Florist question

We booked our florist more than a year in advance, but that was also because we had specific things we wanted done at our RH and wanted to make sure we were able to have them taken care of (adding tulle to the ceiling, for example, which needed to be done by the house florist).

When we booked, I had a very different vision about what I thought I wanted than what we actually ended up going with. And I changed my mind at least 1/2 a dozen times over the course of our engagement ... but I didn't call the florist with every new idea ... we set up a 2nd consultation about 4 months before the wedding to make final decisions and get them started on the sample centerpiece.

The original contract was a vague guideline that we were able to change as we narrowed down our decisions. It included the estimated # of tables, high centerpieces, number of corsages, number of bouquets, etc.

We used Pedestals and they were great about all the changes!

Not sure about how other florists would handle the same situation because we didn't look anywhere else.

I used a florist that was a family friend so I knew off the bat who I was using. But I made the mistake of making an appointment too soon before I knew what I wanted so we didn't get much done in our first meeting. My advice to you is 1) figure out your color scheme/bridesmaid's color, then 2) start collecting pictures of flowers you like. I didn't get any good ideas from bridal magazines because they used a lot of modern looking arrangments, but what helped me was going to florist websites. I was able to find a picture of exactly what I wanted for my bouquet, that made it alot easier when I met with my florist the second time around.
Hope that helps!