# Wedding Flowers & Décor Checklist

> A wedding flowers and décor checklist: book your florist, finalize arrangements, confirm deliveries, drop off décor and plan what happens to it afterwards.

Source: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/flowers-and-decor
Publisher: ReadyToWeddy (https://readytoweddy.com) · Last updated: 2026-09-17

Flowers and décor set the mood, but they also involve deliveries, setup and collection. These tasks cover the creative choices and the logistics that make them work on the day.

## Summary

A wedding flowers and décor checklist should cover booking your florist, checking venue décor rules, finalizing arrangements, confirming deliveries, dropping off décor and collecting it afterwards. [Book your florist](https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/9-to-12-months#book-florist) 9–12 months before the wedding and finalize flowers and décor about three months out. Confirm deliveries two weeks before, drop off labeled boxes in wedding week, and agree [who collects everything afterwards](https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/post-wedding).

## Checklist (7 tasks, in order)

### Book your florist

- When: 6–12 months before (9–12 Months Before)
- Category: Flowers & Décor
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/9-to-12-months#book-florist

Book your florist 9–12 months before the wedding, once your venue and color ideas are settled, so you can secure their date and plan around seasonal flowers.

**Why it matters:** Florists can only take on a limited number of weddings each weekend, so popular ones fill up early. Booking now also gives you time to talk about what’s in season, which affects both the look and the cost. Your florist can advise on what works in your venue, what can be reused between the ceremony and reception, and where flowers make the most impact for your budget.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Save photos of arrangements and colors you both like.
- [ ] Check venue rules on flowers, candles and installs.
- [ ] Shortlist florists whose past work matches your style.
- [ ] Share your date, venue, guest count and flower budget.
- [ ] Compare itemized quotes with delivery and setup.
- [ ] Agree on seasonal swaps and reusing ceremony flowers.
- [ ] Sign the contract and note payment due dates.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Which flowers will be in season around our date?”
- “Can the ceremony arrangements be moved to the reception?”
- “What happens if a flower we chose isn’t available?”
- “Are vases, stands and arches included, or rented separately?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Couples often forget to plan who moves ceremony flowers to the reception and who collects the rented vases afterward.
- Seasonal and local flowers usually look fresher and stretch a budget further.
- A few large statement pieces can have more impact than many small ones.

**Best done after:** Book your venue

### Check venue rules for vendors and décor

- When: 3–11 months before (6–9 Months Before)
- Category: Venue & Date
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/6-to-9-months#check-venue-rules

Check your venue’s rules for vendors and décor around 6 months before the wedding, including noise curfews, candles, confetti, preferred suppliers and insurance requirements.

**Why it matters:** Venues often have rules that affect your plans in quiet ways: no open flames, no loose confetti, a strict music curfew, a preferred supplier list, or a requirement for vendors to hold liability insurance. Finding these now, before you finalize décor and book more vendors, avoids buying things you can’t use or booking someone the venue won’t allow.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Reread your venue contract and any policy documents.
- [ ] Get supplier rules and fees in writing.
- [ ] Check curfews and rules on candles and confetti.
- [ ] Ask what can be attached to walls or ceilings.
- [ ] Confirm setup and cleanup times.
- [ ] Note required suppliers and insurance rules.
- [ ] Share relevant rules with each vendor.
- [ ] Adjust décor plans to fit the restrictions.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Is there a list of suppliers we must use or avoid?”
- “What proof of insurance do vendors need to provide?”
- “What time must music stop and guests leave?”
- “Are there any fees if décor isn’t cleared on time?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Couples often forget to ask whether confetti or petals are allowed, and what type.

**Best done after:** Book your venue

### Finalize flowers and décor

- When: 2–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Flowers & Décor
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months#finalize-flowers-decor

Finalize your wedding flowers and décor about three months before the wedding, confirming quantities, setup, cleanup and whether any arrangements will move between spaces.

**Why it matters:** Florists and décor suppliers need firm quantities to order stems and materials, and many flowers are seasonal. Confirming details now keeps costs predictable and avoids last-minute substitutions. It is also the right time to plan how ceremony pieces can be reused at the reception, which can stretch your budget and reduce waste.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Confirm bouquets, buttonholes and personal flowers.
- [ ] Finalize ceremony pieces and centerpieces per table.
- [ ] Confirm lighting, linens and furniture.
- [ ] Decide which pieces move to the reception, and who.
- [ ] Agree setup, cleanup and rental pickup with the venue.
- [ ] Check candle, confetti and installation rules.
- [ ] Get an updated quote in writing.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Which flowers are in season for our date?”
- “Can you move the ceremony arrangements to the reception?”
- “What happens to the flowers at the end of the night?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Someone needs to be responsible for moving ceremony flowers to the reception, and it is rarely agreed in advance.
- Keep centerpieces low or tall so guests can see across the table.

**Best done after:** Book your florist

### Choose a guest book or keepsake

- When: 2–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Guest Experience
- Priority: Optional
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months#choose-guest-book

If you’d like a keepsake of guests’ messages, choose a guest book or alternative about 3 months ahead and decide who looks after it on the day.

