What is the difference between a Florist and a Floral Designer?
We are often asked “Are you a real florist?” which is usually followed by the question “What is a floral designer?” Both terms are used in the wedding world and you can be both a Florist and a Floral Designer but it can often leave couples truly confused and wondering what the difference really is. Let me explain the difference between florist vs floral designer below!
Designing a blush bridal bouquet
What is a floral designer?
This is a newer term so we wanted to start here so you can understand what this means first! The term “Floral Designer” is used to describe artists who specialize in using flowers to create one-of-a-kind floral pieces for WEDDINGS, parties or events. The floral designs tend to be unique and custom to what the client wants. This process is different from a traditional florist shop because you have to order the flowers in advance, prep them and make sure they are at their absolute BEST for wedding day. They don’t need to last a week; they need to be GORGEOUS for that one day!
This takes A LOT of planning and prep work to time it all just right for the design to be its best on wedding day. Floral Designers are also involved with the overall design of your wedding. They are interested in the linen colors, the candles, and all the little details working together with the flowers! A lot of Floral Designers also have inventory you can rent that makes the entire vision come alive. Think Arches, Candles, Vases, and tabletop accessories to make it beautiful and cohesive! A lot of Floral Designers will have studios out of their own home and not an actual storefront you can go visit. A perk of hiring a Floral Designer is they usually include all of the labor for day of delivery, set up and tear down!
So lets go over the pros and cons!
Pros:
- Main focus is weddings or events;
- Has knowledge about the logistics that go into wedding day delivery/set up/tear down;
- Has inventory you can rent
Cons:
- May not have a commercial store front;
May not always have flowers in their cooler at all times
Our floral designer Stephen creating a lush blush bridal bouquet
If you call yourself a Floral Designer some people may ask “Does someone else make the flowers and then you just design them at the wedding?” Nope! A Floral Designer is involved from the beginning to end and is the true “Wedding Florist”!
What is a Florist?
A Florist is a person or business that sells, arranges plants, and cuts flowers. Okay…but that sounds just like a Floral Designer?! So what is the difference between a florist vs. floral designer?
The main difference is Florists generally have a physical storefront, have a range of stock design styles (not custom) that they use over and over when creating and delivering arrangements on a DAILY BASIS. Their arrangements are usually made to last a week so when you first get your flowers they are not all the way open. Most florists do daily deliveries for birthdays and special occasions such as valentines day and/or mothers day. They will also do a lot of funeral work but not necessarily specialize in weddings. They usually always have a storefront but that doesn’t mean they have the team to deliver, set up, and tear down for a wedding. If you are looking for truly custom flowers for your wedding make sure the florist has the capabilities to handle all the logistics that comes with weddings!
Custom Bridal Bouquet designed by A Beautiful Themes floral designer Stephen
So is a Floral Designer a real Florist? Yes! Is a Florist a Floral Designer? Yes they can be! Anyone working in a Florist shop who is designing flowers is considered a Floral Designer!
Still have questions? Contact us and we will be more than happy to answer any questions you have! Just know A Beautiful Theme has a team of Floral Designers and we can be YOUR Wedding Florist!
