Florist Contract?

I have an official contract for all of my vendors. They usually want to protect themselves. Will she give you a contract closer to the date? Are her services and your fees in writing in the emails? If so, I would just keep a copy of what you are paying and the services she will provide.

I meet with my florist durning the summer told her what I want and paid a deposit and got a receipt. A couple days later I got an email with an invoice including everything we talked about. I'm pretty confident everything will be groovy.

I'm using an "events" company for my linens, rentals and floral altogether. We don't have a long drawn out "contract" so to speak but it's more of a working invoice/purchase order, since like you said, the #'s on those things can fluctuate alot up until just a couple of weeks before the wedding. I guess it's just as good as a contract though since it itemizes everything they will provide. I'd be a bit worried too though if they didn't have at least something like that in place for you. The working invoice I have with this company is updated and sent to me each time I make any changes, reflects all costs including taxes, delivery and service charges, as well as any payments we've made and the current balance. I don't think that's too much of you to ask them to provide something like that at the very least!

She told me to send her an itemized list of what I need and that she'd come back with a breakdown of the costs. So hopefully that will suffice!

Do not give anyone a dime without a contract, signed by both of you.

A list is not a contract. Please do not learn this the hard way. The two florists I work with both use contracts. Any professional should.

We 100% had a signed contract after our first meeting. We put down the required deposit and then tweaked things before the final payment.

I don't understand why anyone - couple or vendor - would want to operate without a contract. They are binding agreements of the rights and responsibilities of both parties before, during, and after the agreement process. Seriously - get a contract or find a different vendor.

We have a signed contract that we will use the florist and states when we have to make final decisions. We also have a proposal, but the contract states that we are not required to pay for everything listed in the proposal. Our florist is held to the prices in the proposal, but if I decide I don't want something or I want to add or change something I can up until a certain date. We meet three months before to discuss what we do want. We did not give a deposit until the contract was signed.

Alright contract it is! Would it be reasonable for me to draw one up and ask that she sign it?

I had a contract with my florist. I would have gone with someone else if she refused. The contract outlined things like when she needed final numbers and payment, what would happen if either of us cancelled, prices, etc. My quote changed as I changed the number of centerpieces, etc and she updated it. Having the contract protected both of us and laid out clear expectations.

We sat down with several florists, got a quote from them. They let us pick away at the quote to the point where it was where we wanted the price to be. Got a contract and paid a deposit. Every legit florist knows you aren't going to have an exact number right away. This person sounds unprofessional. I would call or sit down with a florist, get everything down, get a quote and then get a contract.

We got a signed contract from everyone. In our florist contract it states that the numbers listed are a quote subject to change by our final numbets, since that will determine how many centerpieces we need but that the quote was based on the 13 tables we estimated at the time.

Have you given her any money OP? If not, tell her you don't feel comfortable without a contract and that either she can draft one or you can and she what she says. That's less abrasive that drawing one up and asking her to sign in on the spot. There is a chance she won't want to work with you because 'she doesn't do contracts', but your better off not working with her if she refuses to draw up or let you draw up a contract.

I did a deposit but it was very small. If I end up having to walk I won't be upset about losing that money. However, she has been very professional and helpful and she has great reviews. When I meet with her in a few weeks (we live long distance from our wedding location) I'll let her know that I would prefer working under a contract. I have a feeling she'll be fine with that, she didn't indicate that she never does contracts, just that it's not typical. Thanks for the feedback all! Anything I should be sure the contract includes? Edited for clarity.

Edited: my experience was exactly what Centerpiece said in her post. Based on her post, I'm changing what I wrote. I would say to find a different florist that will provide you with a contract without you having to ask for one.

No,you can't write her contract. The fact that she doesn't have one at all is a little worrysome; what happens if there is a hurricane? If your count is cut in half? If your venue goes out of business and you have to move 50 miles away? If the white peonies look like crap when they come in?

I hope Centerpiece will chime in.

*technically* if she gave you a list of what she'd provide and a price, and you accepted with an initial payment, you have an enforceable contract for just those things identified. However, if you want to change quantities, it's unclear if pricing is guaranteed, what obligations each party has in the event of cancellation, and so forth. So as other posters have said, a complete written agreement is advised. I've yet to encounter a vendor that doesn't want a signed contract, so this surprises me a lot.

As event florists, we will not design for anyone without a legitimate contract in place (a very detailed contract). It doesn't just protect the bride, it also protects the florist. Lists, design plans, and emails will definitely become a part of the client's file, but they are no substitute for an executed contract.

Many changes happen during a design process, and floral artistry is a design process. Before we meet with a bride at her consult, she's already filled out a very detailed questionnaire that includes a budget range she's comfortable with. We get a general idea of how many pieces she wants (which will definitely change). We ask her to send any inspiration pics she may have. At the first consult, we're armed with a lot of information about her taste, vision, and a general idea of what she plans to spend. The purpose of the consult is to explain to her how we can bring her budget and vision together. Most of our deals our sealed at that first consult, so we send her home with a contract, tell her to read it thoroughly, sign it and send it back with a deposit (then we counter-sign it and send her a copy).

It's virtually impossible to make the contract look like a purchase order. If we did that, the contract would be amended over and over (there are that many changes along the way). The contract is what establishes the business relationship we've all entered into. It addresses responsibilities -- our responsibilities and her responsibilities, not stem counts and cylinder vases. Without a contract, a bride could be hit with fees she never thought of asking about (like delivery fees, set-up/break down fees, and taxes).

Honestly, I don't think it's a florist thing to work without a contract; I think it's more of an amateur thing. They may do beautiful design work, but they aren't running a business correctly if there is no proof that a meeting of the minds ever happened. It really is the step that legitimizes the client/vendor relationship.

Definetly have a contract with each and every vendor including the florists. My contract with the florists is extremely detailed.

Get a contract! I did not and when my flowers were wrong and the florist was a horrible bitch to me, I had no way to defend my request for a partial refund.