Whenever you meet with any wedding supplier it is best to be prepared and this goes for your wedding flowers florist too. With flowers costing a significant portion of your budget it is best to know what you want and how much you to have spend from the moment you enter the shop.

Follow these suggestions when the time comes to order your flowers and make sure you get the best value for money from your florist:

1. Take some inspiration with you in the form of magazine cuttings and photographs. It will give your florist some idea of what you are looking for and what you like.

2. Be uber organized by making sure you take your wedding notebook with you, a copy of your budget and your planning checklist so you know when your order needs to be finalized and when you need to have it delivered or collected.

3. Try putting together a mini portfolio of all the things you like from flowers to containers, arrangement styles, decorative objects and even patterns and colors.

4. Make sure there is nothing in your portfolio or in the images you present that you do not like – it could only cloud your florist’s ideas of what you like.

5. Do not let your florist put you under any pressure to make decisions on the spot. It is your wedding day and you should have the perfect flowers for the occasion. However, you should also remember that the majority of florists are very experienced and that their advice is well worth listening to.

6. Include some photographs of your venue including the room in which your ceremony and reception will be held along with a floor plan showing where your guests will enter. This will help your florist determine the style of the arrangements and colors which will best compliment your venue.

7. Bring a swatch of fabric from both your dress and your bridesmaids, as well as pictures of these dresses so that the color of your flowers can be matched and the shape and size of bouquet chosen to compliment.

8. Don’t forget to tell them about your choice of wedding colors and theme if you are having one!

9. Always tell them what your budget is so they can come up with ideas to fit it.