The short answer
A wedding florist contract should include the event date, the addresses and times for delivery, setup and pickup, an itemized list of each arrangement with its quantity and price, the substitution terms, the date the order locks, the rentals and their return, the deposit and payment dates, and the cancellation, postponement and insurance terms. Anything the proposal promised belongs in the contract.
Florist proposal vs florist contract: what changes when you sign
A floral proposal is the florist’s offer: the arrangements, the flowers and colors they have in mind, and the fees for design, delivery and setup. The florist proposal guide covers how to read those fees line by line. The contract is the document you sign. It says what the florist must deliver, what you owe and when, and what happens if a flower is unavailable or either side changes the plan.
Read the two side by side before you sign. Each arrangement in the proposal, from the bouquets to the ceremony arch, should appear in the contract with its quantity, or the contract should name the proposal as an attachment that forms part of the agreement. If a detail was agreed on a call or in an email, such as a color, a specific flower or a vase style, ask for it to be written in. A promise that lives only in an inbox is harder to point to when the boxes arrive.
Some florists send one document that becomes the contract once you sign it. In that case, read the terms pages at the end as closely as the design pages at the front, since the deposit, change and cancellation rules may sit there in smaller type.
What should a wedding florist contract include?
Start with the basics that make the contract about your wedding: both your names and the florist’s legal business name, the date, each address the florist delivers to, and the times for delivery, setup and pickup at each one. If the flowers go to more than one place, such as a getting-ready suite, a ceremony site and a reception venue, each stop needs its own address and time.
Then check the order itself. The list below is one order to read it in; your contract may group the terms differently. Tick each one off against the proposal, and write down anything the contract leaves out so you can ask about it in one message rather than several.
- Names, the florist’s legal business name and contact
- Each delivery address, with delivery, setup and pickup times
- Each arrangement, with quantity and price
- Colors, flowers or styles named for each arrangement
- Substitution terms, and anything protected from them
- The date the order locks, and what can change before it
- Rentals such as vases, arches and stands, and their return
- Design, delivery, setup and strike fees
- Deposit, payment dates and how each payment is made
- Cancellation, postponement and insurance terms
The item list, substitutions and the date the order locks
The item list is the part of the contract you will check on the day, so make it specific. A line that reads “centerpieces” leaves room for doubt; a line that reads “12 low centerpieces, white and blush, in the florist’s glass bowls” does not. If the florist prefers to describe the design by mood rather than by stem, ask for the colors and the size of each piece in words you can compare with what is delivered.
Flowers are a crop, so the contract may let the florist swap one for another if it is unavailable. The florist substitution guide covers how to read that clause and protect a flower that matters to you. Here, check that the contract has a substitution clause at all, that it says whether you are told before a swap, and how a swap affects the price.
Look for the date the order locks: the last day you can add, remove or change an arrangement. After it, the contract may still allow an addition at a price, or allow no changes at all. Put the date in your calendar with a reminder a week before, and send any change in writing so there is a record of what was asked and when.
- Item list specific enough to check on delivery
- Substitution clause, notice and price effect
- Last day to add, remove or change an arrangement
- How changes after that date are handled and priced
Delivery, setup, rentals and what happens after the reception
Delivery and setup terms decide whether the flowers are in place before the photographer arrives. Check the time the florist arrives at each address, how long setup takes, and who is responsible for moving ceremony arrangements to the reception if you plan to reuse them. Compare those times with the access hours in your venue contract, since a florist cannot set up before the venue lets vendors in.
Vases, candleholders, arches and stands may belong to the florist and be on loan for the day. The contract should list each rental, say when the florist collects it, and say what you owe if a piece is lost or damaged. If pickup is the night of the wedding, find out who must be there to let the florist in, and whether the venue charges for a late strike.
If your venue asks vendors for a certificate of insurance, the florist contract or a written reply should say the florist will send one with the venue’s required wording before the venue’s deadline. Check the venue’s rules on open flames, petals and fastening anything to walls too, and send them to the florist before the design is final.
- Arrival and setup time at each address
- Who moves arrangements between ceremony and reception
- Each rental listed, with pickup time and loss terms
- Certificate of insurance and the date it is due
- Venue rules on flames, petals and fastening
Deposit, payment dates, cancellation and postponement
Find the deposit and read how the contract describes it. It may count toward your total or be a separate booking fee, and the contract may call it non-refundable, refundable until a date, or transferable to a new date. Then list each later payment with its date and amount, and whether it is charged automatically to a card on file. If the final payment depends on the final item list, check which date the list is counted on.
Read the cancellation clause for what you owe at each stage before the wedding, and the postponement terms for whether the contract can move to a new date at the same prices. Then look for what the contract promises if the florist cannot deliver. What a clause means for a refund depends on its wording and the law where you are, so ask a lawyer if the money at stake is large and the wording unclear.
Send your open questions to the florist in one message and ask for the answers in writing. If a term changes, ask for a revised contract or a signed addendum rather than a promise on a call. Once both sides have signed, keep the signed copy, the proposal and the written answers together.
Florist contract check
Use one row for a decision or deliverable. Keep unanswered items visible. Download the blank worksheet to open in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
On a small screen, swipe the worksheet sideways to see the remaining columns.
| Term | What the contract says | Matches the proposal? | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery addresses and times | — | — | — |
| Item list and quantities | — | — | — |
| Colors and named flowers | — | — | — |
| Substitution terms | — | — | — |
| Date the order locks | — | — | — |
| Rentals and pickup | — | — | — |
| Design, delivery and setup fees | — | — | — |
| Deposit and payment dates | — | — | — |
| Cancellation and postponement | — | — | — |
| Insurance certificate due date | — | — | — |
A message you can make your own
Change the wording to suit you, fill in anything in brackets and keep the questions that apply. You decide what to send and send it yourself.
Hi [florist], thank you for sending the contract for our wedding on [date]. Before we sign, could you confirm a few points in writing? Could the item list name the quantity, colors and size of each arrangement? When does the order lock, and how are changes after that date handled? Will you tell us before substituting a flower? Which vases, arches or stands are rentals, and when will you collect them? Could you also confirm the deposit and payment dates, the cancellation and date-change terms, and when you can send the venue your insurance certificate? Thank you, [names].
Common questions
What should a wedding florist contract include?
A wedding florist contract should include the date, each delivery address with its delivery, setup and pickup times, an itemized list of arrangements with quantities and prices, the substitution terms, the date the order locks, the rentals and their return, and the deposit, payment, cancellation, postponement and insurance terms.
Is there a wedding florist contract template?
A florist may send its own contract rather than a template you fill in, so the document you sign may be theirs. Use the checklist on this page as a template for reading it: go through each term, mark whether the contract states it, and ask the florist in writing about anything it leaves out.
Is a wedding florist deposit refundable?
It depends on the florist contract’s wording. A deposit may be non-refundable, refundable until a stated date, transferable to a new date if you postpone, or treated differently if the florist cancels. Read how your contract describes it, and ask the florist in writing before you pay.
Can I change my flower order after signing the contract?
Your contract decides. Look for the date the order locks and what it says about changes before and after that date, including whether an addition is priced at the contract rate. Send any change in writing and ask the florist to confirm it, so the final item list matches what you asked for.
Who is responsible for the florist’s vases and arches?
The florist contract should say. If vases, arches or stands are on loan, it may set a pickup time and a charge for anything lost or damaged. Ask who must be at the venue for pickup, and whether the venue or the florist expects you to gather the pieces after the reception.