This is what cheeses me off!!!

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Flame

Flame

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Aug 26, 2007
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redcliffecityflorist.com.au
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I had a bride today who's colours of her roses we all the wrong colour when she got them. She said they were nothing like we discussed and is very upset!!! We had talked about the roses...we had chosen the colours together and this is what I get!!! What on EARTH can you do with these people when they are SO crazy. I do not understand how people can lose perspective on things that are so unimportant. I did not kill her father, cut the rose heads off and give them to her nor did I spray paint her car with pink poker dots....do you guys get this as well or does it just happen to me??? And how come just like Rick said in the other post about "suing the florist" is the florist ALWAYS to blame and ends up the one getting the bad reputation instead of the customer just being a nasty head???
 
Wow, really good rant. :) You have said things I have thought... it's a colour, not a national emergency where lives have been lost.

However, some brides tend to lose any and all perspective it seems. They believe the press Bridezilla gets. Afterall it is "their" day and they want perfection. I've honestly never understood that concept.

Like I said in the other thread, when I was working with brides (never had a bad one by the way), I told them we were always at the mercy of Mother Nature and whatever higher power they believed in. We had a range of colour to work within. If when the flowers came in and I felt they were suspect, I would call the bride and have her come in... four eyes and all of that. She always approved of what came in.

I'm very very glad I'm not doing weddings anymore after reading these threads.

V
 
Sorry for your troubles. Never a good feeling. We all put our heart & soul into our work.
Yes the girls have very high expectations for this day. Rightly so.

Did you sell the roses by name & did she come in & look at them ahead of time? Seems that the pictures & websites the girls are using can be unreliable colorwise. Some I would say are photo shop color enhanced, so Its important to show them the actual flower.

I call it "Bridzilla Radar".
When they start talking about a "pinky peach" or "Peachy pink". a "dark red but not burgundy". "orange but not too bright" OYE VA!
..Radar goes off....I'll first try to determine through satin ribbons ( & dress swatch of course) where to start. Then we can determine which rose ( By Name ) to order in. This works for me.

I never want to hear from a Bride on Monday morning that I ruined her day.....so I'll take any precaution I can for my own peace of mind....Hope my 2 cents helps.

Fchatters, is it your shop policy to sell roses by the name?

Make it a great day!
Debbie
 
Talk about picky!!....

in "reverse".....
A while back, we "chose" to forgo doing weddings completely....we had had, a run of 3 or 4 bridezillas, and had enough.
THEN, it dawned on us.....WE could do the weddings that WE wanted to, and DIDN'T have to cater to brides, their moms, their MIL, their neighbours, their cousins, their aunts, if we didn't want to!!
We DON'T entertain the thought of taking on all comers, and NOW, we are CLEAR about our weddings.....we want a price range, we want a colour scheme, and we want a deposit, FIRST time around.
ONLY the bride makes her choices, ONLY the bride has the final say, and ONLY the bride, we need to deal with!!
Can we get the flowers in the picture, from Martha Stewart in 2009, in the EXACT colours GUARANTEED.....NO GUARANTEES!!
Don't like it....walk.....
Had 2 "troublemakers" since, and they had their flower needs met elsewhere...don't care where!!
You are NOT alone in your "assumptions" that weddings are high stress, little reward , BUT, those that you DO get raving reviews about, are MORE than worth it!!
 
Debij said:
Fchatters, is it your shop policy to sell roses by the name?
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No, not really. And we're seeing girls asking for more variety than the all rose wedding of the past couple of years. I will notate the name of a specific varitey - for my use on internal shop notes about the event. If for some reason it's not available in time for the event, I'll find the best substitute in the closest color. We've begun telling brides that there is a silght variation in most roses, lilies, callas - that we'll choose the best shading to complement the decor and choices made.

You have to inform these chickies that shades vary, and come as close as you can to their choices. Talk with your wholesaler right after the consult and find out names that are similar to her original choice, so you can have that at the ready if the 1st choice is not available.

I used to be "afraid" of the brides who came in and said "just do whatever you want" in a particular shade, with a particular style choice (blossomy/wispy hand tied/cascade/arm bouquet). Now I love those girls! For a while, it was once or twice a year - now it seems to be every other girl says it. Truly, those are our nicest bouquets, and the first photos in our portfolio are of those "designer choice" weddings.

tracy
 
We try not to sell by the name of the rose.It is too specific and invites trouble if you have any issues that come up, like bad flowers or late deliveries of product. Our contract covers substitutions, as well. My contract is based closely on the one that Tina Stoeker, AIFD, hands out at her symposiums. I got so much from hearing her speak and looking over her contract ideas. Another concept she promotes is having the bride be able to view the wedding flowers the day before. It is built into our contracts now that you can view your wedding flowers by appt. the afternoon before the wedding. Slight alterations/additions can be made at that time. Any problems can be addressed. It took the pressure of my shop and staff, it relieves the "performance anxiety" I get before delivering and servicing the wedding, and if she doesn't show she can't complain!! The absolute best thing I have ever done for myself, my shop, and my staff regarding weddings.
You should try to see Tina's shows and I also highly recommend Sharon McGurkin, AIFD, as well who puts on a classy show packed with info and ideas. She promotes selling by color and style and not by specific flower for weddings and events.
Seeing these two women gave me a completely new perspective on wedding work, and helped to give me some focus and direction and what I wanted to accomplish with my wedding business. Best money I have ever spent on education so far!
 
