How to hire your wedding florist

Hi I’m Jeremy and I do a lot of the sales at Bride Candy. I love doing it, I love talking to people and hearing about their love stories, some of them are really amazing. I also love being able to put together a perfect package for someone.

People come to me with all kinds of different approaches: some couples know exactly what they want, others are just starting out. No matter where you’re at in your process, I know I can help you.  I also know that you’re probably getting quotes from other florists too, and that’s totally understandable. But how can you be sure you’re getting the most out of your sales process while you’re reaching out for floral quotes?

Do your Homework

Before you reach out, make sure you’re at the right stage of the wedding planning process to get floral quotes. The means you should have a firm wedding date and venue. Right now our calendar for this year is pretty busy so we need to know your date to tell you if we are available or not. And your venue is important because it influences what flower designs you might select. For example, if you’re having a beach wedding you might have to consider wind. Or if you’re having a wedding at a venue with a fountain for example you might want us to decorate it. Knowing your venue allows us to create a design that’s practical, affordable, and beautiful and that fits your venue.

Find what you Like

A lot of people go on Pinterest for this, its easy to create a board of things you like and Pinterest will recommend even more inspiration as it learns from you. Or maybe you’re the kind of person that you don’t really know what you want, or you feel like your style is all over the place. That’s no problem, its still helpful for you to create a Pinterest board of what you like and send it over. We’re good at reading between the lines to help you find your wedding style and help you pin point it. Once you have a Pinterest  board or some inspiration photos saved, you’re almost ready to get floral quotes.

Think about your budget

A lot of times I’ll get sent celebrity wedding inspiration, and I get it - they’re beautiful weddings. Who wouldn’t want a wedding like Kim Kardashian? But can you imagine how much they spent on their wedding flowers? If you’re sending these photos to me and telling me that you want this, I’m always going to ask “what’s your comfortable investment?” Because when you’re looking at big celebrity weddings, the sky is the limit. But for most people money is a concern. I can help get you there, I can give you suggestions for something that is very beautiful that’s in a comfortable investment while staying true to the spirit of your vision.

If you’ve already started reaching out to florists for quotes, you already know that wedding flowers can be more expensive than you think. It’s not like going into a supermarket and getting all of these basic flowers, we don’t source from the same places. When I order something for your wedding, I’m placing a special order just in your color scheme. And you might be asking me for flowers that may or may not be in season, which of course affects the cost. We also use premium flowers that are typically not available to the pubic. All of these factors are things I consider when I’m quoting things out for you.

If budget is the most most important thing to you, make sure to tell me that when we speak. If you tell me what you’re comfortable with, I’ll prioritize that when I’m putting together a proposal for you. I can make suggestions on how you can get the most for your money while still having something very beautiful. Or if you have wiggle room, tell me that too! That way I can lean a little more into your vision and give you upgrade options that I think you’ll love.

make your decision

When we create your proposal, we’re mostly focused on making sure that we get close to your vision and that you’ll understand where pricing will be. Your vision will likely continue to evolve as your wedding date approaches, and that’s okay! We can make changes to the design even after booking and can do it in a way that won’t affect pricing too much. So when you’re reading quotes, remember that they’re just that: estimates focused on pricing, and not your final design. If you choose to work with us, we’ll have a Final Design Call one month before your wedding where we will talk about your design in detail and make final selections. So please don’t feel pressure to have all of the design finalized when you’re getting quotes.

At the end of the day, we are not a perfect fit for everyone. Maybe it comes down to budget, or perhaps you feel like our styles don’t match up. And that’s totally okay! If that happens, please let us know, I promise we’ll be cool about it. It’s even better if you tell us a little bit about why you made your decision. I am always trying to figure out how to be a better person and salesperson and learn how I can better support you. Telling me a little about your choice can help me improve our process for future clients.

If you haven’t already inquired with us, don’t wait too long! Our dates are filling up. We love making wedding dreams come true, and we’d love to talk with you.

Creating Gorgeous Save the Date Cards

One of things I was most excited to do when planning my wedding was to send out save the date cards. I couldn’t wait to officially announce my upcoming wedding to the people I love. But when I got into the process of making the save the dates, I realized that there’s a lot more to it than I thought. I won’t lie to you, planning a wedding is hard – there are lots of times when it feels a little less than fun. If you’re like me, the tasks that are the hardest to check off the wedding to-do list are the ones where there’s a ton of details to consider. But with a little bit of preparation and the right tools any wedding task can be easy. Here’s how to print custom save the dates the easy way from start to finish.

