debt... What's not to enjoy??

All kidding aside, a wedding is a wonderful, life-altering celebration honoring the uniting of your two lovely little hearts, but getting there with your sanity intact is often the tricky part! While I can't help you with the sanity itself (Zanax anyone?), hopefully this little space might help you in navigating the sometimes treacherous waters of planning your wedding flowers. Taking a deep breath and bravely clutching my pink-and-purple floatation device, I wade in...

Pre-Consultation Preparation: We'll start with some tips for preparing for your initial consultations with potential floral designers...

1. Surf's Up. Running an Internet search for "wedding flowers" or "wedding florists" in your ceremony locale should give you a good list of floral design websites to start with. Most good wedding florists have a website up these days which includes a portfolio or sampling of their work. This can be very helpful in determining whether you even want to meet with a particular designer in terms of getting an initial read on their style, aesthetic, and abilities. There's no point in wasting both parties' time if the designer doesn't do the type of work you're looking for. For instance, although I secretly covet the fresh scent of armfuls of baby-pink Carnations, I do not do old-school Carnations-and-Baby's Breath work. If a prospective bride asks for that type of work, I will refer her to someone else -- it just isn't the style of work I am inspired by on a creative level.
2. Gossip, Gossip, Gossip. Talk to your friends, family members, co-workers, and anyone else who looks like they have a modicum of style to see if they know of any floral designers they like. Admire a floral display at a hotel or in a high-end store? Ask who provided it. Ditto for bridal gown shops, photographers, bakeries, and just about any vendor you are meeting with. Vendors can be a great resource for you in terms of referrals, and generally will only refer you to those who have proven to be reliable at their past events. In this business, nobody wants a bad referral to come back on them! And of course, if you are wild about the flowers you saw at a wedding, definitely get the designer's name from the bride -- imitation is the highest form of flattery, right?
3. Be Picture Perfect. While you're perusing the vast array of wedding magazines on the market, be sure to flag or tear out pictures of florals that you like. And here again, the Web is a great resource for this purpose, even if it isn't the work of the particular designer you're considering meeting with. Don't hesitate on this point: We all look at each other's work and learn from it; are inspired by it and seek to improve upon it.
4. Know What Turns You On. "Florally" speaking, that is. Jot down what appeals to you when looking at pictures, in the garden, or at your local market. Is it the color, the shape? The texture, the density? Do you favor deep, rich tones, or are you more of a bold and beautiful girl? Do you dream of trailing vines and candy-coated confections with a sparkling touch of crystal bling here and there? Often we are attracted to similar shapes, textures, and hues, and this kind of information can help a designer narrow their focus and develop a look that reflects you best.
5. Likewise, Your Turn-Offs. Sounds strange perhaps, but sometimes what you don't like is more revealing than what you do. Again, notes and pictures can be enormously helpful to your floral designer. When meeting with a prospective client during the initial consultation, I always build a list of their dislikes and keep it in their file for future reference.
6. Color Your World. If you have decided on a color theme for your big day, examples of same will be most helpful during your initial consultations with florists. Pictures, ribbons, fabric or paint swatches are all helpful in this regard. Colors often influence what types of flowers may be in season and available at market at the time of your wedding, so be sure to include this information. Of course, sometimes the determination of color is a work in progress and may not be precisely defined until later in the planning process -- that's okay, too. In this instance, just knowing what colors you do and don't like can be enough to start with.
7. Count Your Pennies. In most instances, a bride has no way of knowing how much the different flower types, bouquets, and arrangements cost on the general market. These numbers will be more precisely developed for you in the proposals you receive from any designers you meet with, and will be dependent on a number of factors impacting cost (more on this subject in a future posting!). Further, not everyone knows exactly how much they want to spend on their flowers, and that's just fine. However, if you do have an absolute "cap" number for your flowers in your budget, you should provide this number during your initial consultation whenever possible. It's so helpful to know what a prospective client is working with in terms of available funds -- especially true if you have "champagne" wishes on a "beer" budget! A designer who is fully informed upfront will be able to find ways to creatively give you the look you want, in most instances.

Next time: Consultations and selecting the right florist for you... Ciao!