Anastasia Valocchi 1/22/20 Anastasia Valocchi 1/22/20

7 Ways We'll Work Together | Weddings

When I was planning my own wedding, I had a lot of questions floating around in my head about the process of working with a floral designer. In this post I share the ways in which I typically work with my wedding clients, to help you understand what the planning process might look like for you. I hope you find it helpful!

When I was planning my own wedding, I had a lot of questions floating around in my head about the process of working with a floral designer. What if I change my color palette? (I did.) What if I up my total bridesmaids count from 2 to 20?! (I most definitely did not.) How will we communicate? When will I hear from you next? Will we do a venue visit together to help me visualize everything? I have so. many. freaking. questions. Help.

Below I outline the ways in which I typically work with my wedding clients. This is a literal copy and paste from the introductory welcome packet I share with my couples. BUT it’s designed to be a general framework to help you understand what the planning process will look like. I hope you find it helpful!

1 - CONGRATS

First thing’s first…CONGRATS! Your wedding will be beautiful and original, I can feel it. I’d love to guide you there in a fun, organized, and approachable way. Feel at ease sharing and discussing your ideas with me from day one. I am with you every step of the way.

2 - LET'S CHAT

A brief online questionnaire allows me to understand the basics of your special day. From there, we'll schedule a 30-45 minute phone consultation to discuss your vision, your expectations, and my services. Most importantly, we'll get to know each other and determine if we’ll be a great fit. Generally, it’s good to start these conversations between 9-12 months out from your wedding day.

3 - IT'S OFFICIAL

Following our initial consultation, I will send you a proposal outlining my suggestions for your day. This proposal is designed to be a transparent and starting price quote. Throughout our planning process, you’ll have the opportunity to make revisions as plans evolve. An abbreviated vision board will be included, which will be further expanded midway thru planning. With a signed service agreement and deposit, you are officially on my calendar. Take a break! Another big decision checked off.

4 - KEEP IN TOUCH

Let your ideas and visions evolve. All of our shared details and communications will live in Honeybook for you to reference throughout the planning process. I'm available via email and scheduled phone calls and dedicate my weekends to making dream events a reality for my clients.

5 - DESIGN CONSULTATION

2-3 months out, we will meet to fine-tune the details of your designs. This includes color palette, flower ingredients, vases, ribbons, and more. Plans evolve and change, so I'll take this time to revise your proposal until it’s perfect. Now it's time for you to enjoy your final countdown while I give your designs full focus.

6 - LOGISTICS CHECK-IN

30 days out, I’ll gather logistics from you or your planner, such as timeline, locations, vendors, and the oh-so-important Instagram handles :) These details help me ensure your big day is the best ever. This is also an opportunity for final tweaks to your flower order. One more month!

7 - THE BIG DAY

I book a limited number of weddings per season to allow me to truly focus on your day. My team manages the installation and cleanup of all floral arrangements in coordination with other vendors so that you can focus on your celebration. Thanks to all the advance planning, it will be the best day ever.

LET’S CHAT!

I am currently filling remaining slots for 2020, and booking into 2021. Click here to schedule a consultation. E: hello@anastasiaandenmatten.com | IG: @anastasia_andenmatten

Anastasia Andenmatten is a private design studio based in San Francisco, CA with a modern approach to customizing florals for weddings, businesses, and events. Featured in Style Me Pretty & Green Wedding Shoes. Named a 2020 WeddingWire Couples' Choice® in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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Anastasia Valocchi 1/19/20 Anastasia Valocchi 1/19/20

9 Tips For Finding Your Wedding Florist

Often times, planning a wedding is the first introduction to flowers for many people. It’s all one big learning process, and finding a florist can seem so daunting. Here are some tips on ways to navigate your own search for your wedding florist.

Planning a wedding is often times one big learning process, and finding your florist can seem so daunting. Having just planned my own wedding a year ago, I recall the overwhelming sense of indecision and what seemed like never-ending vendor searches. I’ve enjoyed coaching my couples through their wedding flower planning, so I figured I’d share some tips on information to think through as you navigate your own search for your wedding florist.

