Taking a risk?

Any advice would be helpful here...
My FH brother's fiancee (if you can follow that chain) owns a flower shop. It is a little shop which does basic flowers for valentine's day and stuff. I have not called them yet but I am guessing they don't really do weddings. My FMIL offered to pay for the flowers and wants to use their flower shop. I am so scared to use them since they don't do weddings.
I don't want to hurt FMIL's feelings since she offered to pay for the flowers but I am 99% positive this flower shop has not even done a wedding. I wanted to go to Burton's for flowers.
What should I do???

I would ask for a test run. Maybe one of the advantages of them doing a wedding for the first time is that they will do whatever you want them to do!! If you get a test run of what they would do for your wedding, and you like it, then go with it. If not, then explain to FMIL that it's the most important day of your life and you want things to be handled by professionals where you know they are completely capable of handling the pressure of a wedding.

PS I had a similar problem, my FH's brother was a florist and he wanted to do the flowers also. I told him I would rather he spend his time enjoying himself the days before the wedding instead of scrambling to get bouquets and centerpieces done. Maybe that explanation will work!!

If you can see their work w/o them knowing you are checking them out I think you'd have a better feeling...
If you decide not to go with them, I'd just say you'd rather not have family involved as vendors--you could swing it that you wouldn't want them 'working' on the big day!

I would do a test run, bring pictures and ask her if she can make the arrangements so that you can see them...HTH...Good Luck
Or just tell them you dont wnat family working as vendors...thats an excellent idea!

I have a similar situation-my FMIL knows a florist, and I'm feeling pressured to use them. I don't think their flowers are so hot either. I want to use James Cress.

I haven't yet but I'm going to politely tell her I'm not using her friend and I'm going to pick out my own florist. even if it means paying more.

In your case, I would give the little flower shop a shot, and meet with them officially. Find out if they've ever even done a wedding. Making bouquets I think is different than a floral arrangement in a vase or something....you never know, you might luck out and like their work. Maybe they haven't had much oppurtunity to do weddings...