Planning a big party or wedding? If you'll need flowers, ensure to take some time to shop around. There are actually several types of florists, and your local retail shop might not be appropriate for a big event. They may make beautiful arrangements, but for just about any event that needs more than six flower arrangements, consider a special event florist.

This sort of florist is one that does large events exclusively. Some will even limit themselves to resort parties or weddings only. They generally don't have a retail shop in which you can walk in and buy an arrangement or gift bouquet. But why should that be such a massive advantage over your local florist?

Primarily due to space. You will often find this kind of florist in a warehouse or other large building. At first the advantage is just not apparent, but let's say you may need fifty arrangements. A large space means that containers may be prepared and laid out in front of time. As the time for your event approaches, the florists can come in and make the arrangements quickly. The chances that they are going to deliver on time increases considerably.

A small shop, by contrast, has limited space. Imagine you've got, say, fifty arrangements ordered. In a regular flower shop they will have to start early and work longer to obtain the job done. Then where will they store the finished arrangements? Will they be stacked and crushed? Or, worse however, will they get distracted by the retail traffic and be late bringing your flowers? As you can see, something as simple as inadequate space can cause many problems down the line.

This leads us to another advantage. Refrigerator space. You could have noticed that flowers are kept in coolers. That is because flowers stay fresh longer under cool conditions. Here's how it works: the florist orders flowers from a grower, as well as the grower ships them in large boxes. How the flowers are treated once they arrive will make a huge difference in how they look and the way long they last.

Because cooler space is limited in a small shop, your flowers may have to sit in a back room, maybe for days. A specialty florist, conversely, is used to handling large volumes of flowers. They probably have more than enough cooler space and can also get your flowers in optimum conditions immediately. This means they will be fresher and last longer for your guests to enjoy!

Delivery is a challenge for a big order. Flowers may be fragile. Getting them safely to their destination takes specialized equipment and knowledge. As opposed to cramming the arrangements in to a small delivery van designed for just a couple of, specialty florists have systems and equipment designed to deal with this sort of job.

One more possible advantage to hiring this kind of florist is the fact that they can rent containers and other decorative items. Small shops may have some rentals, but limited space means limited selection. Your special event florist could also have aspects such as pillars and mirrors you can rent. Renting these things rather than buying them can save you a lot of cash!