The short version: Book Hedonia. I had zero complaints, experienced innumerable positive surprises and delighted gasps, and had just the most comfortable and pleasant experience working with her. If you want jaw-dropping results at an incredible price with no drama, work with Christen.
But I get it, flowers are always pretty, and most wedding reviews are glowing, so how do you know what to do when you have to choose a florist and just want the endless decisions to BE OVER, PLEASE CAN THIS ALL JUST BE DONE?
So here are the biggest things that set Christen apart from all the rest:
*The sheer gorgeousness/quality: Come on. My flowers are STUNNING. I felt like a pre-Raphaelite garden nymph traipsing about with an armload of deliciously fragrant blooms. The cascade bouquet took my breath away. My photographer couldn't get enough, and people kept wanting to hold it for me. I repurposed it as decor for my sweetheart table, and it stole the show. She nailed all the damn inspiration photos I sent her. Christen...you are a genius. And 6 days later, my bouquet was still PERFECT. I hung it in my hallway to dry while I went on my mini-moon, and even dehydrated, this thing is pretty beyond belief. It's STILL hanging in our hallway! My husband has to duck every time he wants to enter or exit the kitchen and he doesn't even care! It's that purty.
*Willingness to go beyond: She was more than happy to work with materials I brought, including glassware and candles, and even made sourcing suggestions (including Dollar Tree--a gal after my own heart, especially as a glass cylinder from DT and one from Pier One look EXACTLY THE SAME). She also decorated a copper arch that our planner had on hand, attached custom charms to corsages, personalized ribbon colors, hand-wired orchids to barettes, the works.
There was zero drama about timeline. She knew when she was expected, got there on time, and had an awesome attitude, offering to stick around, busying herself while she waited for other vendors, etc. She also attended the final walk-through, despite the fact that my wedding was a low-budget affair.
Also, things got dramatic and hectic as I was getting ready, and she literally HELPED ME GET INTO MY DRESS. I mean, wow, that was not in the contract but boy, did I ever appreciate it.
*Budget-friendly: Hedonia is affordable with no sacrifice of quality, and furthermore, Christen is COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT about what flowers cost. You do not need to go through the full-on interview process to find out what to expect. Just check her website! She was also great about brainstorming ways to keep things cheap. In the end, the price undercut all her competitors--SIGNIFICANTLY.
*Personality: Christen was SO flexible, so easy to work with, incredibly low drama, quirky/funny, and just so sweet! Thoughtful, approachable, clear, and supremely organized. The second I shook her hand at the walk-through, I just went, "oh, okay, clearly this is going to be just fine." She has that intangible calm and cool about her. Ugh, you are so nice, Christen.
What a wonderful experience. Please don't spend forever and a day asking and answering questions about flowers like I did. I want better things for you. Book Hedonia and have the same fun and gloriously ethereal experience I did.