Florist -vs- Amateur

There are major reasons for going with a professional Florist:  Flowers last longer because of the way we cut the stems, the conditioners we put in the water, storage conditions, tools of the trade that help flowers maintain their shape, products we use on blossoms that help keep them hydrated,  treatment needs of each kind of flower, artistic design skills, etc.

Sometimes, it takes me up to a week of preping flowers before I use them for a wedding.  I have a cooler that does not store fruit or vegetables and I have filters that remove CO2 to prolong the life of flowers.  There is a humidity control unit in my cooler.  Also, there is an amazing amount of 'invisible' supplies that are used to create bouquets and arrangements.  It can take up to two weeks of labor to produce a large wedding.  Most often, we do not charge for all of the prep-labor.

Going to a wedding and seeing Hydrangea's wilt before the wedding even begins makes me very sad!  Aunt Sylvia didn't know that Hydrangea's have to be treated with extra T.L.C., which professionals do know.  Please, just make sure that whomever is going to design your wedding flowers has done their homework.