Flowers

Getting worried about florist

Hi ladies!  I am in need of some advice about my florist situation.  

I'm getting married in October and started researching florists back in late January.  I met with one I liked and got a quote from her in February.  I decided not to meet with any others because my area is really expensive and she was very affordable, in part because she is a one-woman shop.  At the same time, I was kind of going through a bit of color/vision crisis and told her that I wanted to work with her but I needed some time to figure out what was up with my color scheme/vision.  We checked in every now and then via email until early April when I sent her a list of items I wanted to revise in that quote.  Ever since then, she has been difficult to reach and get updates from.  No new quote still.  I've tried calling her so we can get on the same page (and she could tell me if there were extenuating circumstances) but it always goes to VM.  My fiance pointed out that maybe because I was hesitant, she wasn't committed to me -- even though she said she had us down on her calendar.  At this point, its been two months since I went back to her and I want a firm quote and a contract of some sort.  Otherwise my plan B is to DIY flowers, which is fine but not what I had been intending to do.  I'm not willing to shell out $2,500 - 3,000 + for flowers, so pretty much anyone else in my market is out of the question.

Writing this out, it seems worse than maybe I'm willing to accept.  I know I'm largely to blame for dillydallying, but in my defense I work FT while in grad school FT and have been dealing with parental health concerns throughout this so wedding planning took a back seat for the spring.  What would you all think / do in this situation?  Even if I can get ahold of her, would you move forward or would you just move on to your plan B?

Re: Getting worried about florist

  • You say she is a one-woman shop. Well starting in April wedding season really cranks up for florists so I could see her being ridiculously busy right now, especially if it is just her.

    So you have no contract with her and I am guessing you haven't paid a deposit either. I am not saying that her not getting back to you is wrong but if you aren't a contracted bride and you are still flip flopping on what you want then you aren't her first priority.

    I get that you are busy but I suggest you take a few hours off work and go see her in person. Take everything with you and have a discussion about your wedding. A vendor can only do so much and remember you aren't their only bride so sometimes you need to be proactive if you want to get things done.

    I am not sure why you wouldn't use her because she really hasn't done anything that extremely wrong.

  • kla728kla728 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    Thanks, @Maggie0829.  Am I remembering right that you used to work in the floral industry or am I confusing you for someone else?  Either way the reminder of how hectic April can be with Mother's Day, proms, graduations, etc. on top of wedding season is appreciated.  

    We haven't paid a deposit, so I definitely want to be understanding that in her mind maybe we aren't guaranteed business (she has never mentioned a contract to us, so truthfully I'm not even sure if she uses one).  The main concern for me is that two months seems like a reasonable amount of time to have made progress on a quote, especially if she did have us at least tentatively on the books and wants to confirm our business.  I have tried calling her to set up a time for us to at least talk, if not get together, but haven't been able to reach her.

    Maybe this is just seeming like a bigger deal to me than it actually is and I should cool it a bit.  I'm trying to get back into planning after my hiatus and am eager to tie up some loose ends but maybe this isn't one that is ready to be tied up.
  • I say go with your gut feeling. I am going through something similar with a caterer right now. I emailed them last fall looking for just general information (once in august and once in october) and never heard back either time. They reached out to me via thumbtack, and i was hesitant to set up a tasting, but they were persistent, and all the girls on the knot rave about them, so we went in. Sat down, talked, taste tested a few things, and we were promised a quote within 24 hours.... That was a week and a half ago. I've tried following up via email and phone, and no response, so at this point I'm going with my gut saying "if they can't even communicate with me to try to get my business, once they get me locked in it could be even worse" so I'm just walking away from it. I'm sure you can find another florist within your budget, you can even try Whole Foods or Stop &Shop, loads of brides have had great luck with them! Keep your chin up, and remember- you wield the money, so make sure you get a vendor YOU like and feel comfortable with!
  • edited June 2014
    Just to be clear. You spoke with her about what you wanted and she gave you an initial estimate. But you have not given her a secure deposit as of yet. Is that correct? If so she is under no obligation to write a contract or do any more work for you until she can see you are a serious bride. After sending the quote it was your turn to decide if you want to book your date. If you do you must place a deposit. Only then do you receive a contract. Because after all a vendor cannot be contracted to provide a service they have not even been paid for.
    Perhaps it's a simple misunderstanding between you. She's waiting for your payment and you are waiting for your contract.
  • @kla728 - Yes, I used to work for a florist and I a am going to have to agree with simplebouquets.  You got a quote back in February.  Just because you are having a vision/color scheme crisis should not prevent you from going ahead and booking the florist officially (meaning to pay a deposit and signing a contract).  Just because you book the florist doesn't mean you are locked into what you were first quoted.  You can make changes and adjustments etc pretty much up until a few weeks before your wedding.  

    Personally I could see this florist being a bit hesitant on providing you a further quote or ideas because she may feel like you are using her for her ideas/creativity and then going to other florists in the area to see if you can get a better deal on her designs.

  • Will you panic week of wedding if this happens--goes to VM, she's unreachable?  Probably.  You may want to investigate options with better customer service.  Isn't the peace of mind worth it?

    If you really think she's "the florist," go see her in person.  See if she thought you flaked out.  Make amends, pay her deposit, and make it clear that you'll need to be able to get in touch with her more easily henceforth.
  • I'd check into another option.  She seems undependable.
  • kla728kla728 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    Just a quick follow up to say that I did stick with her. Contracted, deposit paid, and all that good stuff. DIY would've been too stressful for me and not a substantial cost savings given she is huge bargain to begin with. Excited to see the flowers come October.
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