If you’re a female, your bridal gown selected . We want our bouquet to be an accessory, not a focal point and we want to make sure that the two work together. If your dress is very busy, it might be best to go with a more simple bouquet. If it’s simple, we can bring in more detail, etc. etc.

If you’re having female bridesmaids, they need their dresses selected . And yes, you need to have physically purchased the dress. Why is that a necessity? Because a lot of times you have a vision of a color palette in your head, but when you go to select the dress it doesn’t come in that exact color. We try to be firm with our clients on this because we have had about a dozen of occasions when Brides promise they know the color even though they haven’t purchased the dresses, we design the wedding and then the entire color palette has to change because the dresses now have.

An easy one, your ceremony and reception sites booked .

Take a moment to spend some time looking through bridal magazines or online on Pinterest or Instagram to get inspiration and a sense of what you like and don’t like. Even a handful of images can give us some insight into your personal style, that will guide us in helping design your wedding.

Everyone’s least favorite ‘B’ word. Budget. Contrary to what the media has shared about wedding vendors, just because you are hosting a wedding, doesn’t mean we’re out to take advantage just because you’re a Bride or a Groom. Sharing your budget with your decor company will work in your favor because it will help guide us in making sure we manage expectations. We want your wedding to be even better than you imagine it will be. Knowing your budget prior to coming in will allow us to make suggestions that will work hand in hand with it, rather than discussing things to include that you love, but aren’t feasible.

Another common misconception is that you can negotiate pricing . Most wedding vendors are a small business, sometimes (like ours) even a family business. So while we totally understand you want to get the most out of your budget, respect the fact that we are a business. So many factors go into what people charge, overhead, staffing, etc. and they charge what they need to, to be a successful and profitable business. Just think, you wouldn’t try to negotiate pricing with your doctor or lawyer, would you?

Don’t schedule your consultation TOO early . While we know you’re excited to get the ball rolling and decor is such a large part of it, don’t starting designing your wedding too prematurely. Most clients book their decor company 8-12 months out from their wedding. That is a good range to follow because sometimes you’ll start too early and then your taste changes. Or if you’re more than a year out you can get overwhelmed by seeing too many things you love.

Have fun.

Enjoy the process.

Trust the people you hire.

SOAK. IT. ALL. IN!