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<\/figure>\n1. What’s actually included in delivery, setup and breakdown?<\/h2>\n
This is the question that would have saved the arch in the parking lot. “Delivery and setup” means completely different things depending on the florist: some install every arrangement, dress the arch, and return after the reception to collect rented vases; others hand off buckets of loose stems at the curb and consider the job done.<\/p>\n
This is the first of five questions to ask a wedding florist worth putting in writing. Ask for three line items separately: a delivery fee, a setup fee, and a breakdown or strike fee. Then ask how much setup time the florist needs at the venue, because that number has to fit inside your venue’s own load-in window, not just the florist’s ideal schedule.<\/p>\n
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- Who assembles a ceremony arch or arbor: the florist, the venue, or you?<\/li>\n
- Does the florist return after the reception to collect their own vases, stands and arch hardware, or do you own that job?<\/li>\n
- Is there a separate after-hours or late-strike fee if the reception runs long?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
None of this is standardized across the industry, which is exactly the problem. Get it in the contract, not a verbal assurance.<\/p>\n
2. What happens if a flower I chose is out of season or unavailable?<\/h2>\n
Flowers are agricultural products, not inventory. Weather, import delays, and seasonal shifts can make a specific bloom unavailable even after your order is confirmed, which is why most professional florist contracts include a substitution clause, per The Legal Paige’s florist contract guidance<\/a>: the florist may swap an unavailable flower for one of equal or greater value in a matching color and style.<\/p>\n
That clause protects the florist. The question protects you: ask exactly how you’ll be notified of a substitution, and whether you get a say before it happens or only find out on the day. A florist who says “I’ll just surprise you” is not being generous, they’re skipping a step that should be in writing.<\/p>\n
\nThe Catch:<\/strong> peonies, ranunculus and garden roses have genuinely short natural seasons. If your date falls outside that window, “in season” pricing quietly becomes “flown in from South America” pricing, sometimes doubling the line item without anyone flagging it until the final invoice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
3. Are there flowers you avoid because of allergies, and did I tell you about mine?<\/h2>\n
Lilies, baby’s breath and craspedia are the three most commonly flagged allergens in florist guidance, alongside strong-fragrance blooms that can trigger headaches in an enclosed reception space. Most florists ask about this proactively. Not all do.<\/p>\n
This is one of the questions to ask a wedding florist that costs nothing to skip and everything to forget. Check with your wedding party before the design consultation, not during it. A bridesmaid’s lily allergy discovered the morning of the wedding is a scramble; the same allergy flagged three months out is a one-line substitution request.<\/p>\n
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<\/figure>\n4. What’s the deposit, and what does the cancellation schedule actually look like?<\/h2>\n
Florist deposits typically run 25\u201350% at signing as a nonrefundable retainer, sometimes structured in tiers: a portion at contract, another at the 90-day mark, the balance two weeks out, per Florists’ Review’s contract guidance<\/a>. Cancellation terms are usually tiered too: a full refund of anything beyond the retainer if you cancel 90-plus days out, roughly half back at 60 to 90 days, and nothing back inside 60 days.<\/p>\n
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