Wedding Flower Fiasco

Sorry but once a florist has ordered the flowers, it's too late to make changes. My wedding is about a month away, and my florist has also put in her order. I asked about cancelling one bouquet and adding a centerpiece. She said she could not change my order, but would use those flowers from the bouquet and any extra materials to make a nice centerpiece. So you could ask that the corsage flowers be used for something else. Sorry this happened but good luck!

View Quoted Comment Thanks for commenting! Did your florists tell you a final date to make changes? I think that’s the part that is upsetting is I had no idea

View Quoted Comment Honestly, I've been so overwhelmed I'm not sure. I think she must have put in the order after my invoice last month. Not sure if she mentioned that was the last chance to change things or not.

It sounds like there is a lack of communication at some point. What do the reviews on GoogleMaps and Yelp say? Because those are more accurate than TheKnot/WeddingWire where the vendor can pay to have a review removed that doesn’t put them in a glowing light.
Not only does the contract state the terms and conditions (including cut off dates for changes), and it doesn’t then that is their error, but they should have communicated clearly what the timeframe is for any changes before you signed the contract during consultations. Some vendors will even take a highlighter marker to the contract to clarify the important dates. Did you ask during the consultation the full process of what happens if a sample is not approved by you and anything needs to be altered? If you did and they ignored it, that is not your fault.

Do you have a month of coordinator hired? Part of their job description is to act as mediator between the couple and the vendors and figure out how to fix snafus. If the florist is not listening to you, as not every vendor is on top of their game and cares about the couple, then seek help from your coordinator. Then if there is nothing they can do and you know for a fact that you followed your contract to a T but they didn’t, then follow up after the wedding by contacting the state attorney general.

View Quoted Comment Thank you for all of this perspective. There is no explicit contract just the quote we have been working from. I should have requested a formal contract but things were going so well i didn’t forsee this issue. I will definitely ask for something in writing from them to confirm pick up day and time for sure. Thank you for reminding me to use my coordinator as an option to mediate. I have a meeting scheduled with the florist tomorrow so I will loop my coordinator in if that does not go well. This is great advice

View Quoted Comment Without a contract, you are on your own with no legal protection if/when anything like this happens unfortunately. If you were to take the florist to small claims court, the judge would ask point blank why you were not given a contract. You can either cut your losses and go with an inexpensive grocery store florist and do not leave the appointment without a contract in hand, or leave it up to fate and accept what this florist decides to do on the wedding day. The first option is your best bet in a pinch.

View Quoted Comment Absolutely, a learning lesson for sure considering all of my other vendors had contracts and were very clear. This is an H‑E‑B florist so I think getting a formal contract from her or the store will be do-able. Thanks for this advice! I am holding out hope that we can resolve this amicably since all of our other interactions have been very kind.

We had to have all final changes in writing to our florist 30 days before and final payment was due 14 days before the wedding.