Wedding Florist Contract for Proposals & Free Florist Quote Template
I did a little dance because I booked new wedding clients. Hooray! That’s worth celebrating, right?
I thought they were a good fit because my wedding planner friend referred this couple to me. At first everything was great, and the budget was a reasonable $5000 for flowers. I worked up a quote for their flowers, included everything they requested, and they signed the wedding flower contract right away.
I didn’t see a single red flag from this sweet couple who seemed excited to book me as their florist.
A few months later my wedding planner friend called me and said, “I quit being that couple’s wedding planner. They were unreasonable and I knew there was no way I could make them happy.” I was shocked to say the least. I had a walkthrough scheduled with this couple in just a few days and this abrupt change put me on high alert.
Walkthrough day arrives in mid-August, and I stand there under the blazing Texas sun listening closely to the laundry list of additional floral designs my now very difficult wedding client is demanding to add onto her florist contract while insisting we do not increase the budget by a single cent.
As I stood there, sweating more over the conversation than the sweltering heat, I thought to myself, “this is going to be the first wedding contract I cancel in my entire career.”
I did some quick math and realized that this $5,000 wedding contract is about to become a $25,000 one with all the additions the client is requesting, so I calmy say “these add-ons are going to take you up to $25k for the floral designs, are you good with that budget?”
Absolutely not was the sharp answer I received. “I’ve got $5,000 to spend so make it happen within that amount” she said. I attempt to reason with the mother-of the bride, but she looks me dead in the eyes and says, “Can’t you just give her what she wants for $5k?”
That’s a hard no, mom. I cannot sell you a Ferrari for the price of a Toyota.
And this true story is a great example of why we all need wedding florist contracts.
Crafting a contract is not a glamorous part of being a florist, in fact it’s important to hire a professional attorney to review and approve your contract, but it is an essential part of business that you can’t afford to overlook.
Here are some key reasons why requiring your clients to sign a wedding florist contract is a smart move.
Set and manage expectations
Protect your creative vision
Manage revisions and changes
Limit liability
Secure payments
Professional dispute resolution
Contracts are a formality, and it might feel strange to get formal with your clients, but contracts are the foundation for healthy business relationships with your clients. I like to look at it like this: a contract offers my clients the opportunity to understand my parameters and my boundaries. And if I was a client, I would expect a contract for something as important as my wedding flowers.
I am not an attorney, and this blog post is not legal advice. So I highly recommend working with an attorney to draft a wedding florist contract that addresses crucial topics like the ones we will cover below and is unique to your business.
With a sound contract in place, you can focus on providing great service and gorgeous floral designs!
So let’s dive into the details of wedding florist contracts and provide you a free florist quote template too.
Table of Contents:
What belongs in a Wedding Florist Contract?
Example of a Wedding Florist Contract
Free Florist Quote Template
Pricing Software to Help with Proposals
What belongs in a Florist Contract?
A well-crafted florist contract is typically made up of the following essential elements:
1. Contact Information: Clearly state the names and contact details of both you and your clients. I also recommend getting an emergency contact just in case.
2. Services and Pricing: Provide a detailed breakdown of the services you'll be offering, including the arrangements or categories of items you’ll provide, and any additional services like setup or tear-down. Specify the agreed-upon pricing for each item and the total cost. This portion of the contract is often referred to as the florist quote or proposal and I’ll be sharing a free florist quote template with you later in this post!
3. Deposit (a.k.a. Retainer) and Payment Terms: Outline the deposit or retainer amount required to secure your services and the payment schedule for the remaining balance. Also include the forms of payment you accept and any penalties for late payments. I recommend having an attorney advice you on the best wording for the payments portion of your contract.
4. Cancellation and Refund Policy: Clearly define your cancellation and refund policy, including any fees or deadlines. An important note is that most wedding florist payments are non-refundable because of the work involved in planning the florals.
5. Delivery and Setup Details: Specify the date, time, and venue for delivery and setup, as well as any specific instructions or requirements. This is an important section to have your clients confirm correct information because you don’t want to show up on the wrong day or arrive at the wrong location!
6. Liability and Damage: Outline your liability and responsibility for any damages that may occur during the event.
7. Force Majeure: This protects you in case of unforeseen events or circumstances beyond your control that may prevent you from fulfilling your obligations.
8. Signatures: Include spaces for both you and your clients to sign and date the contract to make it a legally binding agreement.
Example of a Wedding Florist Contract
To help you get started, I highly recommend Alison Ellis of Real Flower Business because she is an expert floral educator, has many years of experience working with other florists, and offers a wedding contract template that you can use as a starting point for your contract when working with your attorney.
Here’s a link to her wedding florist contract page with the details about her template.
And because Alison is an EveryStem member she has generously offered a $10 discount to EveryStem blog readers! Checkout using this link to purchase the Real Flower Business wedding florist contract template for only $89.00 today!
Alison’s wedding florist contract covers the essential elements mentioned above. She can answer any questions you have about her template and has lots of helpful information on her blog too!
She’s not only a florist coach. Alison is also a wedding florist and an active EveryStem member who loves using the software to price new designs for her wedding proposals. And she understands the importance of having a solid contract!
Free Florist Quote Template
Creating professional and visually appealing quote templates can be a time-consuming task, but it's crucial for making a great first impression on potential clients.
At EveryStem, we've got you covered with our free florist quote template.
You can customize this template with Canva for free. You’ll need to create a Canva account here first if you don’t have one. Login to your Canva account and make a copy of our free florist quote template today!
Here’s an example of the Reception Page.
Our user-friendly template allows you to easily customize it with your branding, pricing, and service details, ensuring a consistent and polished look for all your proposals.
Florist Pricing Software to Help with Proposals
One of the most challenging aspects of running a floral business is accurately pricing your services. Pricing for a profit starts at the proposal stage. And that's where EveryStem florist software comes in handy. EveryStem is the only software in our industry that focuses solely on accurately pricing and ordering your flowers!
The EveryStem summary page preview below shows how the software rolls up the total number of flowers you need to order for every wedding and clearly displays your profit margin percentage along with other important financials.
With our intuitive florist pricing software, you can easily calculate the cost of flowers and supplies so that your proposals are profitable. Say goodbye to the guesswork when pricing your wedding proposals and hello to confident, well-informed pricing decisions with EveryStem software.
At EveryStem, we're dedicated to providing you with the tools and resources you need to succeed in the floral industry. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, our software and resources are designed to streamline your business operations and help you deliver exceptional service to your clients while making a healthy profit for yourself!
Don't miss out on this opportunity to join hundreds of wedding florists who are using EveryStem regularly to increase profits and streamline their proposal process by calculating their prices accurately with EveryStem on every wedding proposal.
Our wedding florist members are saying some amazing things about using EveryStem.
"You've really created a great tool for florists. It's cut my time in half for preparing proposals.” -Veronica, Tilted Tulip Floristry
“EveryStem is absolutely a Godsend! I have saved hours of time and feel completely in control of my profitability!” -Hylary, H and J Flowers
EveryStem Pricing Software
It allows you to confidently price your floral designs for a profit and build your flower orders in minutes, not hours. Finally makes flower recipes and wholesale orders easy!
- ✔ Pricing & Stem Calculator
- ✔ Profit & Budget Tracker
- ✔ Easy Wholesale ordering!
- ✔ Customizable Flower Library
- ✔ Create and Repurpose Flower Recipes
- ✔ Florist Business Coaching & Support
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: I am not an attorney, and the information in this blog post is not legal advice.
The author nor EveryStem is liable for any losses or damages related to the content in this post. If you need specific legal advice, consult with an attorney.