4 Questions to Ask Your Seattle Wedding Florist
If you’re planning a wedding in Seattle, you’re probably searching for a wedding florist who can bring your vision to life. It’s important to find a florist you can trust and who understands your vision. To help you find the perfect fit for your wedding, here are four questions to ask when you chat with potential wedding florists.
What sustainability practices do you utilize in your wedding floral business?
What flowers are in season in the Pacific Northwest at the time of my wedding?
How can I maximize my wedding floral investment?
What does the booking and design process look like for wedding flowers?
By asking these questions, you can feel confident about the process of working with your wedding florist. We’ll take a deeper dive into each of these questions below.
What sustainability practices do you utilize in your wedding floral business?
As a Seattle wedding florist, I understand the importance of sustainability in this city and the role it plays in creating beautiful florals while minimizing the environmental impact. If sustainability is important to you, asking your florist what practices they use in their business can inform you if their values align with yours. Here are a few questions to ask and the answers that apply to our business.
Do you use traditional floral foam?
No, we never use traditional floral foam in our designs. We get creative with our mechanics to create designs with reusable and/or compostable materials as much as we can. We occasionally use greener floral foam alternatives such Oshun pouches and Agrawool. We are not 100% waste-free but we minimize one-time use materials as much as we can.
Where do you source your flowers from?
We source flowers from traditional wholesalers as well as the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market. We aim to source at least 50+% of the product for each wedding locally but it depends on the season and design style.
How do dispose of green waste from the wedding flowers?
We compost all green waste during wedding prep as well as after the wedding. We encourage you and your guests to take flowers out of the vessels at the end of the wedding, however we will compost any remaining flowers as part of our cleanup effort. We reuse vessels and structures in order to reduce shipping emissions and packaging waste.
By asking these questions, you can be sure that you’re working with a Seattle wedding florist who is taking the necessary steps to ensure sustainability in their business.
What flowers are in season in the Pacific Northwest at the time of my wedding?
If you're planning a wedding in the Pacific Northwest, you may be wondering what locally grown flowers are in season for your wedding date. In the Pacific Northwest, the cooler climate and longer growing season means that we have a variety of beautiful seasonal flowers to choose from. I always incorporate seasonal flowers into our designs for a more distinct look. In your custom mood board, I will include seasonal textures that you might be able to expect in your wedding florals. In order to lean into the best of what’s seasonally available, we don’t discuss specific flowers in detail to allow for design flexibility. Here’s a brief overview of seasonal availability in the PNW.
Spring
Anemones, fritillaria, ranunculus, peonies, helleborus, tulips, lilac, muscari, hyacinth, columbine, sweet peas, allium, iris
Summer
Dahlias, cosmos, zinnias, phlox, garden roses, hydrangea, foxglove, campanula, lisianthus, scabiosa, delphinium, snapdragons, nigella
Fall
Amaranthus, rudbeckia, dahlias, lisianthus, chocolate cosmos, heirloom mums, calendula, feverfew, snowberry
Winter
Genista, ilex, mums, lilies, amaryllis, flowering branches, orchids, pieris, calycina, daffodils, protea,
How can I maximize my wedding floral investment?
It’s important to find a Seattle wedding florist that’s a good fit for your style and price point. To get the most out of your wedding floral investment, here are three questions to ask your florist along with our answers below.
How can I repurpose my ceremony flowers? OR what designs should I choose for the ceremony that can be repurposed?
Aisle flowers are a great investment for creating an impactful ceremony space and can be repurposed in a variety of ways at the reception. Freestanding arbors and pillar designs are the best ceremony features to easily move. However, if the ceremony and reception will be in the same exact space, it’s possible to repurpose a larger arbor structure.What types of designs are most impactful?
Installations and larger designs are generally going to be more memorable than a tiny design like a bud vase. Usually more is more, but you can invest in creating a few focal points within the space. Don’t try to stretch your investment thinly and put flowers on every surface.How should I prioritize my investment for the most value?
Consider what florals are most important to you and your day. What will be photographed the most? Where do you want to grab people’s attention? We recommend focusing on the wedding bouquet, the ceremony feature, and the guest tables as a starting point. However, this is very custom to every couple’s individual priorities.
By asking the right questions, you can ensure that you’re getting the most out of your wedding floral investment. Your Seattle wedding florist should be able to provide you with helpful advice and custom options that fit your style and price point.
What does the booking and design process look like for wedding flowers?
Asking the right questions can help you get a better idea of the booking and design processes that your florist has in place. This will inform you what your experience will be like working with a particular florist. Here’s what our high-level booking and design process looks like.
Inquire on our website with some basic information about your wedding. We’ll let you know if we’re available or not for your date.
If we’re available, we’ll send over a brief questionnaire to get a better idea of what florals you’re looking for.
Once the questionnaire is complete, we’ll send over your custom mood board and proposal within 3 business days. We’ll also include details about the booking process within this document.
Feel free to shuffle items around in the proposal as needed. We can also schedule a call to discuss the proposal in more detail, it’s up to you!
A paid retainer and signed contract locks in your date. Feel free to email us anytime as questions arise, but otherwise we’ll be in touch 8 weeks before the wedding for a final-check in. After you’re booked, we’ll send over a welcome booklet with info about our process, preferred vendors, and tips and tricks.
We’re super flexible with design changes up until 6ish week before the wedding. At the 8 week mark, we’ll send over a questionnaire that asks about logistical details for the day of the wedding. Then we’ll send off your flower order once the final invoice is paid 30 days before the wedding and work on final preparations.
By asking these questions, you can get a better understanding of the process of booking and designing your wedding flowers.
Tips for Choosing the Right Seattle Wedding Florist for You
When it comes to selecting a Seattle wedding florist for your big day, there are a few important factors to consider. It's essential to find a florist you can trust to bring your vision to life. It’s not as simple as choosing the lowest price though.
Considerations:
You can’t compare quotes as apples to apples. Everyone has different pricing based on their experience, overhead costs, design style, and flower sources. While someone may price a compote centerpiece at $150 and another one prices it at $200, you’re likely going to receive very different outcomes.
Make sure you’re reviewed your florist’s portfolio and you vibe with their style. If you love the majority of their work, chances are good that you’ll love your wedding flowers also.
Does it feel easy to work with them and communicate? Do you trust them?
When it comes to finding the perfect Seattle wedding florist, there are four essential questions to ask. These cover: sustainability practices, seasonal flowers for your wedding, maximizing your floral investment, and the booking/design process. Asking these questions will ensure that you find the right florist that meets your needs and expectations. With the right florist, you can create a wedding that is both memorable and eco-friendly.
Get your free mood board and proposal within 3 business days.