With booking season for 2012 quickly approaching, Petal is excited to help early bird brides get the 411 on everything flowers! We will be launching our new website soon, which will have all of these FAQs, but if you can't wait until then... and we totally understand not being able to wait, then here is the scoop on flowers according to Petal.
FAQs
How do I start the process?
E-mail us or contact us through our contact page on our website to set-up an appointment for your initial consultation. Because our appointments are very detailed and thorough, expect the initial consultation to last approximately 1 hour. Next, please fill out and submit our pre-consultation questionnaire. Filling out this form will help us understand the scope of your event.
What do I need to bring with me when I come to a consultation?
Most clients come in with a strong idea about what they want, but have varying levels of comfort articulating it. We don’t require our clients to speak the "language" of flowers. We listen carefully and pay attention to the style each Bride portrays. To best express your ideas and overall style, bring as many as the following items to the consultation as you can:
*Pictures of flowers and floral designs that inspire you. You can find floral pictures in magazines, on the Internet or in books.
*Pictures of the bride’s dress and the attendants’ dresses.
*Swatches of the colors you are working with to build your wedding’s color palette are very helpful. Fabric, paint swatches, or pictures can all be used to illustrate the color theme for your wedding.
*Make a list of people you will need to supply with corsages and boutonnieres. You will find planning out your needs before of our meeting will help you define your wedding flower plan.
*Bring another person that knows the style and look of your wedding and can help you make decisions. A supportive fiancé, friend or family member can be very valuable in the decision making process.
How long should I expect to wait to receive my quote after the consultation?
How do I book Petal for my event?
A 30% deposit of the event quote is required to hold your event date (or $750 if total is TBD). Because we book an extremely limited number of weddings per weekend, our calendar fills very quickly. All dates are reserved on a first come first booked basis.
When can I expect to hear from you again after we have booked our wedding with Petal?
Six weeks before the wedding, Petal will begin to make any last minute adjustments to the proposal so it can be finalized. Within the next 2 weeks the final payment of the flower balance is due and all final changes should be made. When everything is all squared away, a wedding day details form will be the last step of the process to ensure no hiccups on the day of the event.
When should I contact you to discuss the flowers for my event?
It depends on your wedding date. For the busiest times of year (May,June, and October) the earlier you contact us the better. 8-10 months before your wedding date is usually sufficient to secure our services. However, quite often our clients will contact us to begin the process up to 12 months before the event. We have also planned gorgeous events for clients in a much tighter time frame- 1 month out. Because we book an extremely limited number of events don’t put off calling us too long.
What is your service area?
Petal travels up to 1.5 hours out of Lynchburg, VA for normal event set-up. But we could begrudgingly go anywhere with warm tropical breezes if called upon to design a destination wedding.
Does Petal offer wedding flower packages?
We do not offer pre-determined wedding flower packages. Pricing and design are dependent on several factors. Season, budget, materials, and color scheme are some of details that affect the final pricing of your wedding flowers. We have found that a customized approach is most accurate. You and your wedding are unique and your flowers should be too.
How do I determine a flower budget?
For a very general idea of floral costs you can plan on spending about 10-15% of your total wedding budget on flowers (based on the average wedding cost of $28,000). Another way of approaching the floral budget question is many of our clients find they spend about the same amount on their photographer as they do on their wedding florist. Petal’s pricing begins in the $1,000’s.
Do you offer other décor items besides flowers?
Petal rents out various shapes and sizes of vases and a few items such as shepherd hooks and flower holders, and items like mason jars.
From Sweet William, which was picked because of her groom's name, to Myrtle, which was used in royal wedding bouquets for centuries before Kate, each flower was selected with much thought. The final selection consisted of Lily of the Valley (which is impossible to find and $$$$), Sweet William, Hyacinth, Ivy, and Myrtle. 
