Finding a Florist: Part 2

Recently, I shared with y'all the characteristics I was looking for in a florist, as well as one of the things I wanted to include in the floral decorations for the wedding. (Side note: choosing a florist has been the only decision Mr. Coach and I haven't made together concerning the wedding. I gave him a break on this one, so when I say "I chose or I wanted" I'm not leaving him out - I just flew solo on this one!)

Now that everyone knows the background info, its time to talk about meeting with the florists and choosing one. After my online searches, I contacted two design companies: Luxe Petals and Red Sole Events.

Remember, I had 3 things I was really looking for:

• An emphasis on flowers, rather than other decor items. 
• The type of weddings it looked like they typically designed - indoor, outdoor, formal, casual, etc.
• Whether or not they had designed any weddings at the Piazza

Unfortunately, Red Sole events was not booking during October due to a personal matter, so I was left with only one florist to meet with.  Because I really liked what I had seen on their website, I decided to leave it that way until after I had met with Luxe Petals, and then I would decide if I needed to meet with others.

via Luxe Petals on Facebook

via Luxe Petals on Facebook 

I set up a consultation with Joie, the owner of Luxe Petals, and anxiously awaited our Saturday Starbucks date. When we were finally able to meet, I was impressed by her professionalism. She took detailed notes and studied the picture inspiration I had brought along with me. As you can tell by the pictures, she does an amazing job with the floral decor. After meeting with her I was also able to tell that she has done many different types of weddings, and seemed like she would be very comfortable at the Piazza. Finally, although she had not designed a wedding for the Piazza at the time we met, she had one booked during the time between our meeting and the wedding in October. So, she would have already been introduced to the venue before our wedding.

I left Starbucks feeling good about our meeting, but honestly - not great. On paper, Luxe Petals seemed perfect. Joie took many notes and looked at all the pictures I brought along, and I knew if she designed the wedding decorations it would be beautiful, but I wasn't 100% sure it would be exactly as I had imagined. I received her pricing quote a few days later, and it was very close to what I was expecting to pay. However, I had already made the decision to set up a meeting with another florist because I needed to be sure. This was one of those times I just had to go with my gut - Joie didn't do anything wrong, I just wasn't positive she was the right choice for us.

After the first meeting, it was back to the internet search. This time, I discovered (or rediscovered, actually) Haute Floral by Kristen Wolchik. I had seen her work a while back as the florist for Mrs. FroYo, and I loved the creativity she displayed - including a bouquet made completely of yogurt toppings! I'm not exactly sure why I hadn't remembered her earlier, but I'm so thankful I came across her website when I did. I immediately contacted her and set up a consultation.

via Haute Floral on Facebook, Photo by Stacie Tatum

via Haute Floral on Facebook

Like Joie, Kristen was very professional. She took notes, looked at the pictures I had brought along (the same as the last meeting) and listened to what I had to say. But with Kristen, it just clicked. She immediately saw the big picture I was aiming for, she voiced some of her ideas (that were RIGHT on with what I wanted) and I could just see her scheming up a plan for our big day. This time, I left the meeting hoping the price would be right and I could book her right away. Luckily, the price was right where it needed to be, and Kristen made it very clear that we could tweak it to add or take away as needed, which I really appreciated. So, I sent her the deposit and it was a done deal!

Haute Floral had an emphasis on floral design and a variety of experience with past weddings. Kristen had also worked on previous weddings at the Piazza, but only at their larger ballroom, not the one we had chosen. I still really appreciated this because she's familiar with the venue and their policies. I also had faith that Kristen could take all of my crazy ideas and turn them into one beautiful wedding design.

Ultimately, these two vendors were very similar when you put them side by side. But with Haute Floral/Kristen I just knew I had to have her at my wedding! I love to plan, make lists and compare and contrast, but with this experience I learned how important it is to just meet with a vendor in person and get to know them. It can really make the difference between choosing them or continuing your search.

