Expert Advice from wedding guru, Sharon Naylor

Answer:

A true floral artist operates under multiple levels of skill. He or she needs to fulfill your detailed vision for your bouquets, centerpieces, décor and more, and he or she needs to create a true ambience within the site that brings out the larger themes of your day, your personal style, and the perfect accents to bring out the strengths of the site itself. That’s a lot of responsibility. On the materials end, he or she has to know which flowers work best for the designs you have in mind, which will withstand the outdoor heat, which are in-season to suit your budget, and even which ones work with your allergies. The floral designer carries a tremendous amount of responsibility as one of the main artists of your wedding vision, since it is the flowers that many brides hold as their true bridal fantasy.

To find your perfect floral designer, of course you’ll want to ask recently-married friends and relatives who they hired, and what they loved most about working with them. For a wedding element this important, first-hand impressions are essential. Once you gather a narrow field of contenders, here are your top 5 questions to ask:

1. Have you done any work at our site in the past? Floral designers often work so often at hotels, ballrooms, banquet halls and other sites that they know the layout inside and out. They know that there’s a fireplace with a mantel, perfect for a floral arrangement. They know that taller centerpieces work better with that high ceiling in the ballroom. A floral designer that has worked at your site – or, better, is recommended by your site manager – often does a far better job with your floral design through years of experience on the grounds.

2. How many weddings do you book as your maximum on weekends? The best floral designers know not to stretch themselves too thinly, so they limit their number of weddings that they’ll agree to do each weekend. You’re best served by working with a floral expert who knows enough to give you the attention you deserve by not taking on too much.

3. Can you suggest unique local and in-season flowers that we can use? Everyone has read that in-season and locally-grown, non-imported flowers are best for keeping your wedding budget down, but the best floral designers can suggest many dozens more floral types and greeneries, fillers, plus the arrangements that make the most of them. They’re not going to do the cliché roses and one type of filler centerpieces, because they want the best product for you and the best impression made on your guests. So ask to see their lists of top local flowers and greenery, so that you can work together to custom-build budget-friendly, beautiful floral pieces.

4. Can we see some of your actual wedding work? No, not photographs in a photo album. Not pictures on their website. We’re talking open-door access for you to step into the floral designer’s workshop as she and her team are working on the flowers for this weekend’s booked weddings. You won’t distract them. You won’t stay for long. But it’s best for you to stop in and see exactly what that floral designer can do with her talents. This request of yours is the same as asking a baker for a cake-tasting session, so don’t shy away from making this request.

5. Who does the on-site floral décor? This is an important one, since some of the top floral designers work their magic inside their own studios, and then they send out crates full of wedding centerpieces and décor with their delivery workers with an assistant assigned to setting up those centerpieces, arranging the flowers on the cake, hanging floral pieces from the trees, decorating the chuppah with fresh flowers and so on. Sometimes, it’s the delivery workers who place floral arrangements on pedestals and stick gardenias into floral arches! This is one of those hidden secrets of the floral industry – that top floral designers have to stay in-studio to create all of the arrangements for the weekends’ weddings – and set-up is entrusted to support staff. Be sure to ask who does the set-up, and make it clear that you’d prefer the floral designer to do the work, or to at least stop in before the wedding to adjust and tweak the arrangements to her high standards.

It goes without saying that you should check your floral designer’s documentation, including certificates from floral design academies, advanced certifications, professional association membership, insurance, inspection certificates and all other manner of pedigree. Again, you’re entrusting a large part of your wedding’s ambience to this person – you need to be sure you’re interviewing and following your gut as well in order to find that perfect designer who makes your wedding gorgeous according to your wishes.