1. Make an inventory of the whole event
List every floral job: bridal and attendant bouquets, personal flowers, ceremony pieces, aisle décor, table centerpieces, signage, and other venue accents. Record quantities, dimensions, viewing angles, and where pieces may be moved or reused during the event. Identify which elements will be finished products and which will be assembled from stems. For a business handling several weddings, keep each event's commitments visible before combining common products into a larger sourcing request.
For personal flowers, use the wedding bouquet sourcing brief to distinguish finished pieces from stems for your own assembly.
2. Build one representative arrangement
Choose the proposed vessel or installation area, then make a sample at the intended size. Record each flower reference, color, usable stem count, greenery quantity, and assembly materials. Check the design from the distance guests and the photographer will see it. A flower-head diameter on a listing does not determine an entire arrangement's coverage: angle, spacing, other blooms, and vessel dimensions all change the result. Photograph the approved sample and keep a written recipe alongside it.
3. Convert recipes into an order worksheet
Multiply the stems in each approved recipe by the number of arrangements. Then combine quantities for products shared across designs. Keep personal flowers, venue pieces, and any replacement stock as separate lines until the totals are checked. Convert stem counts into the supplier's actual selling units: a multi-head spray, a bunch, and a single stem are different units. Make your additional allowance explicit, based on your team's experience and the project risks, rather than applying an unsupported universal percentage.
Compare bulk artificial flower stems by usable stems and selling units before multiplying the recipe.
4. Approve color and finishing details
Review the exact colors and finishes you intend to use. Compare them with the venue, attire, linens, and other styling elements under useful lighting. For finished bouquets, inspect the handle, binding, underside, and back as well as the front. Confirm whether ribbons, vases, holders, or accessories are included. Record which substitutions are acceptable and which details cannot change. Similar color names across two listings do not guarantee a coordinated physical match.
5. Check the installation and handling plan
Work with the person assembling the pieces to assess trimming, bending, fastening, support, and transport. Overhead and large installations need appropriate structural support and an installation review; floral stems should not be treated as structural components. If flowers will be outdoors or in a venue with specific fire or material requirements, request relevant product evidence before approval. For a rental collection, test your actual cleaning, repacking, and reuse process rather than assuming wedding suitability establishes repeated-use durability.
6. Work backward from the receiving deadline
Set a date for goods to be received, inspected, and ready for preparation. Keep that separate from the wedding date. Include time for samples, design revisions, written quotation approval, confirmed supply, transit, customs where applicable, and local delivery. Ask for a current schedule for the selected references and quantities. Confirm both the dispatch estimate and the expected receiving schedule in writing before committing to the order.
7. Compare quotes and packaging on equal terms
Request a line-by-line quote identifying product references, variants, selling units, quantities, and the delivery basis. Confirm minimums and any differences from your brief. Ask how flower heads and finished bouquets will be protected, whether reshaping is required, and how many cartons the order will occupy. Include unpacking, inspection, storage, and assembly in your own labor plan. The lowest product price may not produce the lowest project cost if usable quantities, preparation work, or freight volume differ.
8. Submit one complete, traceable inquiry
Include your product list, quantity worksheet, destination, latest receiving date, sample needs, and a concise description of the project. Use the Inquiry List to keep published product references and quantities together; describe any unlisted accessories or custom requirements in the form. Ask for written confirmation of availability, commercial terms, and any deviations before proceeding. Keep the final specification and approved samples together so the people placing the order, receiving it, and building the florals work from the same information.
Once the worksheet is ready, request a wholesale quote with your selected references, quantities, destination, and receiving deadline.