Show the girls their flowers before the wedding. They love the star treatment, and will alleviate color problems. I also do not hesitate to spray a blossom for a sample, if needed.
 
Hey "flame"..

Sorry to read your post... What a @@@@ty day for you.....

My motto is.. "you can't please 100% of the People 100% of the time" -


Try and learn from this and move on. Ultimatly this will make you a better florist in the long run...

Brides do have very high expectations and unfortunatly this can be our undoing as well tryng to please them.. A couple of things....I am way TOO honest in any consultation, I tell them the truth...The colours are never the same in real life than in a picture, there are ALWAYS colour variations during different seasons and NO, there is a slight chance that the particular flower you want may not be available, so therefore I am NOT willing to guarantee it until then and so forth.... It may loose me a few bookings, but Hey, I know I will sleep better when the time comes.. Some Weddings are just not worth the stress, You can usually "weed" the nutcases during the consultation and the problems end there and some other sucker can deal with them - it worth it for your Sanity.!!!

An old Florist told me years ago ( she also did lots of Weddings) about one of her brides insisted on 'approving" her bouquet the night before.. The particular florist was working for someone else at the time and her and her boss met with the Bride on the eve of the Wedding.. well She HATED it.. screamed at them to change this and that etc.. Well after the bride left the Florist Being very upset, went about making the changes, WELL, the boss lady refused to let her do it, saying that the bouquet was EXACTLY what she ordered, it was beautiful and that was what she was getting.... On the Wedding Day, they both went to deliver it, The Bride was over the moon, Saying it was just perfect, thank you SO much etc etc.. they couldn't believe it.......:boggles:

Talk soon..........
 
hahaha thanks Boss...I KNEW IT!!!! Thats why I thought I was getting everyone's dodgey brides hahaha:)
Yeah she booked the wedding a little over 7 months ago....At the time we had seen what colour she had chosen and she came into the shop and then we went for a wedding consultation. What lesson I have learnt was time changes things when a bride has chosen flowers a long time ago and they tend to forget. I don't because I am working with them all the time. I am not a expert at weddings, nor have I been doing it for years and years, but every time I have a bride that complains....which is not very often...( to be honest it would be 3 this year out of around 30 ) I learn something when they complain...which is really sad but sometimes the only way you can see things you couldn't before.

My fav brides are the ones that let me do anything, just like you Tracey. I say to them...' Right when you don't want to spend much money and your budget is tight...the only choice you get to have with your flowers is your colours. I decide what flowers I can use but you have the choice of what colours you would like to have' they ALWAYS turn out to be the best bouquets. The PROBLEM though I have with that is how to price them??

And thanks Ivygreen, I will have to google those ladies because I have never heard of them before. It will be interesting what they have to say because I never even THOUGHT of having a contact....wow thats up there!!!
 
No, you are NOT the only one...!

we had a bride this summer who chose creams with us - actually saw the product in the shop = shop light - gave her ok there - but once in daylight decided that the cream was not the cream she really had wanted.....I would say people loose perspective sometimes on what is essential in life and what is not and most above all - they forget that we are dealing with a NATURAL product...I would suggest that people today are totally influenced by the " PERFECT IMAGES" OF THE ADVERTISING WORLD WHICH WE ARE CONSTANTLY BRAIN WASHED BY .....and it always should be pointed out that the actual NATURAL Product might not resemble the photo with all the high tech lighting..etc.....

Flame said:
I had a bride today who's colours of her roses we all the wrong colour when she got them. She said they were nothing like we discussed and is very upset!!! We had talked about the roses...we had chosen the colours together and this is what I get!!! What on EARTH can you do with these people when they are SO crazy. I do not understand how people can lose perspective on things that are so unimportant. I did not kill her father, cut the rose heads off and give them to her nor did I spray paint her car with pink poker dots....do you guys get this as well or does it just happen to me??? And how come just like Rick said in the other post about "suing the florist" is the florist ALWAYS to blame and ends up the one getting the bad reputation instead of the customer just being a nasty head???
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Flame, I spelled the two instructors names incorrectly. They are Tina Stoecker, and Sharon McGukin, both are on the AIFD website and listed under officers. The AIFD website is also showing a wedding seminar that is coming soon. Check it out. It's late to try to get in now, but they do this occasionally, so keep checking back.
 
