The best way to find a wedding florist? You’ll want to start with getting recommendations from friends or the venue you’ve chosen to work with, and then cross-reference with a local search for the best vendors in your area. If you’re planning to wed at a hotel or reception hall, ask for the names of florists who have worked with weddings there before and photos if they have them.

Once you’ve gathered a list of potential wedding florists you’d like to meet, make appointments to interview each of them. You won’t be able to walk in unexpectedly and receive the florist’s undivided attention so don’t plan to do this all in one day. Try to provide as much information as possible to the florist when you’re meeting with them. For example, say you’re looking for pastel blooms in your price range, instead of saying “I’m want spring-inspired centerpieces,� show them lots of photos of arrangements and flowers that you like and ones that you don’t. It will be very helpful to the florist, and will give them a good idea of exactly what you expect. Here’s a handy list of exactly what to bring along:

• Photographs of floral arrangements you love, and hate.
• Your floral must-haves. If there’s a bloom you want to be included in your wedding, make that clear from the beginning. Your florist will want to know which flowers you’re most passionate about.
• Bringing along pictures of your wedding dress is essential. (And your bridesmaid dresses too, if you’ve already picked them!) Your florist will want the full picture to work with.
• Photos of the ceremony and reception venues.

Most importantly, be up front with the florist. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and energy if you know your bottom line and let your florist in on it right away. This way they won’t spend time planning something to present to you that won’t work within your wedding budget, and you won’t have to scale back -- it can be frustrating, and you want to make the process as stress-free as possible.