WEDDING TIPS: When should I book my floral designer?

We have discussed it before but the wedding planning process can be a daunting one. Knowing when to meet with and book your vendors is part of the challenge. Here's my advice and a bit from my friend and NYC wedding and event planner, Roey Mizrahi of Mizrahi Events.

Here are a few questions you may be asking yourself.

• When/how should you choose your floral designer? 
• When should you have your first consultation? 
• How long will it take to receive the first draft of a proposal? 
• How many revisions will be made before the final design? 
• When should you see a sample? 

The time table for choosing wedding vendors can be based largely on how early you begin the planning process but according to Roey, "based on the average year-long engagement, the florist, photographer and band should be researched and interviewed about 8 months before the wedding". I couldn't agree more with Roey as she points out that "interviewing floral designers allows clients to find a designer that no only matches their aesthetic and accommodates their budget but truly honors, and most importantly understands their vision".

A few more tips to on booking your florist:

• Already know of a designer with work that you love? Call them first and schedule a meeting.
• Don't know where to start? Ask around and get referrals. 
• Do some research and choose your top three to schedule a time to meet.

After you have scheduled your meetings gather inspiration so you can share what love, hate and everything in between with your potential designer. You should receive a first draft of a proposal within 7-10 days of your meeting. A follow-up conversation with one or two round of revisions and you should have a well defined creative vision to base your decision on.

Samples and fine tuning of the design will follow. Some designers require a signed proposal before the presentation of samples or will charge for it. In my case, when I charge for a sample (which is rare because I typically have a signed contract before that) I will deduct the cost from the invoice once the contract is signed.

You should be fairly confident that you are going to choose a designer before wanting to see a sample. You want your vendors to be straight forward with you in terms of pricing and delvierables so try not to "shop around" with no intention of choosing that designer. Nothing is worse than presenting a detailed sample to have your ideas taken somewhere else to be produced!

A good designer will present you with a portfolio and initial proposal to give you a true sense of their talent. Choose based on talent, creativity and experience BUT in the end, choose someone you TRUST. All the creativity in the world won't matter on the day of your wedding if you can't be confident that they will deliver on all of their promises.