Get your details ready

In order to send out save the date cards, obviously you will need to know your wedding date! But make sure that date is completely confirmed. Remember that the purpose of the save the date card is to remind your guests to request time off of work, think about attire, and start to make travel plans. So if your details change, it could cause a lot of trouble for your guests. 

How do you make sure your date is totally confirmed? If you’ve got a signed contract and made a deposit payment on your wedding venue, you should be good to go. If you’re getting married on private property (like a relative’s house), make sure to get written permission from the owners with some general guidelines. And if you plan to tie the knot in a public setting like a beach, be sure to check out permits to ensure date availability.Doing a little bit of work up front can save a big headache down the line.

Create a guest list

Now that you know your details, you need to create a list of recipients. The big question is who should get a save the date card? That’s really a topic for a whole separate blog post. But a good guide is to make a list of close family on both sides, then add in friends that you’ve talked to in the past year and wouldn’t mind spending a couple of hours with at a dinner party. Remember that you can always invite more people later.

After you have your guest list, it’s time to get addresses. This took me a lot of time when I was doing my save the date cards because I didn’t have a lot of that info and it took a lot of phone calls to get it. Luckily there are tools that can help you with this, like Basic Invite’s free address collection service where you can request your addresses. You share a link via social media or email, collect addresses, and even get free envelope printing. Get started at the Basic Invite website: https://www.basicinvite.com

Eye on Design

Now it’s time for the fun part, designing your save the date cards. Some couples choose to DIY this or hire a calligrapher, but there are even easier options where you can print custom save the dates online. If you’re not a graphic designer or super artistic then this is definitely the way to go since you can start with a design template that you like then customize it to your wedding colors and style. I like Basic Invite’s ability to completely customize the color of any template down to the littlest detail with 180 unique colors. They also provide matching invitation suites and envelopes in 40 different colors so after you customize your design it looks cohesive with all of the other printables at your wedding.

It’s important to order a sample so you can see the colors and the quality of your save the date cards. This is the first impression your guests will have of your wedding styles so the details need to be perfect. If you choose to print custom save the dates then you should always request a custom sample (Basic Invite does this too).

Send them out

Now all the hard work is done! Once your custom save the date cards are printed the last step is to assemble them – put your card in the envelope, secure it with a sticker, and add postage. Make sure you’re using enough postage for this since save the date cards and wedding invitations tend to be heavier than standard first class mail. You can go to the post office to order the wedding stamps they have available or make your own custom ones online. 

Once you’re ready, drop off your save the date cards at your local post office then set back and wait for the compliments to roll in.

Extra credit

Congrats, you just sent out your save the date cards! To make things even easier, you can make your wedding invitations at the same time and print them out a little later on. Most couples choose to send the formal invitation 3-4 months before the wedding.

This is also a great time to get started on your wedding website. Your website will be the place where your guests will get all of the wedding-related info they need, like hotel and travel info, the list of events, maps and directions, and a link to your registry. It’s best if your website mirrors the design of your save the date cards and wedding invitations, so if your card printing company allows you to host your website with them it’s a good choice for this (Basic Invite does).

Don’t worry, it seems like getting out save the date cards and invites is a lot of work but with the right tools it can be pretty easy. And when it’s done you’ll have a major task to check off of your wedding to-do list. It’s also the start of your process for starting to look for your other vendors. If you’re wondering where to start with decor, we can help! Ask us how The Bride Candy can help you make your wedding gorgeous and romantic with flowers. 

Coronavirus Help for the Wedding Industry

Photo by Vanessa Velez Photography

The Bride Candy is fortunate to be part of an amazing community of wedding vendors that specialize in making dreams come true. Unfortunately, many of us have been heavily impacted by the current pandemic. Before all else, I hope you’re staying safe and healthy and relatively sane during these crazy times. There’s a lot of information and misinformation out there on what steps to take to try to minimize the impact to business. We sat down with our friend Carlos Canasi, a Miami-based CPA, to get the scoop on what help is available to small businesses in the industry. This post is geared towards Florida-based small businesses, but there are national resources mentioned as well.

What is being done to help?

