In short
- The contract should list every item: bouquet, arrangements, hire, set-up, breakdown, travel.
- The key clauses cover flower substitutions, deposit (acconto or caparra) and cancellation.
- Write down the wet-weather plan and who is liable for hire items that are broken or lost.
- If you are abroad, check the language of the contract, which law applies and how you will pay in euros.
A quote accepted by text message is not enough. On the wedding day there are perishable flowers, hire items to return, tight timings and sometimes bad weather: anything not written down risks turning into an argument. This guide tells you which clauses to look for in a wedding florist contract with an Italian florist or floral designer, and what to ask if they are missing. It is general information for couples, especially couples hiring from abroad, and not legal advice: for specific cases, speak to a lawyer or a consumer organisation in your country or in Italy.
If you have not yet chosen your florist, look first at our wedding florists in Italy and read how to compare florist quotes.
The parties and the subject
The contract should clearly state:
- who the parties are: the florist's name or company name, VAT number (partita IVA) and address; your details;
- date, times and places of the event: church or civil ceremony room, reception venue, any other spaces;
- number of guests and tables on which the price is based.
If you are marrying from abroad, ask for a contract in a language you understand well, or with a translation attached. If there are two versions, check which one prevails if they differ. Also state how you will communicate if there are problems: email, phone, a named contact person.
Which law, which courts
A contract with an Italian business will often name Italian law and an Italian court. Read that clause. If you are a consumer living in another country, rules on consumer contracts may in some cases still protect you under the law of your home country, especially when the business actively targets customers there. Where that applies, and how, depends on your country and the facts. For a large contract, it is worth a short consultation before signing rather than after a problem.
The list of items
This is the most important part. Each item should have a quantity, a description and, if possible, a price:
| Item | What the contract should say |
|---|---|
| Bouquet and personal flowers | Number, style, main flowers, buttonholes, corsages |
| Ceremony | Altar, pews, entrance, arch or installation |
| Reception | Centrepieces by table type, top table, buffet, table plan display |
| Hire items | Vases, stands, candelabra, structures, with quantities |
| Candles | Type, whether included, venue rules |
| Set-up and breakdown | Times, number of staff, any late-night breakdown |
| Travel | Mileage, overnight stays, team meals |
| VAT (IVA) | Included or excluded, rate stated |
Attach the approved design to the contract: sketches, palette, reference photos. It becomes your point of comparison if something does not match.
Flower substitutions
Flowers are an agricultural product. Hail, heat, transport delays or high demand can make a variety unavailable. A balanced contract provides that:
- the florist may replace an unavailable flower with one similar in colour, shape and value;
- you are told beforehand where possible;
- a few flowers that are essential to you are marked not to be substituted without your consent.
If you are set on a flower with a short season, such as peonies, ask what happens if the season ends early. See also our guide to seasonal flowers in Italy.
Payments and cancellation
Deposit and payment schedule
Check three things:
- How much you pay on signing and what that sum is called.
- When the rest is due: often in one or two instalments, with the balance shortly before or just after the event.
- How you pay: bank transfer, card, against an invoice or receipt.
The word used matters, because Italian law treats these sums differently:
| Term in the contract | What it is, in short |
|---|---|
| Acconto | An advance on the price, deducted from the total |
| Caparra confirmatoria | A deposit under the Civil Code: if the payer defaults, the other side may keep it; if the receiver defaults, the payer may claim double, under the conditions set by law |
| Caparra penitenziale | The agreed price of being allowed to withdraw from the contract |
| Penale | A penalty clause fixing in advance what is owed if a party defaults |
If the contract is unclear, ask for it to be clarified in writing. If you are paying from abroad, ask who covers bank fees, confirm that the price is in euros and agree how you will handle exchange costs.
Cancellation and date changes
The contract should say what happens if:
- you cancel, and how far in advance;
- you change the date, and whether the deposit can be moved to the new date;
- your guest count changes, until when, and with what effect on the price;
- the florist can no longer work because of an impediment: who replaces them and what you get back.
Many contracts set penalties that increase as the date approaches, because the florist has turned down other work and ordered flowers. That is normal, as long as the amounts are written down and proportionate.
On withdrawal: the 14-day "cooling-off" right for consumers in the EU applies only to contracts concluded at a distance or away from business premises. A contract agreed entirely by email and video call is usually a distance contract, but the law lists exceptions that may well cover wedding flowers, such as goods made to your specifications, goods that deteriorate quickly, and leisure services booked for a specific date. Do not rely on it without checking.
Bad weather, hire items and timings
Bad weather and plan B
If the ceremony or drinks reception is outdoors, write down:
- who decides to switch to plan B, and by what time;
- whether the design is moved indoors or rethought;
- whether the move has a cost, and how much;
- what happens to outdoor structures, such as arches and installations, in strong wind.
For organising plan B, read our guide to flowers, marquees and gazebos.
Hire items and liability
Vases, stands, candelabra, arches and structures usually remain the florist's property. The contract should state:
- the list of hired pieces, with their replacement value;
- whether there is a security deposit, and when it is returned;
- who is liable for breakages and losses: you, the venue, the caterer;
- when they are collected.
One delicate point: at the end of the night guests and relatives sometimes take vases and candelabra home along with the flowers. Decide beforehand what can be taken and what cannot, and tell people.
Set-up and breakdown
The times in the contract must match the venue's. Check:
- arrival time and the time allowed for set-up;
- who moves the flowers from the ceremony to the reception;
- breakdown: at the end of the party, late at night or the next day, and whether it costs extra;
- what happens if the venue asks for the spaces to be cleared earlier than planned.
Practical details are in our guide to set-up and breakdown.
Changes, invoices and VAT
Months often pass between signing and the wedding. Something will change: number of tables, colours, perhaps the ceremony location. The contract should state:
- until when changes can be made at no cost;
- how to request them: in writing, with a written reply from the florist;
- how the price changes if you add or remove items;
- a deadline for the final number of tables.
On tax, ask for a document for every payment: an invoice (fattura) or receipt, depending on the florist's tax regime. Check that VAT is shown clearly in both the quote and the invoices. If you pay from another country or through a company, ask how the invoice will be made out: the rules can change depending on who the customer is, and the florist or their accountant can tell you what applies.
Safety and venue rules
The contract, or an annex, can refer to the rules of the venue and of the church: candles and open flames, nails and tape, petals on the floor, vehicle access. The florist must follow them, but you need to pass them on. Ask the venue for its written rules and forward them to the florist. Italian churches often have their own rules on timings and decorations, set by the parish.
Questions to ask before signing
- Is the sum paid on signing an acconto or a caparra?
- What happens to the deposit if we change the date?
- Which flowers can be substituted without telling us?
- Who decides on the wet-weather plan, and how far in advance?
- What is each hire item worth, and who pays if it breaks?
- Is late-night breakdown included?
- Does the price include VAT?
- Who replaces you if you cannot be there?
- Which version of the contract prevails, and which country's law applies?
Before you sign
Reread the contract with the design in hand and ask for anything that does not match to be corrected. For the full list of questions, use our guide on what to ask your wedding florist. When you are ready to compare proposals, request a quote, sending all florists the same information.
Sources
- Italian Civil Code (arts. 1382-1386 on penalty clauses and deposits), Normattiva: https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:regio.decreto:1942-03-16;262
- Italian Consumer Code, Legislative Decree 206/2005, Normattiva: https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2005-09-06;206
- Directive 2011/83/EU on consumer rights, EUR-Lex: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2011/83/oj
- Regulation (EC) 593/2008 on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome I), EUR-Lex: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2008/593/oj
