Wedding florist quote: how to read and compare one in Italy

In short

• A good quote lists pieces, quantities and sizes, not just "full floral design".
• Check the lines that make the difference: hire, set-up, breakdown, travel, VAT (IVA).
• In Italy an acconto (advance) and a caparra (a deposit with legal consequences) are not the same: read what the sum you pay is called.
• To compare two offers, put them on the same lines before looking at the totals.

You have received one or more wedding florist quotes and you are not sure whether they are expensive, cheap or simply written differently. This guide walks you through line by line: what should be there, what is often missing, how to read the payment section and how to put two offers side by side. If you are planning from abroad, it also flags the Italian terms you are likely to meet.

How a flower quote is structured

A serious quote usually has four blocks:

1. The design: a description of the style, colours and main flowers, sometimes with a mood board.
2. The list of pieces: bouquet, buttonholes, church, centrepieces, top table, other elements, with quantities and sizes.
3. The services: hire, transport, set-up, breakdown, any travel.
4. The terms: VAT, deposit, balance, deadlines, what happens with changes or cancellation.

If one of these blocks is missing, ask for it. A quote with a single line, "full floral design", does not tell you what you are buying. If you are still looking for florists to ask, the list of wedding florists in Italy helps you make a first choice by style and area.

Typical items, line by line

A ZTL is a limited traffic zone in a historic centre, closed to unauthorised vehicles: it can add time and permits to a delivery.

Flowers indicated, not promised

Many quotes list "main" or "indicative" flowers. This is normal: flowers are an agricultural product and a variety may be unavailable that week because of weather or transport. What matters is that the contract says how a substitution is handled, for example with a flower similar in colour, shape and value. The guide to the florist contract explains the clauses to look for.

Hire items

Vases, stands, candelabra, arches and structures often belong to the florist. They lend them to you for the day and take them back at the end. Check whether hire is built into the piece or listed separately, and what happens if something breaks or goes missing. More detail is in the guide to hiring vases and floral structures.

Set-up and breakdown

Set-up can take from a couple of hours to a full day, depending on the design. Breakdown often happens at the end of the party, at night, or the next morning if the venue allows it. These are real working hours and often have their own cost. Timings and organisation are explained in the guide to set-up and breakdown.

VAT, deposit and balance

VAT (IVA)

The first thing to look for. Many Italian quotes show prices excluding VAT, which in Italy is called IVA. The standard rate is 22% and, depending on how the service is classified, some parts may carry different rates. The classification is decided by the business issuing the invoice, with its accountant. You do not need to know which rate applies: you need it to be written down, together with the final total. If you are used to UK or Australian prices that always include VAT or GST, this line is where most misunderstandings start.

Acconto or caparra

Words matter. An acconto is an advance on the price. A caparra confirmatoria, provided for in the Italian Civil Code, has specific consequences if one party withdraws: whoever paid it may lose it, whoever received it may have to return double. Read what the sum you pay is called and, if in doubt, ask a professional before signing. If the contract is only in Italian, ask for a translation of these clauses.

Deadlines

There is usually a sum on signing, sometimes a second payment a few months before, and the balance in the days before or after the wedding. Check the dates and the payment method, and whether an invoice or receipt is issued for each payment. From abroad, payment is usually by international bank transfer; bank fees and exchange rates are on top and depend on your bank.

How to compare two quotes

Comparing the totals of two different quotes is like comparing two menus without knowing how many courses there are. The method is:

1. Make a table with the lines from the table above.
2. Copy each quote onto the same lines, with quantities and sizes.
3. Mark the gaps: where one quote includes an item and the other does not.
4. Ask the second florist how much the missing item costs.
5. Bring everything to VAT included.
6. Only now compare the totals.

In this example Quote B might look cheaper, but it has four items to clarify. In the end it may cost the same or more.

Beyond price, compare the style, the clarity of the answers and how well the florist has understood what you want. To see how realistic quotes are written, look at the sample floral quotes.

Checklist for comparing quotes

Keep this list next to each quote and tick the items you find written out clearly. Where a box stays empty, ask before you sign.

• Altar or civil ceremony table: number of arrangements and sizes
• Pew ends or aisle chairs: how many are decorated
• Entrance or doorway of the church or venue
• Bridal bouquet and toss bouquet, if any
• Buttonholes for the groom, best man and fathers, with quantities
• Centrepieces: quantity, low or tall, with sizes in centimetres
• Top table: type of arrangement and length
• Seating plan display
• Hire of vases, stands, candelabra and structures: included or extra, with any deposit
• Transport of the flowers and moving them from ceremony to reception
• Set-up: included, and with how many people
• Breakdown: included, same night or next day, any late-night supplement
• Set-up and breakdown times that match the venues' access times
• Travel and overnight stays for the team, if the venue is far away
• VAT (IVA) included or excluded, with the rate written down
• Deposit: how much, when, and whether it is a caparra
• Cancellation or date-change penalties
• Plan B for rain, wind or heat, and whether it costs extra
• Substitutions for flowers that are not available: with what, and of what value

Downloadable quote request template

The simplest way to get quotes you can compare is to send everyone the same request with the same information. You can download the quote request template (.txt), fill it in with your details and paste it into an email or into the form to request a quote. Delete the fields you do not need: a short, precise request works better than a long, vague one.

