How to Pick Your Wedding Vendors, According to a Florist
There is a moment in wedding planning when couples realize just how many decisions lie ahead. Photographers, caterers, planners, bands, florists. Everyone has an Instagram. Everyone is “full-service.” Everyone promises magic.
As a florist, I sit at a particularly interesting intersection of these choices. Flowers touch almost every part of the day: the ceremony, the tables, the portraits, the way the room feels when you walk in for the first time. Because of that, I often see where vendor decisions harmonize beautifully—and where they quietly fight each other.
So consider this a gentle, flower-forward guide to choosing your wedding vendors, with special care given to the ones who will shape the look and feeling of your day.
Start With Feeling, Not a Checklist
Before you interview a single vendor, pause and ask yourselves one question:
How do we want this day to feel?
Not how it should look on Pinterest. Not what your venue’s Instagram grid suggests. Feeling comes first.
Just as important: how do you want to show up in it?
Your wedding doesn’t need to perform a role. It doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s, or fit neatly into a trend cycle. The most memorable celebrations are the ones that quietly reflect the people at the center of them—through choices that feel natural, personal, and lived-in.
Is it intimate and candlelit because you love hosting dinners at home? Airy and unfussy because you’re drawn to ease over excess? Refined and architectural because you appreciate design with intention?
From a floral perspective, this question is everything. The difference between a loose garden arrangement and a tightly structured one isn’t just aesthetic—it’s emotional. Flowers communicate tone, taste, and personality before guests ever sit down.
When couples start with feeling and personal truth, vendor decisions become clearer and more aligned. When they don’t, they often end up with beautiful pieces that don’t quite belong together.
Choose Vendors Who Speak the Same Visual Language
Every creative vendor has a point of view. That’s a good thing. The goal isn’t to find people who will say yes to everything—it’s to find people whose instincts already lean in the direction you’re headed.
Look closely at portfolios, not just the highlight images, but the full story. Notice how they use color, whether their designs feel restrained or abundant, and whether they repeat certain shapes, textures, or moods.
As a florist, I can immediately tell when I’m working alongside a photographer, planner, or rental team who shares a similar visual language. The day flows more smoothly. Decisions are faster. The end result feels cohesive rather than crowded.
If you love a florist’s work but feel uncertain about another vendor’s style, pay attention to that feeling. Sometimes a vendor may create beautiful work on its own, but it might not harmonize with the rest of your wedding team’s aesthetic. What matters most is cohesion—the way all your vendors’ styles, from flowers to photography to rentals, work together to create a unified look and feel. It’s better to prioritize overall harmony than to chase a single standout trend that doesn’t fit the bigger picture.
Additionally, trust your vendors’ recommendations. Experienced vendors have seen countless weddings and understand what combinations and collaborations work best. Listening to their insights doesn’t mean giving up control; it means leveraging their expertise to create a day that is cohesive, beautiful, and stress-free.
Review All of Their Online Content
In today’s digital world, a vendor’s online presence is often an extension of their style and professionalism. Don’t just scroll their Instagram feed—look at their website, TikTok, Pinterest, and any other platforms where they showcase their work. Pay attention to the consistency of their aesthetic, how they interact with clients, and whether the content feels authentic. This will give you a more complete picture than a few highlight photos alone, and can reveal their true approach, attention to detail, and personality.
Consider Experience—But Softly
How long a vendor has been in business can offer insights into their expertise and reliability. Vendors who have weathered multiple seasons and trends often have a depth of experience that informs everything from problem-solving to creative decision-making. With over ten years of experience, we’ve navigated countless weddings and seen the common pitfalls that can derail budgets and expectations. That experience doesn’t just inform better design—it can save you money by avoiding unnecessary extras and help you sidestep false promises, ensuring that what you plan is realistic and achievable. Working with seasoned professionals means you get guidance rooted in real-world experience, making the process smoother and the outcome more reliable.
