Flower farmer, florist, floral designer… What’s the difference? Flowers are typically one of the larger expenses on your wedding day and your florals are front and center in the majority of the visuals that you’ll look back on for decades! That is why it is so important to hire a trustworthy floral vendor. Well, today on Wedding Secrets Unveiled!, Mia Iannotti is here to help you navigate the nuances of the floral industry. A flower farmer and floral designer herself, Mia explains the differences and shares her tips on how to find the professional that is the best fit for you, your big day, and your budget!
Meet Mia.
I’m from Rhode Island, Coventry to be exact. My family has been in the floral industry since 1875. Believe it or not, my grandparents owned two greenhouses and two flower shops. My family has two flower shops in Rhode Island. When the pandemic came around, we noticed that shipping costs went up. Everything was going up and we couldn’t get our florals from Holland. Shipments just stopped. And I own a plot of land with my family, so I decided I was going to start to grow our own florals as much as we can. We cleared about an acre and a half of land, and I began to grow flowers. I drove my significant other crazy but now I’m growing these flowers for weddings and events. I supply our flower shop and a few local florists.
Right now, I grow Zinnias, dahlias, snapdragons, ranunculus, tulips – really anything that will grow in this climate. It’s been taking off. It’s a lot of work, but the blooms are amazing. And I’ve noticed that people booking their weddings are actually reaching out to me to grab farm flowers, versus them going to florists and having florists do it. Couples are looking for those local blooms and they seem to be enjoying it. So that’s what I’ve been up to. I think everyone thought I was nuts at first.
Because well, you are… but that’s okay.
When I say I’m going to do something, I pretty much do it. I’ve already made up my mind in my head – there’s no going back. Next thing you know, I had to cut down 100 trees. We had skid steers and a commercial excavator. It was a whole undertaking. I had to get dump trucks for compost and soil. But, I had a really good first year and the flowers were amazing. This year, I have so many things planned already. Thankfully, I always have the luxury of getting flowers from other places if I needed. Some farms don’t have that luxury. But I always tell my brides not to panic – even if bad weather happens, you can’t judge Mother Nature.
Yes. And, and all joking aside, COVID pivoted a lot of businesses. Your family has been in the floral industry for decades. But you had an idea and made it a reality.
People don’t realize where their flowers are coming from: they’re coming from all over Holland, Costa Rica but often, they’re not locally grown. But that’s the reality. Flowers aren’t cheap because of it – and couples constantly come in saying they want a Vogue wedding on a Walmart budget. It’s just not possible. I don’t think people realize how much goes into a crop of flowers.
That leads into my first question: what’s a realistic budget for flowers?
What a real realistic budget is honestly depends on the person. I won’t take a floral job under $2500. But the costs are just different based on your wedding. How many people are coming? Will you have flowers on your table and how many tables? How many people in the wedding party or in your family that need flowers? Do you want an arbor decorated – and if so, how elaborately? Oftentimes, people don’t realize just how many flowers are needed for those big installations you see. They’re beautiful, but they don’t get how many roses it actually takes.
So, it sounds like a minimum of $2500 probably. How do you work through a budget for flowers with a couple?
Well, my first initial conversation is to get to know them and ask them exactly what it is that they have for a budget. If they don’t know yet, then we start talking about their wedding: the number of people, table numbers, their ceremony site, and such. We also talk about the flowers they like. Each flower has a different cost. Peonies are expensive. Carnations are cheap.
If somebody comes to you and says they have X amount for their budget, can you tell them what kind of flowers they can afford?
Sure. We’ll look at it and adjust what they have available and what will work cost wise. There are so many things you can do to still create beautiful looks for your florals. People don’t realize how expensive flowers really are. They’ll just come to me and say, “Oh, I see this picture in this magazine and this is what I want”, which is fine – but your budget might not suit that. So, we’ll talk about ways to create a less expensive but similar look, by supplementing with a Zinnia or something instead of a rose or peony.
And then if they’re local to the area, obviously they can speak with you. But if they’re not local, they can search out their other floral farmers. One of the things you said earlier is if they reach out with enough time, the farmer may be able to grow the flowers of their choice.
Right, but I don’t know that all flower farms are grower designers. Being a florist and being a designer is completely different than being a flower farmer. I’ve just happened to be lucky because I was already a florist who took on growing. Some people just don’t have the time. They may just be a flower farm that will hand you the bucket of flowers.
So definitely two totally different situations and you actually can do both. Let’s go back to pricing for a minute – is it actually less expensive to get smaller centerpieces? I hear that a lot.
Again, that depends on the flower that you choose. I can build you a big centerpiece with carnations and zinnias instead of dahlias and peonies that’s cheaper.
So the size doesn’t matter as much as the flowers in the arrangement. What about greenery?