Bluebellinata said:
I would say people loose perspective sometimes on what is essential in life and what is not and most above all - they forget that we are dealing with a NATURAL product...I would suggest that people today are totally influenced by the " PERFECT IMAGES" OF THE ADVERTISING WORLD WHICH WE ARE CONSTANTLY BRAIN WASHED BY ......
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So very true. And how many of those brides look like the models in the photos after they purchase their gowns? ;)

To those of you guys that invite the bride in the day before the wedding, I think you're crazy. Once the flowers are conditioned and ready to go, if she doesn't like the rose variety, do you really have time to replace the product?
 
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showing wedding flowers before wedding.

I agree with Cathy about not inviting the bride in the day before the wedding to view her flowers. I did this many years ago and finally realized that they seem to have all kinds of time on their hands that day and feel like maybe it is part of the contract to find something they would like to change. They are in an unusual emotional state and what they see could affect them in many ways that they normanlly wouldn't do.

If they are really picky about colors or something, I do let them come in the day the flowers arrive and before I start designing them. Then, there is time to reorder and still get them in on time. But, even this, I do not encourage....only use it in extreme situations. +

I have dealt with so many brides over the years, and almost all of them absolutely love it when they get to the church and see the flower in place for the first time. They certainly don't have time to say....please remake this or that. What they see is what they get. The emotional timing is crucial.
At that point, eveything is beautiful and they don't have a minute to nickpick.
Carol Bice
 
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Yeah I must admit I am also leaning towards the ' don't show the bride the flowers before her big day'. When ordered there would be nothing I could do really about it unless I chase up all the growers/wholesalers and that is something that I really do not want to be doing twice!!! Bride's are definately an emotional wreck and they are really the last person I want to see or even talk to about their flowers....so much can go wrong. BUT I do however give them a call after I have finished and ensure them that the flowers are perfect and to wish them a wonderful day.
I just find it funny when a bride has been ' dreaming about this day all of her life' and when something goes wrong its ruin the WHOLE thing! It almost seems like the groom is just a sidekick who looks nice in a suit hahaha:rofl:
 
color not name

Brides can be bad...but so can their mothers and mother-in-laws. We have found that if they are more than difficult at the consultations we add on extra money for the hassel with hope that they don't book with us....amazing what an additional $500 or $1000 can do. I had one mom that insisted that I give her my notes and I told her that it is our policy to just give her our quote and not our private notes. I know that she was florist shopping and would take the information to the next one, as her daughter let it slip that they had just come from a local competititor. She wasn't happy. Ironically they booked us and the additional $1000 on her bill calmed my nerves with thought that she would be the type that would want another rose flown in the day before because she had changed her mind.... Ironically they bought extra roses in bulk from their big-city home town for tables and were told they were "anna roses." We delivered everything...they were happy as clams...until they got to the reception and saw their hideous bright hot pink roses that the aunts had put on the tables. The mom turned to me and said, "I guess we should have had you do these flowers, too." I smiled and said, "Enjoy the night. Your daughter is happily married and she carried a beautiful bouquet. She is truly a beautiful bride" and then left. They told everyone about the great beautiful flowers and over the board service we provided! We no longer give the name of the rose we are using. We talk color not name.
 
And - I'm betting you got credit for the Anna roses as well.

Who's gonna tell they did part of it themselves to the guests?
 
I completely agree with those of you who have the brides view their flowers the day before the wedding. While a small percentage might have you change something or add to it, it is so worth working an extra hour to make it right, then to deliver the flowers and have them complain at the event. There would be no time to correct anything and your name would be mud. You also have an opportunity to get more $$$ if they decide they want their bouquet larger.

If you think dealing with a difficult bride is bad, wait until her entire wedding hears about what a terrible job you did.

You cannot please everyone but if you are upfront with a bride, give everything in writing, have the flowers reviewed before delivery, and had everything delivered on time and in great condition, you can go home at night knowing you did everything in your power to make it as perfect as possible.

The point is, it IS their day. It IS their flowers. It is YOUR reputation.
 
Totally Agree With That!!!

Yes, not much one can actually change about the order only ONE day before the wedding! :~)

CHR said:
So very true. And how many of those brides look like the models in the photos after they purchase their gowns? ;)

To those of you guys that invite the bride in the day before the wedding, I think you're crazy. Once the flowers are conditioned and ready to go, if she doesn't like the rose variety, do you really have time to replace the product?
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I don't believe I'm crazy. Having the panicky bride come in prior always worked for me.

V
 
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