1 - RUN THE NUMBERS

This part is no fun, but it’s important and worth getting it over with so you can move onto the exciting stuff. On average, florals account for 10% of the overall wedding budget. Big cost factors can include number of guests, location, date, size of bridal party, and quantity and types of arrangements. I give my prospective couples a checkbox-style list of arrangements to select from as a starting point. Determine at a high-level the types of arrangements you’ll be needing for your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception and rank them in order of importance. Be realistic and know what you’re comfortable spending.

2 - KNOW YOUR PRIORITIES AND LEAN IN

Envision your day and the parts of it that are most important and exciting to you. While it would be nice to have ALL THE THINGS, know where you’d like to save v. splurge. My #1 recommendation is always to go for impact, whether that be a killer ceremony setup or a suspended installation over the dance floor or a photo opp moment at cocktail hour. These are the things people notice, and is a great way to focus a budget. I love working creatively with my couples to make the most of their budget, and this is where you can have some fun with your floral designer. Tip: Don’t be afraid to go with your gut and be vocal about your priorities. This is your day and it should be unique to you.

3 - DETERMINE YOUR LIKES & DISLIKES

This seems counterintuitive, but when you’re unsure of where to begin, knowing what you DON’T like can be a great starting point. Think about colors, textures, shapes, styles, vibes. For example, someone who isn’t into rustic bohemian may be more drawn to modern minimalism. Maybe you can’t stand the scent of lillies, but jasmine takes you right back to that vacation where you got engaged. Ruling things out will bring you closer to figuring out what it is you DO like.

4 - GO BEYOND PINTEREST

It’s really easy to go down a Pinterest rabbit hole, influenced by trends and what everyone else’s wedding looks like. But there’s no reason to limit it to what you see on Pinterest. Go beyond the typical wedding planning sites to find inspiration around you, whether that be nature, architecture, food/drink, travels, fashion, art, or music. Come up with a vision board of a limited number of images that truly speak to you. Keeping it simple will prevent you from overwhelming yourself and your floral designer!

5 - FEEL THE FEELS

Meditate on your wedding vision for 5 minutes. What are you dreaming of? What do you want your guests to feel as they enter your ceremony? When they sit down to dinner? What do you want to see in photographs on your 5, 10, 20th wedding anniversary?⁣ Come up with a few words that best explain the feelings you want to elicit. Flowers have the power to create an experience for you and your guests.

6 - GO BACK TO THE BASICS

If the tips above still make the process feel overwhelming, consider the most basic details of your day that you’ve already locked in, like venue, date, and attire. These are great starting points for inspiration and your floral designer can help create a vision. For example, one of my 2019 brides had no idea what she wanted her floral design to look like, but she knew her ceremony was taking place on a dramatically lit stage at an epic, historic San Francisco music hall. Together we decided the stage would be our focal point for the entire design and focused the designs around one large installation there.

7 - CONSIDER THE SEASON

Seasonality plays a role in availability and pricing of flowers and is worth keeping in mind. For instance, peonies can be quite pricey and hard to find outside of spring while dahlias grow in abundance locally throughout the fall. This isn’t something you need to study up on; the right floral designer will guide you through this. When sticking to seasonal flowers, you are often more likely to save money and also have the freshest stems for your day. That being said, your floral designer should be open to accommodating any specific requests if and when possible.

8 - DO YOUR HOMEWORK

During initial consultation calls, I urge all of my couples to evaluate other designers. There is no shortage of talent in the San Francisco Bay Area and each designer has a unique set of offerings. Ask for referrals from your venue, planner, and friends. Look at designers’ work and read their reviews. Know what’s important to you in the evaluation process, whether it be aesthetic, testimonials, or communication style. Create a short list of your favorites and aim to schedule consultations about 9-11 months out from your wedding day. By choosing a designer that you feel most aligned with, the process of working together and the end result will be that much more rewarding. Tip: Be gracious, communicative, and kind as you shop around. If you decide to go in another direction, be sure to notify your prospects of your decision.

9 - TRUST THE PROCESS

Choosing a designer that works for YOU is the most important decision. The small details will be sorted out much later in the process, so for now, you can sit back and enjoy having checked off another decision. By creating a team of vendors that you feel truly aligned with and giving them your full trust, you can rest assured your dream wedding will come to life.

I’m curious, what other questions that have come up for you throughout your wedding flower planning? Ask me in the comment section below! My hope is that these tips will help guide your conversations easily throughout the planning process. Interested in learning more? Read what my customers are saying here and 7 ways we can work together here.