The most consequential help available is under the CARES Act, passed earlier this year. “The purpose of the CARES act is to provide relief to individuals, businesses, and government organizations by public funding of $2 Trillion dollars,” said Carlos. It’s a sweeping bill that has multiple provisions that may pertain to you, like stimulus checks, expanded unemployment, and grants and loans to small businesses. To a lesser extent there are also state programs available, but major funding for just about all help comes from the CARES Act. Here’s what you can expect.

Getting a Stimulus Check

There’s been a lot of press about the one-time non-taxable $1200 checks coming from the government. How do I get that money? “You need to do nothing,” said Carlos. “The government knows who and where you are (literally) and will directly deposit the funds into your account. You won’t have to file anything to receive the rebate.” But not everyone is eligible to receive a check. “The government will use your 2019 tax return or your 2018 tax return to determine if you qualify. If your income is $75,000 or less - or $150,000 or less if you’re married - you’re eligible for a $1,200 individual or $2,400 married couple rebate. If you have dependent children under 17, you’ll also get $500 per child. If you make over $75,000 or $150,000, your rebate will be reduced by $5 for every $100 over $75,000 that you make. But if you make over these threshold amounts, you won’t get a rebate: Individual: $99,000; Head of household with one child: $146,500; Joint filers with no children: $198,000. To qualify, you can’t be claimed as a dependent by others and you must have a work-eligible social security number.”

“The government knows who and where you are (literally) and will directly deposit the [stimulus] funds into your account.”

Filing for Unemployment

One of the major aspects of the CARES Act is that it expands state unemployment payment levels and eligibility. “You are eligible for unemployment as a self-employed person under the CARES Act,” said Carlos. “You are entitled to $600 a week for up to four months.” And that’s on top of Florida’s determination (up to $275 a week depending on your previous income). You can apply for Florida Unemployment via website, phone (1-800-204-2418), or paper form. This is an excellent benefit and you should take advantage of it! You need to apply soon - there are hundreds of thousands of people in front of you. Call centers have been overwhelmed and the Florida Unemployment website frequently goes down, so the most reliable way to apply is to complete the paper application and mail it in. If you need help, contact your State Senator’s office – they are experts at getting things unstuck that are tied up in bureaucracy. If you’re outside the state of Florida, go to this website and select your state to find your unemployment office.

Photo by Care Studios

Getting a grant by taking a loan

There’s been some information going around that says small business owners might be eligible for disaster grants. But this grant is actually an advance on a loan from the SBA. “To get money to businesses that need it quickly, anyone who applies for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) can request an emergency grant on that loan of up to $10,000,” said Carlos. “This money will be distributed by the SBA (Small Business Association) within three days. The grant can be used to maintain payroll, provide sick leave, buying materials, paying your mortgage or rent, and repaying any obligations you can’t currently pay because you’ve lost revenue from COVID-19.” You are eligible for this as long as your business is under 500 employees. Sole proprietors, LLCs, and Corporations are all eligible. Find out more and apply at the SBA website.

The EIDL itself is expansive. “You can borrow up to $2,000,000 on a 15- or 30-year term,” said Carlos. “The interest rate is 3.75% for businesses and 2.75% for Not for Profits.” The EIDL is not a forgivable loan. “And you don’t want it to be forgiven! The SBA will only forgive your loan if you go completely out of business.”

“You need to apply soon - there are hundreds of thousands of people in front of you.”

Should I take out a loan?

“Borrowing is a unique/personal decision. There isn’t a one-size fits all formula,” said Carlos. “For most small businesses, a quick “back of the napkin” calculation is a good way to start.” Ask yourself these questions:

• How much cash do I have available to pay current and future debt?

• Is there anything I can liquidate to come up with cash?

• What’s my current monthly debt?

• Is the interest rate favorable? Do I have credit cards with better interest rates than the loan offers?

• Is there a penalty for paying back the loan ahead of maturity?

You’ll also want to do a bit of forecasting. “Create a spreadsheet in Excel forecasting the next 12 months. Include your forecasted cash inflows and outflows,” said Carlos. If you need help putting together a spreadsheet like this, contact Carlos here.

Photo by Vanessa Velez Photography

How can I financially survive this pandemic?

