Last Minute Headaches

We two girls at Brides N Blooms like reading blogs. We like to find out how other vendors handle issues, and hear about some of the weddings they’ve done.  We also like to read blogs from ‘real’ people who are honest about  how their weddings or events turned out . We like reading how to do what we do better or see how others how averted a disaster.  As any florist, or vendor for that matter, will tell you….we all have our fair share of those situations.

I recently read a blog on the The Stir, where they were discussing the unexpected problems that crop up last minute at weddings or events and I got to thinking about that. This particular writer was talking about issues from the client’s perspective…but what about the vendors point of view? What did the vendor have to deal with in those situations? One unexpected issue mentioned went like this; “The florist’s (or another vendor’s) bill suddenly doubling overnight. Unexpected changes have caused brides to contend with last minute charges that came out of the blue. Talk about an instant headache!”

We would agree that is a headache…but having been on the other side of this coin, changes and extra charges do not “come out of the blue”.  They happen because there was a lack of communication and rechecking of one’s contract to make sure what you ordered is, in fact, what you actually expect to get and, then notifying whatever vendor this will affect. What I see happen often is our services are ordered months in advance of the event date. As time goes on, and different items are planned with other vendors, or the venue, counts change, items should be added. Without being vigilant about previously ordered items, and having a checklist, small details like counts and amounts get forgotten. Case in point, we recently had 2 different weddings that added last minute tables to their counts, after they’d contracted and paid for our services. Neither bride or their families relayed those changes to us at all.

For wedding #1 we ordered the contracted amount of items needed and prepared her designs.  When we showed up and counted the tables we noticed there was an extra one. Luckily for the bride it was only a small centerpiece that was unaccounted for.  After a quick discussion on whether to leave the table empty or not, we decided not to. So we ended up scrambling at the venue to find an extra vase and then creating a design for it on the fly. It didn’t really resemble the other centerpieces at all, but it was pretty and the table wasn’t bare. However, we were in touch with the bride 2 weeks prior and she never mentioned the extra table.

Suffice it to say, our motto is to never say no, so if it’s at all humanly possible we will make things as perfect as we can. We could have charged for that extra time and piece, but we didn’t.

Wedding #2, was a different case. We had a 2 day notice on that one. However, it was not because we were notified of any change.  The bride was supplying us the containers to use. Later, while unpacking all her items, we noticed a lot more containers than what we were contracted to make. We called and the bride told us the amount of tables she wanted us to do was 5 more than she had contracted for and they added those 2 weeks ago. The bill was paid in full, and it was too late to order more of the specialty items she wanted to fill those extra containers with in the way she had envisioned. We explained that we would use what we had,  just a little more sparingly but we would have to charge her for the extra work.  Again, we had been in contact with this bride within 2 weeks prior to her event. I can only assume it just didn’t cross her mind to check her contract to make sure she’d paid for the design work needed  for the tables she had and notify us of the additions. Also, when we met with her to pick up the items she had a small mishap and dropped one of her ceremony pots. She was in a panic, so calmly we suggested we go together to a local store where she could replace them with something else. That was time we were not paid for.  This bride also on the day of her wedding, out of the blue, asked for the petals for her flower girl, of  which there was no note for in her contract. Petals aren’t such a big deal really and we don’t charge for them when roses are already part of an order, but when there are little or no roses, then we have to go and get some! Which is time, last minute stress and expense we didn’t plan or charge for. In the end, her family let us know that her wedding was wonderful and thanked us for making everything so beautiful. Which is our ultimate goal!

We believe customer service is paramount and we want our clients to be happy and satisfied with our service. We always want them to know that we’ll go the extra mile for them. So when this blogger mentions the headache for the client, we’re thinking, it is just as much headache for the vendor.

I came across another blogger from the Bridal Guide who mentioned it being the bride’s responsibility to avert last minute problems by checking everything they’ve ordered against what they actually will need. This blogger suggested that the bride or event planner should follow this checklist concerning flowers:

“Timing. What time will your photographer arrive to take photos?  You’ll want to make sure your florist is aware of this timeline if you want photos with your flowers prior to your ceremony.

Location. Where do you want your bouquets & boutonnieres delivered?  Should they be brought to you at the chapel or spa?  Will all the men be getting ready at the same location or should the father of the bride’s boutonniere be delivered with bouquets?

Numbers. Are there any changes to the number of bouquets or centerpieces you’ll need?  If you don’t have an exact table count, then err on the side of too many pieces rather than too few.  They can always be repurposed elsewhere.

Extras. Does your caterer want flowers for garnishes or food stations?  These need to be ordered if you expect to have extra flowers!

Preceding. Do you need flowers for your rehearsal dinner?  If you haven’t arranged this yet your wedding florist may be the best person to assist with this since she/he already has a sense of your style.

If you have questions about how the flow of the day should go ask your florist to clarify delivery or design details.”

So, if something like a last minute charge happens, know it was not something a vendor will do out of the blue. It is something a vendor will do because they have to cover the cost of any unforeseen extras the client forgot to communicate about. As much as it is our responsibility as vendors to make sure we cover all the bases, communication and checking your contracts will prevent last minute headaches.

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