**Why it matters:** A guest book gives you something personal to look back on, often long after the details of the day blur. There are many formats, from a classic book to recorded audio messages or instant photos, and some need ordering, setup or equipment. Choosing now leaves time for delivery and personalization, and deciding who looks after it means it actually gets used and makes it home safely.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Decide what kind of keepsake you’d like.
- [ ] Order it with time for delivery or personalization.
- [ ] Pick a table or stand near the entrance or bar.
- [ ] Add pens that suit the surface and a short sign.
- [ ] Charge or test any equipment it needs.
- [ ] Ask someone to invite guests to sign and take it home.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Where will guests naturally pause long enough to sign?”
- “Who will bring it home after the celebration?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Couples often forget to assign someone to bring the guest book home, and it gets left on the table.
- Options include a classic book, message cards in a box, an audio guest book, an instant-photo album or a signature item such as a print, a globe or a board game.
- Try the pens on the actual surface; some smudge on glossy pages.
- A short prompt, such as your favorite memory with us, helps guests write more than their names.

**Optional:** A guest book is entirely optional; if it isn’t your thing, your photos and cards are keepsake enough.

### Confirm rental and décor deliveries

- When: 1–3 weeks before (2 Weeks Before)
- Category: Flowers & Décor
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/2-weeks#confirm-deliveries

Confirm rental, flower and décor deliveries about two weeks before the wedding, checking quantities, delivery times, the drop-off point and when items will be collected.

**Why it matters:** Rentals and décor often arrive from several suppliers on the same morning. Confirming each delivery now avoids missing chairs, wrong linen colors or a collection time that clashes with the venue’s curfew. It also tells your day-of contact what to expect and who to call if something doesn’t arrive.

**Steps:**
- [ ] List each delivery: rentals, flowers and lighting.
- [ ] Check quantities, colors and sizes against the order.
- [ ] Confirm delivery and collection times with the venue.
- [ ] Check damage terms and any packing before pickup.
- [ ] Share the drop-off point and access details.
- [ ] Tell your day-of contact what to check on arrival.

**Helpful questions:**
- “What time will you deliver and collect?”
- “Do items need to be rinsed or packed before collection?”
- “Who should sign for the delivery?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Rental agreements sometimes require items to be rinsed, stacked or packed before pickup.

### Drop off décor at the venue

- When: 1–5 days before (Wedding Week)
- Category: Flowers & Décor
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-week#drop-off-decor

Drop off your own décor at the venue in the final days, where the venue allows, in labeled boxes with setup notes and a plan for collection afterwards.

**Why it matters:** Bringing décor ahead means one less thing to carry on the wedding morning, and gives the venue team time to set it up as you’d like. Labeled boxes with a photo of the intended setup make it easy for someone else to follow. A collection plan ensures your items come home rather than being left behind.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Ask the venue when to drop off and where it’s stored.
- [ ] Pack items in boxes labeled by space and table.
- [ ] Add a photo or sketch of how each item is set up.
- [ ] Make an inventory of everything you’re leaving.
- [ ] Agree who collects the boxes after the wedding.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Where will our décor be stored until the wedding?”
- “Who from your team will set it up?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: The empty boxes are needed again at the end of the night, so ask the venue to keep them.
- Mark boxes that must come home, such as family keepsakes, clearly.

### Collect décor and personal belongings

- When: Up to 2 days after (First 48 Hours After)
- Category: Post-Wedding Wrap-Up
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/48-hours-after#collect-belongings

Collect your own décor, signs, guest book and personal belongings from the venue within the agreed pickup window, usually the night of or the day after the wedding.

**Why it matters:** Venues often need rooms cleared quickly and may not store items for long. Personal pieces like a guest book, family photos or a welcome sign are easy to leave behind and hard to replace. Knowing what to collect, and who is collecting it, saves a stressful call to the venue a week later.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Check the venue’s pickup deadline and assign a driver.
- [ ] Use your décor list to find signs and table numbers.
- [ ] Gather the guest book, photos, cake topper and knife.
- [ ] Collect disposable cameras and audio guest book gear.
- [ ] Take leftover cake and food home, where allowed.
- [ ] Pack keepsakes and flowers you’re keeping with care.
- [ ] Confirm with the venue that nothing was left behind.

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Disposable cameras and audio guest book devices that were left on tables.
- Labeled boxes from setup day make packing up much faster.
- If you’re saving a cake tier, ask your baker how best to store it.

**Best done after:** Drop off décor at the venue


## FAQ

### When should you book a wedding florist?

Many couples book 9–12 months ahead, especially for peak-season dates. Popular florists may take only a few weddings per weekend, so contacting them soon after booking your venue gives you more choice.

### How can you save money on wedding flowers?

Choose seasonal and local flowers, reuse ceremony arrangements at the reception, mix in greenery or candles where the venue allows, and focus on a few high-impact pieces rather than many small ones.

### Who takes the décor home after the wedding?

Decide before the day. [Assign someone](https://readytoweddy.com/guides/assign-responsibilities) to pack and collect your own décor, check what the venue or florist removes, and agree on who takes home any flowers or items you’d like to keep.