Now that you know who I chose, tell me about your process in choosing a florist! How did you know when you found "the one" - was it a matter of pros and cons on paper, or did you go with your gut feeling?

Finding A Florist: Part 1

My search for the perfect florist began online, as most of my searches do. I knew what I was hoping for our wedding to look like, and now it was time to find the perfect person to make it a reality.

Let's be honest, it was going to take a pretty talented person to make my inspiration photos mesh together into one streamlined idea. But, I had no doubt that person was out there, so the search began!

When I began looking at florists website there were a few things I would look for specifically:

• An emphasis on flowers, rather than other decor items. 
• The type of weddings it looked like they typically designed - indoor, outdoor, formal, casual, etc.
• Whether or not they had designed any weddings at the Piazza

First of all - an emphasis on floral design was important to me. Mainly because I just love flowers! But also because of the style of the Piazza and the items they provide. The chapel aisle is lined with candles and the package we decided on provides even more that we can use around the chapel if wanted. The Village Ballroom is decorated with glamourous crystal chandeliers above the tables as well as drapery on the walls.

Candles in the Piazza Chapel /  Photo Credit - Piazza in the Village on Facebook

Village Ballroom - Note the Chandeliers and Drapery on the Walls /
via Piazza in the Village on Facebook, Photo by Fairytale Photography

Because of the way the Piazza looks on its own, I wasn't looking so much for an event designer, as I was for a true florist to just spruce things up a bit.

Second, I wanted to find someone who had experience with a lot of different types of wedding, but specifically one like ours - indoors and somewhat formal. When I came across a website where the majority of the photos looked like this, I would just keep looking:

 Image via Branching Out Events

Pictures like this are beautiful, just not our cup of tea. Of course, a talented florist or event designer can transition and work with any style, but when the majority of the photos did not have anything in common with our venue, I kept searching. I really wanted to see examples of their work that I could relate to our own wedding.

Next, I tried to determine from the website whether or not the florist had worked on any previous weddings at the Piazza. While this was not a definite item on my list of criteria, it was a positive if I found pictures of previous work at our location.

I also wanted to bring to your attention part of the floral decoration that will have special meaning to me. I mentioned this to each of the florists I met with so I wanted to mention it here as well, and when that important day in October finally gets here, you can take notice of how it is used!

White Hydrangea via Grower's Box

Here it is - simple, yet beautiful! That's right, the object I'm using with special meaning is one of the most popular flowers used in wedding decoration. So, what is so special about it? Hydrangeas bring back many happy memories with this wonderful lady, Great-Grandmother Coach:

Personal Photo

My great-grandmother had BEAUTIFUL hydrangea bushes in her yard and I have many memories of going to visit her with my Momma Coach, and walking around outside while she showed them to us.  Not only was my great grandmother one of the sweetest ladies I've known, but she was very meticulous about many things, including her hydrangea bushes. She passed away a few years ago (at age 93!), but she was a wonderful lady, and I can't imagine not having something to remember her by on my wedding day. Although her flowers were shades of blues and pinks, I will incorporate white hydrangeas into my bouquet and some of the wedding decorations.

I know many people choose to honor their loved ones in different ways, with a paragraph in their program or a candle burning during the ceremony. However, I decided this symbol was the way I would prefer to show remembrance of my great-grandmother and happy times with her. It's subtle, and many people will not know the special meaning of these flowers, but they will hold a special place in my heart, just as she did. I also really liked the idea of incorporating such a special symbol into my bouquet, because it is an item that will be with me much of the day. Because it's so important to me that this is part of the flowers and decorations, I felt it was important to go ahead and mention to florists so they could plan to interpret it into their designs.

With these items in mind, the search began, and I began to contact the florists that I wanted to potentially meet with and discuss my ideas!

What characteristics did you look for in your florist? Did it matter to you whether or not they had designed weddings at your location before? Do any of you plan to honor loved ones who have passed, in writing or through a special symbol?