Via Flickr
I am not a flowery person. I don’t really know what that means, except although I think they look pretty, I'd rather have me some chocolate. However, chocolate centerpieces (although sounding fabulous right now), will just get eaten and/or melty, and don't really go with our whole country-chic/peacock look.
Basically we want the wedding to have a rustic/natural look. While stalking out potential photographers (yes, I stalk photographer blogs for pictures of my venue…. ) I would google the sourced florists whenever I saw floral arrangements I liked. We want less flowers and more branches. And, nothing too traditional or expected (like roses).
Via Elizabeth Anne Designs Photo by Hilton Pittman Photography
Image via The Knot Photo by Lauren Grabelle Photography, Eatontown
I wanted to book the florist earlier than “normal” on one of our PA trips just to be DONE with it. I was only able to make two florist appointments when we went down to PA a few months ago, but I figured that was a good start. It turned out to be all we needed, because unlike most brides who spout out flowers they must have, I was more “uhhhhh, sure sounds cool.”
The first florist was sweet, but kept pestering me for the types of flowers I wanted. This was after I was completely honest up front. I told her I know little to nothing about flowers, want branches with some blooms, and a rustic/candle look. I also told her that I wanted flowers in greens/blues and a few peacock feathers strewn into the bouquets. I was disappointed that during the appointment she seemed confused by the array of photos I showed her, and kept spitting out flower names like delphinium and viburnum, which meant nothing to me. I know the word rose, tulip, and daisy, lady. Hence my need for your services. I left feeling a bit confused and without a quote, which she said she would email to me in a few weeks.
Our next appointment was on Sunday, on our way back to NYC. It started off badly- the florist/shop owner was almost a half an hour late. But, she quickly explained, as she drove up like a mad woman, that she had a last minute funeral delivery to make and no free deliverymen available (they were all busy doing wedding flower deliveries that morning) It's true, I guess you can't really plan for a funeral order. And, stupidity got the best of me when I made the appointment, and I had not left my cell number.
The appointment got off to a great start. She took out little flower “flip books,” and as she listened to our ideas she would show us different flowers she could use in the arrangements. She pulled out vases and branches; suggested candles and table arrangements; and very clearly understood our vision. After a quick write-up in her office she handed us a quote (which fit perfectly into our budget), and told us we could always change things to make it more affordable. She made it simple, she was knowledgable, and she had great ideas. If a vendor has those three qualities I'm easy to please.
I gladly checked that to-do off my list (my mental list that is, since I have failed to compile a written or typed list).
Were flowers a hard choice for you or the least of your worries?
The florist was like the hardest thing for us. It's like they want you to be the expert. If I knew flowers I'd do the bloody thing myself. Glad you found a good one and so quickly too!
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