Hey! What were you thinking?

We two girls spend a lot of time talking with perspective brides and/or event hosts about their upcoming celebrations. For most people, planning, deciding on items and vendors and keeping track of everything is an overwhelming task. I’m sure there are times when one just want to run away and hide from everyone and everything!

So, why is making a decision SO hard??

A question we ask ourselves is, when a vendor is there, reaching out with the answers that you want, and with everything you have asked for, why then answer with a NO!  or I don’t know! Or we cannot decide just yet! We two girls have personally planned a lot of events for our families and friends, from the very intimate and small, to what could basically populate a small third world country… and not for one second will we hesitate to say yes to a vendor if they show us the value of what we are getting and if they understand our needs and vision. Better still if they have a good reputation.

So here are my 3 rules to live by when making a decision for the ‘right’ vendor:

1. You have a connection with your vendor and you feel they really understand your needs and your vision.

You’ve met with one or two vendors and one of them really connects with you. They understand and come through with a quote in your budget comfort zone.  Stop! Say yes, and move on to the next item on your list, or, you will make yourself CRAZY!   Understand one thing, every vendor, no matter what they do, is going to give you something a little bit different. Some will listen better to your vision, some will try to convince you to change your ideas. Some will take your budget into consideration and some will not. We say, if you’ve met with a vendor that you connect with, who has a website that shows you the level of their work, has a good reputation with other vendors, and they understand YOU… then STOP looking further. Make the decision to say yes and have a little faith that they want your day to be a great as you do.

2. First is not necessarily Better:

You want to pick the perfect vendor, you want everything to go perfectly… so you gather information, go to the web and do a search. It’s natural to think that those first names listed are the ‘best’. Why wouldn’t they be?? They’re at the top of the page! They must have gotten there somehow?! Do not be fooled by internet placement. Best does not mean first. It could mean that the company pays alot of money for SEO or they have a savvy marketing strategy. It also does not mean they are the ‘best’ vendor for you. It’s been our experience that the littler guy, Maybe the one on page two or three is the one who will go the extra mile.

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3. Everybody has an agenda:

As much as your special day or event is. for you, the most important and special day EVER… (and it should be!)… your friends and relatives might have an underlying motive for offering up the vendors they’ve used in the past. Those closest to us many times want their friends and family to use the same vendors they did. In doing so it becomes sort of an affirmation in their mind that they made a good choice. So if you go with their same choice, well then, they MUST have been right and it will be a good choice for you too! Be aware that just because one vendor was perfect for a friend or family member’s wedding/event, that does not mean they will automatically be a perfect choice for yours. Each event is different and the vendor you choose must really understand what is important to YOU first and foremost. Sometimes the vendors who you have already chosen will give you their vendor recommendations. It’s great to get those! However, it is always a good idea when getting a referral from a professional to ask them how they know this vendor and why they believe they are a good choice for you.

One last piece of advice. Don’t over think it. You meet and talk, you connect, you get a quote that works for you.  Just say YES! and move on to the next item.

Now go out and have yourself a decisive, wholesale flower-filled day!

 

 

6 Pieces of Advice For Planning YOUR Flowers

We two girls enjoy what we do. We love working with flowers, we love working with excited brides and event hosts and we love working with each other. What we don’t love, however, is bad advice. Here’s a list  of 6 pieces of advice we can give you when it comes to choosing your wedding flowers and your floral designer/florist.

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1. Using only one color or matchy-matchy

A lot of brides want to match the flowers to their bridesmaids dresses exactly. While it is a nice idea to keep the colors in the same color tone, flowers are a great place to add some accent colors and highlights. You want the wedding party flowers to stand out against the dress color, not to blend in and become invisible!

2 . Setting a budget for flowers

Many brides and event hosts do want flowers, and consider them an important part of their day, yet they either forget to include them in their planning budgets, or come up with a price point too low for what they are looking for. A good average for wedding flowers is between 8 & 10% of your total budget, and closer to 12% if you are a David Tutera fan of floral design.

3. Trying to do too much DIY

Brides and event hosts who try to DIY their flower designs, many times will purchase dozens of different styles and shaped vases for centerpieces when trying to decide on the look they want, only to become overwhelmed or undecided. Many times we will receive a last minute call from some exhausted and distressed bride asking if we can take over the stress of their DIY wedding project, Though we try to keep the costs as low as possible, this last minute decision becomes more expensive than if they had just hired a professional.

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4. Time to order the flowers!

The flowers your floral designer/florist bring in for you, come from many Countries. It is very difficult to try to contact farms across the world to have flowers arrive within one or two weeks of them being ordered.  At the very minimum, leave at least a six-week window ahead of your wedding week so your florist is able to line everything up. The earlier you plan for your flowers, the less chance for last minute price increases and the more chance you will be able to get exactly what you want.
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5. Compromise

One of the biggest mistakes when ordering flowers for a special event, is to not be flexible. We know that everyone has a “special” flower in mind for their big day, however, if you are working within a tight budget you should try and be flexible. A florist can do a much better job if you are open with your flower choices. Tell your floral designer what the overall look, feel, and color scheme is, and then let them create it. If there is a specific flower that you absolutely do NOT want, voice that opinion as well. There are lots of choices in the world of flowers.

6.  Trust the Professional

When you sit down with your florist/floral designer, or any one of the vendors that you are considering hiring for your event, communicate your vision, likes, dislikes, and expectations. Make sure that you are absolutely comfortable with their ideas and suggestions. Hire someone you like and feel comfortable with. Most of all, trust that your designer wants to make your wedding as perfect as you have been dreaming it would be.  Many of the best professionals in this business actually do lose sleep ahead of each event, running through THEIR list of things to do and remember to make YOUR event the best it can be.

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Now go out and have yourself a wholesale flower-filled, excellent occasion planning day!