Greenery isn’t so bad. Greenery isn’t super pricy. Eucalyptus can be pricy, but not all of it is. Honestly, it’s just really not where your costs are. But again, it depends because if you told me to do a garland of eucalyptus, now you’re talking about time. Now I have to twine a whole garland for each and every table. Now you’re putting in my time on top of the cost because those are all hand tied, I promise you.
What happens if a couple comes in and they don’t know what they want? Where do you begin?
That’s exactly where I would come in. I would show them an example of something and see what they think or liked in that example. I understand that no one knows the florist lingo. So that’s why we talk about how to get the look with other flowers. No one knows it’s a less expensive flower. Anyway, we’d start by looking at the budget. Then we can start figuring out what they might want. Remember with flowers, no one is jacking up the price because you’re getting married. Growing flowers right costs money – and so does designing them the way that you want. You’re paying for someone’s time and experience, too.
What do you say to a couple who wants a specific flower, but it’s not actually in season?
I advise highly against trying to get a flower out of season, because you’re going to pay very, very high end for that. I mean, if you’re dead set on that on that flower, sure – go for it. But there’s always so many other gorgeous options that you can supplement with.
What sets you apart by being a floral farmer and a designer?
So, the main difference is that I’m able to grow what you want if you give me enough notice (like a year). I’m able to grow varieties of flowers and your color combinations specifically for your wedding. For example, if you want dahlias – I know they bloom from July through November, so we can plan around that.
I would assume that’s why couples shouldn’t wait long to book their florist, because this is one of the benefits.
Right. I wouldn’t wait to book your florist. We can only take so many weddings in one day. I only do one. wedding a day, especially if it’s a big wedding. I’ll only do one specific wedding because I’m dedicated to you for delivery. As a designer, I also have to go and set up I also have to deliver your flowers and any rentals you might need, like risers.
That’s a great tip. Couples may not realize that florists can’t do more than one wedding a day because of delivery but also because of flower stock and rentals.
So many couples don’t think about what their flowers will go in. They’ll tell me they didn’t even think about it. There’s no fault – why would you? But that all goes into the cost of your florals too – if we have to rent containers, vases, or risers. That cuts into the cost of your actual flowers, too. It’s just something to consider with your budget. It could easily be an extra $500 in containers or even extra lighting for your displays.
What is the best-case scenario of how you can collaborate with a couple for their wedding day? What would you prefer to see happen once they hire you?
I always ask them to send me a lot of images they love – on Pinterest or whatever way they’ve organized them. You’re never bothering me with ideas. In fact, the more photos I have, the better. It’s easier to understand your vision that way.
Speaking of pictures, what are you seeing for trends right now?
You know, it’s been going all over the place! I saw a lot of bohemian colors last year. But now magenta is the new color that’s out. I haven’t seen it requested yet, but I know it will be beautiful. Weddings are still sticking to that lightly muted color palette overall, though. It’s really classic and can be adapted to every season.
Let’s talk a little bit about what our listeners don’t see when it comes to florists. So, they come to you, or they hire a florist. What happens from the time that they talk with you until their wedding day?
What they don’t see is that their florist is stressed out! You don’t see what we’re doing to make the day spectacular for you. We’re still sweating it out with you, even if we’ve done it 100 times, because we want it to be perfect for you. Ahead of time, we’re designing and making sure products are a high quality for you. Sometimes flowers wilt on the way in, and we have to deal with that. Then we actually deliver and set up your installations.
We worry about every detail – it’s our job. It’s planned out in our head and we want that final show to wow you. We want you to be in love with everything that we did.
Do you have any other tips for couples?
You can’t change your color palette a month before the wedding. I already secured those flowers, and many have to be pre-ordered. So, you’re not going to be able to get what you need in the new colors. It’s basically already been executed. We plan at least a month ahead for your wedding. If it’s a simple change, that’s one thing. But major color changes just won’t happen. Sorry!
Wrap-Up Question
What are some key points that couples should be asking their flower farms when they are inquiring to make sure that they are working with a professional company to ensure that their wedding day is a perfect event?
First, not all flower farmers are designers. So, your first question is to make sure that they are a designer as well and they’re just not a grower.
Your second one is to ask them if they can grow a certain flower for you for your wedding. You want to also know what happens if something interrupts that – like a storm. Find out how they get flowers to fill your order, no matter what might occur.
Ask the minimum order for a wedding that they’ll take and additional fees. Find out if there’s a security deposit, too. Most professionals will want something non-refundable to hold your date. It’s important to know that and understand any cancellation policies, too. Finally, don’t forget to ask about delivery charges or setup fees, as well as possible travel fees.
What We Discussed
Meet Mia (2:01)
Tips for Budgeting for flowers (6:18)
Less expensive or not? (15:36)
Florist tips for planning your budget (25:53)
Wrap-Up Question (50:28)
Links Mentioned in the Episode
Find Millie’s Flower Farm at Website | Instagram | Facebook
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