advice needed

so FH and I stopped into towers flowers about a month ago.. I liked his work, but his prices seemed a bit high (until he learned that he knows us- kinda). We were kinda put on the spot, FMIL was with us and asked that we stop there because she knows Joe's mother.. so we sit down with him..
we haven't met with any other florist, but I had been emailing back and forth with Gina.
Also, my mothers friend is a florist and has offered to hook us up...

now Joe calls FH last night and left a VM saying he had another couple contact him that's getting married the same day as us and he needs to know if we want to book him or not.

thing is.. we haven't met with anyone else, so we don't know if this is a good price or if we can do better.

so what do we do? tell him to book the other bride and shop around (and listen to FMIL complain that she liked him)... or book him and never know the other prices (and listen to MY mother complain that we never met with her friend and she would have hooked us up)...

URGH! I HATE PLANNING!

He didn't give us a total yet.. just said that the CPs I like are about $165 each... which I think is too high.
But after he found out that he 'knows' us (ok- he was at FH's house- YEARS ago) he said he'd work with us...
but we don't know if that means he'll give us everything we WANT for what we can afford??

I really wish florists just said 'this is the price of this' and not 'we'll work with you' because how do I know they won't give someone else the SAME thing for a cheaper price??

oh the CPs are branches with lillies around the mouth of the vase. and pears in the vase.. but I'm not 100% of them.