your floral budget
I sent a bride a ballpark number for a floral plan for her inspiration photos yesterday. Today, the bride emailed me today to say
“I DON’T THINK I CAN AFFORD YOUR PRICES…”
My immediate reaction was to be sad, not because she couldn’t afford the cost of all the wonderfulness I told her was the price range for her inspo photos, but because she wasn’t asking the right questions. She didn’t have a clue she was asking for upscale design with in-demand blooms and foliages or how that related to the quotes she was seeing.
SHE DIDN’T ASK MY PRICE FOR THE LOOK, SHE ASKED THE PRICE OF THE PHOTO INSPIRATION PHOTOS SHE SENT ALONG - THE PINTEREST PRICE
You see I wasn’t her first shot at procuring a proposal that fit her idea of what she wants to spend on flowers, she had shouted out on a wedding board for help with finding a ‘reasonably’ priced florist. Had already contacted some florists and was shocked at the amount, couldn’t afford the minimums on the venue’s preferred vendor list of florists, but is continuing to drag her inspiration photos around and try and shop for the lowest bidder. Oh Lawdy, but this is a bad idea.
So what should she do? She’s clearly in way over her head and is so frustrated with the process she can’t, or won’t, ask the number one question she should be asking ——-
HOW CAN YOU DESIGN MY INSPIRATION PHOTOS INTO MY DREAM WEDDING USING XXX DOLLARS?
ask the important question :
how would you use my budget to create this feeling for my event?
Did she give me a number for her budget? Nope, that’s how I knew she wasn’t prepared and not ready to choose a floral professional. This bride is bargain basement shopping, trying to find the lowest price for the designs rather than what she should be doing, finding the best use of her budget.
How not to make me (or any other wedding artisan) sad?
HAVE YOUR BUDGET SETTLED AND YOUR NUMBER READY FOR DISCUSSION!
I make no judgements on that number, my job is to work with you to determine what amazing things we can create for those hard earned funds. Ask the right questions to work your wedding budget.
