I'm your flower girl!

photo credit Joseph De Sciose 

a few things I wish brides knew about flower girls...

It’s personal.

I am your floral designer. To give you the wedding look you love, I “get” to get to know you! By the time the wedding day arrives, I have met with a Bride and her Mother several times and in most weddings, made at least one site visit to her reception location. It has been fun for me to receive stacks of pictures from you (Really!) You are in my phone and I have kept every “Screen shot” you texted my way. We have exchanged countless emails making sure we have your flower list perfect.

I truly want to give you the day of your dreams. It is very important to me that you love your flowers. When the day arrives, it is no longer business to me, it’s personal. If a couple of bundles of roses will put your arrangements over the top, I happily purchase more because I too am excited about your wedding day!

It’s business. 

I am a small business owner. That means I am involved in every detail of your experience with Lillie's. I answer the phone, schedule appointments, create the wedding concepts, sketch your flower pieces, count the stems, order the flowers, return your emails, manage a small staff, and take care of the day to day duties of the office. I tie your bouquet, tip the delivery drivers working on your wedding weekend and treat the team to lunch on wedding day.

It’s work.

My job is physical. Before your flowers arrive at the Church, we have worked to make sure the blossoms are at the perfect fullness on wedding day. We have opened the boxes, cleaned the stems and put in buckets of clean water. We've arranged the blossoms, packaged the arrangements, loaded the flower vans, delivered to the church, unloaded the vans, placed your arrangements, swept up the trash and reloaded the van. This process is then repeated for the reception site. We have a few hours rest before we come back to clean up the church and reception. We then break down, pack up, load the vans, deliver your flowers to the charity of your choice, clean and put away every last vase and candelabra. Yes, I even clean each and every tiny votive candle holder from your wedding. It’s hard work!

It’s valuable.

Flowers cost money. I purchase flowers the week of your wedding. The price of your wedding flowers is tied directly to the amount of flower stems in each design. Because of this, it is difficult for brides to compare apples to apples, no two designers will create the same wedding look. Designers really want to give you a good value. Allow us to give you ideas and make suggestions of ways to best use the amount of money you have budgeted for decor. Yes, you can change your mind about the initial design. Your price will change too. This is because the price is tied to the design and the amount of flower stems required to create the design. Also remember, too much DIY can backfire. Personal touches are charming however, be careful not to take on too much work in an effort to save money. ASK what we have before you rush to a craft store and purchase wedding decor. I am happy to bring the chalkboard signs, votive candles and baskets as they are already on the shelf in my workroom. It is sad for me when a bride arrives with bags of expensive items she will use only once when I would have been happy to share.

It’s art.

I want to create a wedding look more beautiful than you have imagined. Yes, it’s all about the details but…the details add up to create the total overall look. A professional designer has the ability to picture the final look of the wedding with all of the elements you have chosen. Believe it or not we can picture it in our heads! Florists are very visual. Don’t get so worked up about the details that you miss the big picture. Give your floral designer wiggle room with your choice. Talk to more than one designer. Choose the florist that you feel best “gets you!” If you have a good connection with your designer, you will not be worried about the way your flowers will “turnout.” If you are flexible and open you will allow your florist to give you happy surprises throughout your wedding weekend. You are the Bride after all! Relax and enjoy the beauty of your day.

photo credit arden photography

Portions of this post were featured on al.com in February, here is the link: http://blog.al.com/weddings-911/2014/02/weddings911-what_your_florist_wants_you_to_know.html