ALEXANDRIA, VA — The average couple spends more than $35,000 on their wedding — an increase of more than $2,600 from 2015 — and an all-time high, according to the 10th annual The Knot 2016 Real Weddings Study. This news begs the question: How do local florists capture a bigger piece of these increasing budgets?
"We choose Details because it offered a beautiful proposal that we could customize in our client's style," said Marisa Guerrero, AIFD, of Debbie's Bloomers in El Paso, Texas. "It's not enough to be professional — we have to wow clients who are using Pinterest and Instagram to plan their weddings. It makes us look like the talented designers we are."
To help Society of American Florists members do just that (and a lot more), SAF has teamed up with Details Flowers Software.
The Details platform streamlines proposals, simplifies the payment process, and ensures clients are profitable down to each arrangement. Through a new partnership, SAF members who have never signed up for Details can receive a 14-day free trial and a 15 percent discount on the full price monthly or annual subscription rate for the software.
"We want to help SAF retailers compete — profitably — in the expanding and highly competitive weddings and event arena," said SAF CEO Kate Penn. "Based on the feedback from SAF members who are using Details, as well as the SAF Retail Council members who tested it, this software can play an important role in winning bridal and event clients – and ensuring that you're meeting your profit goal as well."
In addition, growers and wholesalers also benefit with business from florists using Details. Wedding flower orders are generated and communicated easily to suppliers in the Details platform.
Details subscribers can access from smart phones, tablets or computers — product procurement and supply purchasing can be managed "on the go."
Other Details benefits include:
Custom printable contracts that can be created in minutes. The convenient cost tracking feature also brings dollars and cents into focus quickly and efficiently.
Tools such as portfolio management, invoicing, payment collection, resource items and inventory items help users simplify the process of planning, securing and executing events.
A beautiful Flower Library and secure recipe storage makes the design process less complicated and more inspiring — to customers and design teams.
Subscribers can receive quotes from connected wholesale partners thru the Details system, while completing other milestones, such as organizing confirmed dates, retainers, and deliveries.
Some of the most successful wedding and event florists in the industry are already Details subscribers, including Zoë Gallina, AAF. "Details Flowers Software has provided the ability for us to have one person do the job it took four people to do until we implemented it," said the creative director of Botanica International Design & Décor Studio in Tampa.
"We use Details every day when quoting weddings and corporate events," said Elizabeth Fisher of Lizzie Bee's Flower Shoppe in Richardson, Texas. "Our proposals are absolutely beautiful, and I feel extremely confident when sending them to my customers. I have definitely started charging more — what I should have been charging in the first place — which has made my company more profitable."
Marisa Guerrero, AIFD, of Debbie's Bloomers in El Paso, Texas, reviewed three similar types of software, but quickly became a Details devotee.
"After researching, pricing and debating, we choose Details because it offered a beautiful proposal that we could customize in our client's style," Guerrero said. "It's not enough to be professional — we have to wow clients who are using Pinterest and Instagram to plan their weddings. It makes us look like the talented designers we are."
Mary McCarthy, AIFD, of The Blooming Idea in The Woodlands, Texas, noted that the conversion rate from bridal and corporate proposals has increased dramatically.
"The whole program has reduced the time we spend creating proposals, recipes and flower counts, which is a huge labor saving," she said.
"Details is your silent but financially-savvy business partner," says CEO & Founder Corrine Heck. "We're helping to make sure that our florists are profitable on every event. Our team is looking forward to helping more members of the SAF community."
SAF members can access the invitation code for the free 14-day trial and 15 percent discount on the subscription rate for Details by going to safnow.org/business-discounts.
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About SAF
The Society of American Florists is the leading organization representing all segments of the floral industry. SAF is proud to provide marketing, business and government services to its members, including growers, wholesalers, retailers, suppliers, importers, educators, designers and allied organizations. The association was chartered by an act of Congress in 1884. To learn more about SAF or to join, visitsafnow.org.
Source: The Society of American Florists