When It Comes to Flowers, Look Beyond the Bouquet
Flowers are often the first thing couples think about, usually starting with the bridal bouquet. But the bouquet is just the tip of the iceberg. A florist’s work shapes the entire atmosphere of your day, from the ceremony to the reception, and even the fleeting moments between. It’s about scale, flow, and the subtle emotional cues that flowers give. Consider how arrangements can guide the eye, draw people into a space, and harmonize with the venue. Strong floral design takes into account how flowers will interact with lighting, movement, and photography, ensuring that every arrangement feels intentional and connected to the larger story of the day.
Pay attention to how a designer approaches ceremony installations, table proportions, use of negative space, and transitions from ceremony to reception.
Ask to see full weddings, not just favorite arrangements. A strong floral designer understands scale, movement, and restraint. They know when flowers should whisper and when they should make a statement. And perhaps most importantly, they know when not to add more.
Ask How Vendors Collaborate (Not Just What They Offer)
Some of the best weddings happen when vendors think beyond their individual roles.
When meeting potential vendors, ask questions such as how they typically work with planners or venues, how flexible they are when plans evolve, and how they approach problem-solving on the day itself.
From a florist’s perspective, collaboration is essential. We’re often installing early, adjusting layouts, and responding to weather, light, and timing. Vendors who communicate clearly and respect each other’s expertise make the day calmer for everyone—especially you. A team that works well together creates an ease that guests can feel.
Be Honest About Budget—and Open About Priorities
Flowers are emotional. They’re also perishable, labor-intensive, and deeply tied to seasonality. A good florist will help you understand where your investment makes the most impact.
Instead of asking for a specific stem list right away, try sharing your overall floral budget range, what matters most to you visually, and where you’re open to simplicity.
Sometimes reallocating budget—from many small arrangements to fewer, more intentional moments—creates a far stronger result. Tables can breathe. Design can feel intentional rather than stretched. The right florist won’t push you to spend more—they’ll help you spend better.
Trust Is the Most Important Design Choice
By the time your wedding day arrives, you should feel calm handing things over.
Trust that your vendors understand not just what you want, but why you want it. Trust that they’ll make thoughtful decisions when you’re not in the room. Trust that they care about the outcome as much as you do.
For flowers especially, trust allows creativity to flourish. Nature is unpredictable. Seasons shift. Substitutions happen. When couples trust the process, the result often feels more alive, more personal, and more beautiful than the original plan.
In the End, Choose People, Not Just Portfolios
At the end of the day, weddings are built by humans, not just aesthetics. The most beautiful flowers, photos, or tablescapes mean little if the people behind them are difficult, unresponsive, or disengaged. Pay attention to how vendors make you feel in meetings and correspondence: do they listen, understand your vision, and respond with thoughtful suggestions? Are they enthusiastic about your ideas while also confident in their expertise? These are the qualities that make the planning process smooth and joyful, and the day itself stress-free. Choosing vendors whose personalities, communication style, and professionalism you trust ensures that your wedding day is not just visually stunning, but emotionally rewarding for everyone involved.
Final Thoughts
Your wedding day is built by people who care deeply about your celebration. When you choose vendors thoughtfully—considering style, personality, collaboration, expertise, and experience—you create a team that elevates every detail. Flowers, photography, rentals, and more become part of a harmonious story, reflecting your personalities and the feeling you want your guests to experience.
FLW–Vendor & Attire TagsDavid & Gladys Wright HousePlanning & Design: @mandymarieevents|www.mandymarieevents.comVenue: @davidwrighthouse|https://franklloydwright.org/site/david-wright-house/Photography: @mashaida.co|https://mashaida.co/Cinematography: @kennidynicolefilms|https://kennidy.com/Floral: @ashandoakfloral|https://www.ashandoak.co/Culinary: @laculinaryevents|https://laculinaryevents.com/Tabletop: @casadeperrin|https://www.casadeperrin.com/Hair: @alexie.marie.beauty|https://alexiemariebeauty.carrd.co/Makeup: @modeartistry @caro.takahashi|www.mode-artistry.comLinen: @bbjlatavola|https://bbjlatavola.com/Paper: @idiehdesign|https://idiehdesign.com/Drape: @linensbydivinity|www.linensbydivinity.comCake: @a.cakesbakery.az|https://acakesbakery.com/Content Creation: @replay_co