Smart Flower Preview!

Shades of purple are still popular with brides this Spring and this small pintuck linen in the softest shade of lavender almost needed a spoon served with the preview...it was just that luscious of an experience!!!

One of my favorite days with my clients is when we can schedule the table preview and the tasting on the same day...although you can count on a very long appointment...about four hours of intense excitement! It is worth every minute spent walking the space, defining the details and soaking up the beauty of this celebration!

KUDOS to the florist who is willing to show a client their table creation in the actual space that it will appear on THE event day! Although time consuming for the florist, it is a priceless experience for the client to have a preview of what the decor will be like on their special day.

Having the dream table set up allows the client to see the colors in a room and appropriate size to the space, both wonderful advantages to have for those investing a pretty penny in decor. Not all florists will provide this service and I cringe when it doesn't or can't happen. A couple of years ago, my client assured me that she took care of the floral details and I need not worry...why is it that every time I hear those words, my pulse begins to race!

On the wedding day, as the bridal party was preparing upstairs, I slipped downstairs to the ballroom to have a look at the final set up...knowing that the mother of the bride was a flower lover, I could hardly wait for the surprise awaiting me. However, when I entered the ballroom, I thought there must be a mistake...this is not at all what she had described and not at all what I had envisioned.

These are the moments that try an event coordinator's soul. You are faced with a very interesting dilemma...to bring less than a fabulous report back to the client or remain mute. This is where "tack" is needed! When I returned to the bridal party, the MOB asked if all was perfect in the ballroom. I said that everything was in order and I would love it if she could accompany me to see the room.

There was a quick exchange of looks and the mother said she would love to join me...as soon as we hit the hallway, she asked, "WHAT is wrong?" I very calmly told her that nothing was wrong, that I just wanted her to be the first to view the reception...with some hesitation, she entered the ballroom and unfortunately my suspicions were realized.

The mother of the bride was horrified - this is NOT what she wanted. I had the floral contract in hand and what was on the order sheet was on the dining tables. The MOB just couldn't understand why this looked so different than the sample she saw in the floral shop. This was probably NOT a good time to go into the dimensions of the floral shop vs. the grandeur of the ballroom.

The centerpieces were dwarfed in this room and had this client had the advantage of seeing the table set in advance, this unpleasant moment would not have happened. Luckily, we were ahead of schedule and I called the florist to have them return and ADD to the flowers - I managed to calm the MOB's fears that this was a lost cause, after all, it was time for the ceremony and all things neede to be put into perspective quickly!

Upon returning from the ceremony, there had been improvements made to the centerpieces but still not "the vision" the client had hoped for. The moment of floral panic was the only little glitch in the wedding day and one that could have easily been avoided! 

A table preview in the space it will be set...priceless!