Everyone is worried about cashflow right now, but to best protect your finances you’ve got to stay safe! “Follow the CDC guidelines and stay home.  Getting out and being exposed can end up in unnecessary medical expenses, and worse, health complications,” said Carlos. If you need help, start with the people who are closest to you. “Many times we’re afraid of asking for help because we’re proud people. And by asking for help I mean asking friends and family for business, financial advances (keep your promise, of course), CPAs for advice, etc.  Be able to rely on your community and share with others whatever knowledge you acquire.”

“Remember that 87% of the population is still employed and many of those are willing and able to spend their dollars.”

This is also a prime opportunity to explore other potential revenue streams for your business. “There are still plenty of folks who are employed and willing and able to hire you for services not traditionally rendered,” siad Carlos. “Are you a wedding planner? Create and sell a step by step guide to preparing a dream wedding. Florist? Start hosting floral workshops online. Catering? Start meal prepping for people or add a “COVID” discount to anyone who prepays for your services. Yes, it’s not ideal by any stretch of the imagination and unemployment is at 13% - that means 87% of the population is still employed and many of those are willing and able to spend their dollars.” 

If you’re unable to generate other revenue streams, try adding social distancing to or modifying the prices on your existing product and focusing on breaking even. “Are you a photographer? Sell your service for in-home photo shoots while maintaining social distance – pull out that mega zoom, baby!” said Carlos. Or try lowering your prices temporarily to be more competitive. “We all want to make a profit, of course! But right now we likely want to afford housing and food more than anything. So, think of how you can reduce your pricing or offer prepayments to allow you to break even during the pandemic.”

Still feeling confused or anxious? You’re not alone. Let’s chat about it over FaceTime or Zoom – just reach out. You can also reach out to Carlos for more CPA questions. Sending love and blessings your way. Stay safe!

Fur Babies And Weddings

Tips on how to keep them safe and comfortable on your special day.

Photography by uriel-photography

We love our fur babies and they are a big part of our families. It’s becoming very popular to involve them in our weddings. And why not? They make everyone smile and look really great in a flower collar. Some couples decide to even use their pet as a ring bearer! It’s a great idea to involve your pet in your wedding. But weddings can be dangerous for pets. Taking a few simple steps can make sure that your pet is happy and healthy at the end of your wedding.

Photography by laylle digital media

Designate a handler

You’re going to have your hands full on your wedding day. It’s a good idea to choose someone to be responsible for your pet during the wedding. Make sure you choose a person that doesn’t have other wedding responsibilities so they can keep a close eye on your pet. I highly recommend hiring a handler. Not only are they professionals but you don’t want your guests baby sitting your fur baby do you? Too often I see family members forget about the animals and well that’s when the chaos starts. In general, you want to be sure that your pet doesn’t cause damage to the venue (so you can get that deposit back) or that your pet doesn’t get injured. Make sure to talk to your venue so you have a place where your pet can stay for most of the wedding. If you need help finding a professional handlers ask you're planner or even us!

Photography by care weddings

Be careful of toxins

For your pet to be comfortable, they need food and plenty of water. But you’ll also need to keep them away from things that might make them sick. That includes some wedding flowers! Lilies, anthuriums, holly, poinsettias, and tulips are all very poisonous to pets. It’s also common to treat wedding florals with hydration chemicals that are also toxic. Make sure your handler keeps your pet away from any and all wedding flowers (except for a floral collar designed for your pet – I always use safe flowers).

Photography by uriel-photography

Have an emergency kit

If the worst should happen and your pet gets injured at the wedding, will you be prepared? Give the handler the name, location, and number to your vet and a nearby emergency clinic. Pack a kit with a crate, pop-up water bowl, blanket, basic first aid kit, Benadryl, paw protectors, and a photo in case of separation. And include something from home to help make your pet feel safe and secure, like a favorite toy

Take photos!

It’s special to have your pet at your wedding! Make sure to capture the moment. Many couples choose to do a first look with their pets as well as their partners. It makes for a great photo holiday card later! You’ll always want to remember how your whole family was part of your special day.

We love our fur babies !! I know I love mine very much and want them to be comfortable and safe from harm. Im sure you do too! I hope this blog helped you with things you may not have thought about. I highly recommend hiring a professional so you don’t have to worry. Make sure to take lots of photos and talk to your designer about floral accents for your pets. like yours truly, I love making floral colors for pets . Talk to me about how I can make your pet look beautiful on your wedding day!