Choosing the Perfect Florist for Your Special Event
If you are planning a wedding or another special event, chances are you will need the services of a florist. Unfortunately, not everyone who claims to be a florist really knows their way around flowers. The following tips will help you choose someone you can trust to provide quality bouquets and centerpieces.
First, let's begin with a bit of background on the industry. There is a difference between a florist and a floral designer. Florists are licensed by the Idaho Department of Agriculture. They must maintain certain standards set by the state. A floral designer does not need a license. Their primary responsibility is designing arrangements under the direction of a licensed florist.
Florists obtain the majority of their flowers from wholesalers, though they may occasionally purchase special items from local growers. Two floral wholesalers serve most of southwestern Idaho and eastern Oregon. The wholesalers obtain their flowers from growers, both in the U.S. and internationally. Most flowers grown in the U.S. come from southern California, Florida and Texas, with tropical flowers coming from Hawaii. The majority of foreign growers are located in Colombia and Ecuador, though some flowers also come from Holland, Australia, New Zealand and Central America. It is possible to obtain just about any type of flower any time of year if you are willing to pay for it. Want tulips in October? You can have them if you can afford the shipping.
Florists place orders with wholesalers for the types and colors of flowers they need to fill upcoming orders and for items they want to stock in their shop. Therefore, if you wait until the last minute to order flowers for your event, you may have to accept whatever the florist or the wholesaler has on hand.
When flowers are delivered, they must be "prepped." This involves cutting stems and rehydrating the flowers for a period of time before they are used. Not all florists know how to do this properly. If they don't, your flowers may look lovely when delivered, but begin to drop petals in just a few hours.
All flowers are not created equal. Some are hardier than others and will withstand higher temperatures and more handling. Your florist should be able to tell you whether the flowers you want will withstand 100 degree days in July or if they can be without water for a period of time.
When choosing a florist, it is often better to work with a floral shop rather than someone who does flowers from their home. Flowers require humidity and temperature control to remain fresh. Florists have large coolers that are both temperature and humidity controlled. Most home-based florists use a refrigerator, which lacks the humidy control. Flowers also pick up odors. Therefore, if a home refrigerator contains, or has contained, onions or garlic, your beautiful roses may not smell so lovely.
When you visit a floral shop, look around. Do you like what you see? Check their display case. Do you see fresh flowers or do you see petals with brown edges? Are the bouquets for sale creatively designed? Is the staff willing to work with your ideas? Are they patient with you or are they pushy? Ask your event planner, your friends and your photographer for recommendations. They see the finished products over a period of hours. Photographers can be particularly helpful in telling you who to avoid based on their past experiences.
Before signing a contract, read it carefully so there are no surprises. Most florists charge a delivery fee. How much is it? Will the florist help set up at your event? This is particularly helpful if you have an arch or another item to be decorated. Some florists offer a free toss bouquet for brides; will yours?
Will the florist call you before making substitutions? This is very important. There are florists who will make substitutions without first consulting you. If there is a major issue, such as a sudden freeze in the growing area that kills the rose crop, for instance, then you need to be informed of that and given choices based on what is available. If, however, the florist simply failed to place their order on time, then they should be compensating you for their failures.
In our next blog, we will discuss how to choose flowers for your wedding.
First, let's begin with a bit of background on the industry. There is a difference between a florist and a floral designer. Florists are licensed by the Idaho Department of Agriculture. They must maintain certain standards set by the state. A floral designer does not need a license. Their primary responsibility is designing arrangements under the direction of a licensed florist.
Florists place orders with wholesalers for the types and colors of flowers they need to fill upcoming orders and for items they want to stock in their shop. Therefore, if you wait until the last minute to order flowers for your event, you may have to accept whatever the florist or the wholesaler has on hand.
When flowers are delivered, they must be "prepped." This involves cutting stems and rehydrating the flowers for a period of time before they are used. Not all florists know how to do this properly. If they don't, your flowers may look lovely when delivered, but begin to drop petals in just a few hours.
All flowers are not created equal. Some are hardier than others and will withstand higher temperatures and more handling. Your florist should be able to tell you whether the flowers you want will withstand 100 degree days in July or if they can be without water for a period of time.
When choosing a florist, it is often better to work with a floral shop rather than someone who does flowers from their home. Flowers require humidity and temperature control to remain fresh. Florists have large coolers that are both temperature and humidity controlled. Most home-based florists use a refrigerator, which lacks the humidy control. Flowers also pick up odors. Therefore, if a home refrigerator contains, or has contained, onions or garlic, your beautiful roses may not smell so lovely.
When you visit a floral shop, look around. Do you like what you see? Check their display case. Do you see fresh flowers or do you see petals with brown edges? Are the bouquets for sale creatively designed? Is the staff willing to work with your ideas? Are they patient with you or are they pushy? Ask your event planner, your friends and your photographer for recommendations. They see the finished products over a period of hours. Photographers can be particularly helpful in telling you who to avoid based on their past experiences.
Will the florist call you before making substitutions? This is very important. There are florists who will make substitutions without first consulting you. If there is a major issue, such as a sudden freeze in the growing area that kills the rose crop, for instance, then you need to be informed of that and given choices based on what is available. If, however, the florist simply failed to place their order on time, then they should be compensating you for their failures.
In our next blog, we will discuss how to choose flowers for your wedding.
Comments
Post a Comment