Fridays in January 2009 will be reserved for a five-part series on choosing your florist. There will be great tips and ideas to help you plan well, be more efficient, and save time and money!

"Booking Your Florist" Part Five

So you have decided on your florist, and need to secure the booking. All florists are different, but most require a deposit to reserve the date. If the deposit is non-refundable, make sure you are choosing well, but don't wait too long to send the deposit in - some florists take a limited number of weddings on any given day.

Re-read the contract and have both of you sign. Keep copies of everything on file and organized so you can easily and quickly reference the quote.

Work with your florist to decide what happens next. When should you schedule the next meeting, and is it worth a site visit of the venues together to work out some of the details? A good florist will work at your pace but keep you on track with the decisions that need to be made along the way. You may want to ask if the florist prefers a certain type of communication - are e-mails better or will a simple phone call suffice?

Be clear on payment schedules, type of payments (credit card, cheque or cash), and when final numbers are needed - ie, the exact number of centerpieces, corsages and boutonnieres.

Enjoy the process and be open to ideas that may develop along the way.

Check back next Friday for the first installment of February Fridays - A Four Part Series on Bouquets!