Planning Tips

Here are some tips we recommend in the planning process.

1. How far in advance should I book my florist or decorator?

   There are a variety of different factors. Many wedding magazines and planners will say to do these things 4-6 months in advance. In most bigger city centres this may be true as they have a larger pool to choose from, but Thunder Bay is a Law unto itself.
   It also depends on the time of year. July, August, September and October are the busiest months and we tend to book from a year to a year in a half in advance for these dates. For out of town weddings a little more in advance. However Christmas and New Years Eve are really busy times as well. For the rest of the year 6 months is a reasonable time to book your wedding decor and flowers.

2. How will I know if a business is reputable? GET REFERENCES!

3. Ask your venue who they have worked with in the past and who they would suggest, or ask friends and family. When you meet with your Florist and decorator, you need to feel comfortable with the people you choose.

4. Never Bend to high pressure sales tactics!

   Don’t feel obligated to leave a deposit on the first visit. Let them know that you want to think about it for a couple of days frist, run it by your fiance, or if they are helping out, your parents. Go around and get several quotes first, but also compare what they are offering and the product. When someone is pushing you to leave a deposit immediately, you have to wonder why they are pushing so hard. We have heard many times from brides that they have been pressured into leaving a deposit and regretted the decision afterwards. Sometimes you have to wonder if your money is more important to them than your wedding.

5. Safety! Safety! Safety!

   Ensure the items you are renting, especially things like backdrops etc. are made for the wedding industry and not something that they have built on their own. The last thing you want on your wedding day is for your decorations to fall on you, or your guests. You also want to make sure the decorating items your decorator is using do not damage the walls or ceilings. Things should never be duct taped or nailed to the wall. You don’t want to be on the line for damages caused to the facility by your vendor.

6. Know the rules of your facility, church or ceremony location.

   All open flame must be enclosed.
   Catholic churches require you to leave a floral arrangement behind if you have flowers at the church.Some halls require everything to be removed at 1 am and some charge you a fee if this is not done in the time frame they set. You will also incurr and extra charge from your decorator due to the amount of staff needed. It is not easy to find people wanting to work at 1am for 1 hour!Certain halls have limited times you can get into the hall i.e if they have a buffet on a friday we sometimes can’t get started until after 2:00pm and the hall isn’t completely ready until 3:00pm. This limits what can be done due to the time constraints.Your music choice can effect the set up of the hall, as some bands want to be in the centre of the hall. Most of the backdrops we use can hide this, but because they are rated for the wedding industry, they require 2-3 people to set up and take down. You don’t ever want your guests to see the mechanics of your decor. It takes away from the experience for you and your guests.NO confetti on guest tables. You may be charged a “clean up fee” for the extra time it takes the facility staff to clean up the mess.No rose petals on the aisles in church. Real ones can stain the carpet and are difficutlt to clean up afterwards. Real ones can cause a lot of clean up as well.
   No fake rose petals at outdoor locations as they are not biodegradable.

7. What is the cost and charges associated with your service?

   This is on of the most difficult questons we are often asked. Every client wants their wedding to be different than the last. There are different numbers of guests, there are special requirements for each location, some weddings are outside the city limits, some people have their ceremony in Current River and their reception at the NorWester which effects travelling time, the cost of gas, labour costs go up, orchids are more expensive than roses etc. etc.We often have our clients bring an idea of the budget range that they would like to keep for their wedding. This is not so we know how much we can get away with charging them, but so that we can design the best wedding possible without going outside of your price range. I remember once meeting with a bride that had seen a celebrity wedding in a magazine and wanted the exact same thing for hers and watching the color drain from her face when given the quote. When we know what budget we are working with, we can take a look at your photos of inspiration and suggest something that will be more cost effective and keeping in your budget.We have met with brides that have gone to another business for a quote and said things like “this place was this much cheaper than your quote”. Ask yourself what makes their quote different? Are they the same flowers? Compare the amount and quality of flowers. Flowers are based on a grade system from 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest. For example a lower grade rose is bred to stay in the bud stage, where it will never open or blossom. As a result the quote may be less, but due to the quality and size will make a much smaller bouquet.For your bouquets you will want the highest grade flower possible due to the “abuse” that it will go through during the day. It will be out of water for most of the day, banged and bumped and laid on different surfaces. Flowers are a living thing and will react to mistreatment just like we do by bruising and wilting.
   Another thing that you will see in Magazines is to ask for “in season” flowers to help save on flowers. Since we are in Thunder Bay it doesn’t really apply. Everything we get here is shipped and we can only get certain flowers at certain times of the year. Cherry blossoms, lily of the valley and peonies are definately a spring flower, Dahlias late summer etc.

8. Budget Savers!

   Get decorations and flowers to do double duty. Use them first at your ceremony location and then transfer them to the reception location. You can use them the next day as well for the “day after” party.Go to Christmas sales to find “gems” to add to you bouquets and centrepieces. Any thing with bling or sparkle will work. They can be part of garlands etc. that can be taken apart by the florist and used in your bouquet.The larger the quantity of one type of flower that you order, the bigger the price break.DO NOT have your wedding around Valentines day or Mother’s day. Due to the increased demand, the floral wholesalers and growers double and triple the price of flowers. Also, florists tend to be very busy at this time and don’t necessarily have their full attention on your wedding due to the extreme increase in business. Imagine if the work load at your job increased 10 times the normal amount and how great you would be at giving every item your full attention!
   Limit the number of bridesmaids you have. Remember, for every extra bridesmaid it means an extra bouquet! There is a big difference in your floral bill when you have 3 bridesmaids verses 9.

9. What to bring to your first visit with your florist and decorator

   Color samples, if you don’t have a piece of fabric, go to the paint store and grab some color samples there.Photos from the internet and magazines and books. Bring photos of things you like and don’t like. It helps us see what your vision is and what you definately don’t want to see. We like to make copies of these to keep in your portfolio. Look at different styles of bouquets, it may not be the flowers you like, but the shape and colors and vice versa. These all help when putting together your vision.Picture of your wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses.
   Bring a list of all the bouquets, arrangements and corsages you will need so that the florist can give you a complete quote. Not sure who gets corsages? For sure the wedding party, your parents, grandparents, sometimes siblings not in the wedding party, MC etc. Ask your parents if there is someone special that you are forgetting so that no one feels left out. Another thing to find out for the ladies is wrist or pin on.

10. Some websites for inspiration.

    www.theknot.com www.wedluxe.com
    www.thebrideandbloom.com
    www.myweddingflowerideas.co.uk
    www.insideweddings.com