Fort Wayne Newspapers Bridal Extravaganza

Sunday, February 22nd

Title: Fort Wayne Newspapers Bridal Extravaganza
Location: Grand Wayne Center Fort Wayne Indiana
Description: Work with Wedding Connection members to make your wedding spectacular

Buy tickets online

Sponsors for the Bridal Extravaganza

Five Questions to Ask Your Florist

By Trista Rose Miller

Owner/Head Designer Rose’s Bouquets

Ask your florist questions

Brides are confronted with so many decisions during their wedding planning.  Coordinating such an important day can easily became a full time job.  Keeping a detailed “To Do” list and timeline, along with delegating decision making as much as possible is key to keeping some sanity.  But many brides want to be involved of every aspect of their planning, from the style of flat wear used at the reception to the color of their bridesmaids’ nail polish.  An area of especially high stress is flowers.  Tackling the realm of wedding flowers can be a huge burden for the discerning bride.

 So where do you start?  Lots of planning guides will give you a list of questions to use in selecting potential florists.  Many of them can be helpful and extensive, but here are my top five:

 1.                  “How many weddings do you do per year?”

 A vendor that specializes in weddings is going to be an expert in the area that matters most to you.  They will make decisions easier as they can give informed advice on everything from the style of corsages to order the mothers, to the best flowers to use on a cake.  Their experience is invaluable.  A good weddings florist will understand the stresses of a bride and will allow their clients to make even seemingly insignificant decisions. No detail is too small. 

 2.                  “How do you handle delivery and set up?”

 A florist’s job does not end when the flowers leave the shop.  What does it matter if the flowers look great 3 hours before the ceremony, but grandma’s corsage is pinned upside down and red roses stain the bride’s gown because she was not warned of the danger?  If a florist really cares about their clients, they will offer delivery and set up services.  This should include pinning corsages and boutonnieres, and setting up every design on your order.  They should insist on it.  They may charge for this service and make it mandatory.  Don’t fight it.  The last thing you need is the stress of transporting fresh and fragile flowers across town-even if you planned to delegate the task!

 3. “How many events do you book per weekend?”

 This is a quality control issue.  A successful florist will have many bookings and be relatively busy.  A large floral shop could be prepared to handle numerous events per weekend.  But if the vendor you are considering doesn’t seem to have any policies in place for ensuring they have the time to fulfill your order with the highest standard, you should be headed for the door.  Fresh florals are a perishable product and there are only so many hours in the day.  Ask when your designs will be completed.  Flowers that set in a cooler for days before the event will have a much shorter vase life as they adjust to room temperature.  The florist should plan to have time to focus on the details of a wedding order AND have to time to do a quality set up onsite. 

 4. “Can I see a portfolio of your work?”

 There are lots of excuses as to why a florist would not have pictures of their designs.  But if a vendor does take the time to photograph their work, what proof do you have of their abilities to arrange your flowers?  Designs in the shop are only so helpful.  You want to see examples of events they did last month and last year.  Ideally they will have pictures of your ceremony and reception sites, as well as suggestions for designs to fill them with.  Experienced florists will even be able to show you specific examples showcasing your favorite flowers.  If they can only show you books with design ideas or websites of stock FTD bouquets, that isn’t good enough. 

 5. “Do you provide detailed estimates?”

 Don’t trust anything that isn’t in writing.  The floral market changes daily, as does the produce market.  Transportation costs are rising, which has a direct impact on floral costs as flowers are shipped to wholesalers and retailers from around the world.  But an experienced florist should have a good idea of cost trends and pricing on commonly ordered stems (roses, lilies, callas) and be able to give you an estimate.  Look for a florist that offers some type of guarantee on their pricing or estimates, or limit to the difference in estimate totals and actual pricing.  The pricing should be itemized, so you know what you are spending for each floral piece.  Along with pricing, you should receive details on the floral designs.  Specific varieties, colors, and sometimes even number of stems used in the piece should be clearly indicated.  If you don’t have these details, it is impossible to compare pricing with other florists or feel confident you are going to receive the designs you are envisioning.

 Overall, you should develop a rapport with your florist and know that they understand your “vision” for the day.  They should be willing to answer questions and provide direction in making decisions in an area that most people have little to no experience.  Answering voicemails and emails promptly and being punctual are the most basic of customer service skills.  But be discerning to find the florist that treats you more than just any customer.  Because after all, you aren’t just any customer-you are a bride! 

Welcome Rose’s Bouquets to the Wedding Connection

Rose’s Bouquets is a weddings-only, fresh flower florist that creates unique, contemporary, customized designs. Since 2003, Rose’s Bouquets has serviced over 250 weddings to date. They currently limit bookings to 75 weddings per year. By limiting the number of events per weekend, Rose’s Bouquets is able to provide a higher level of service than a traditional florist. This service includes full delivery and set up at no cost, including pinning corsages and boutonnieres. Read more

Knot Your Ordinary Bridal Show September 19, 2008

The Wedding Connection in conjunction with Ceruti’s presents
“Knot Your Ordinary Bridal Show”

Friday, September 19, 2008
5:30pm - 9pm
Ceruti’s Summit Park II

For Brides in their wedding planning process looking for photographers, formal wear, cakes, reception venues, DJ’s, Officiants and more.

Welcome to New Members

We are very proud to announce the two newest members of the Wedding Connection:

The Fort Wayne Marriott

Ceruti’s Catering

We wish a warm welcome to Amy, Amanda, Gary, and their staff at the Marriott.
We also wish a big welcome to Joe, Elizabeth, John, and their staff at Ceruti’s Catering.

We look forward to seeing them at the April meeting!!

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