The same template, ready to copy:

WEDDING FLOWERS QUOTE REQUEST
Fill in the fields in square brackets, delete the ones you do not need and send the same text to every florist: the quotes will be easy to compare.

1. COUPLE AND CONTACT DETAILS
Names of the couple: [ ]
Email: [ ]
Phone (with country code): [ ]
Preferred language for the quote: [ ]
Wedding planner, if any (name and email): [ ]

2. DATE AND VENUES
Wedding date: [ ]
Ceremony (church, town hall, villa, outdoors): [venue name]
Ceremony address: [street, town]
Ceremony time: [ ]
Reception: [venue name]
Reception address: [street, town]
Reception start time: [ ]
Distance or travel time between ceremony and reception: [ ]

3. ACCESS TIMES AND VENUE RULES
Set-up access at the ceremony venue (from what time to what time): [ ]
Set-up access at the reception venue (from what time to what time): [ ]
Breakdown time (same night or next day): [ ]
Venue rules (candles, open flames, nails, rigging, flowers on the floor, rice or petals): [ ]
Special logistics (restricted traffic zones, stairs, small lifts, boat, parking): [ ]

4. GUESTS AND TABLES
Number of guests: [ ]
Number of tables: [ ]
Table shape and size (round, rectangular, long banquet tables, diameter or length): [ ]
Top table (shape and length): [ ]

5. STYLE
Style you have in mind (classic, romantic, botanical, boho, minimal, rustic, Mediterranean, other): [ ]
Colour palette: [ ]
Flowers you love: [ ]
Flowers to avoid (including allergies or meanings): [ ]
Links or reference photos: [ ]

6. LIST OF ARRANGEMENTS (please give quantities)
Bridal bouquet: [ ]
Toss bouquet: [ ]
Bridesmaid bouquets: [quantity]
Buttonholes (groom, best man, fathers): [quantity]
Corsages or flowers for the mothers: [quantity]
Flowers for getting ready: [ ]
Ceremony: altar or civil ceremony table: [quantity]
Ceremony: pew ends or aisle chairs: [quantity]
Ceremony: entrance or doorway: [ ]
Ceremony arch or backdrop: [ ]
Low centrepieces: [quantity and size]
Tall centrepieces: [quantity and size]
Garlands for long tables: [metres]
Top table: [ ]
Seating plan display: [ ]
Buffet, sweets table, styled corners and reception entrance: [ ]
Hanging installations or other structures: [ ]
Reuse of ceremony flowers at the reception: [yes / no]

7. HIRE ITEMS
Vases, stands, candelabra, structures: [please include / provided by the venue / to discuss]
Candles and candle holders: [ ]

8. BUDGET
Indicative flower budget (please state whether including or excluding VAT): [ ]
Priorities (where you would rather spend more): [ ]

9. KEY QUESTIONS
- Is the quote including or excluding VAT (IVA)? At what rate?
- Are set-up, breakdown and transport included? At what times?
- Is there a travel or overnight cost for the team?
- What happens if a flower is not available that week? What would you replace it with?
- Is there a plan B for rain or heat? Does it cost extra?
- How much is the deposit, when is the balance due, and what happens if we cancel or change the date?
- Until when can we change quantities and the number of tables?
- Is there a minimum spend?
- Can we pay by international bank transfer?

10. HOW WE WOULD LIKE THE QUOTE
Please send a written quote item by item, with the quantity, size and price of each arrangement, hire items, set-up, breakdown, transport and travel on separate lines, and VAT shown with its rate.

Thank you,
[names of the couple]

When to ask for a quote

The most accurate quotes come once you have fixed the date, the venue and an approximate guest count. Before that you can ask for an order of magnitude, but the florist cannot calculate tables, distances and timings. Many professionals prepare the final quote after a site visit or, for couples abroad, a video call with the floor plan. If the guest count changes, ask for a written update: do not rely on an estimate given over the phone.

Warning signs to look at carefully

• No quantities or sizes stated.
• A price much lower than the others with no explanation.
• No mention of breakdown or hire.
• A very high deposit requested without a written contract.
• Nothing on what happens if a flower variety is unavailable.

These are not necessarily scams: often they are quotes written in a hurry. But clarify them before signing.

Questions to ask your florist before signing

• Can you give me the quantities and sizes of each piece?
• Which flowers will you use, and what substitutions are possible?
• Is the price including VAT? At what rate?
• Are hire, transport, set-up and breakdown included?
• Is the payment on signing an acconto or a caparra?
• Until when can I change the number of tables?
• What happens in bad weather if we move indoors?
• Do you issue an invoice for every payment?
• Can you send the contract, or a summary of its key terms, in English?

Final thoughts

A clear quote is already a good sign of how its author works. To find out whether the figures are reasonable, read how much wedding flowers cost in Italy and the guide to the extra costs of wedding flowers.

If you want offers that are easy to compare from the start, request a quote from two or three florists with the same information: date, venue, guests, tables and style.

Sources

• Codice civile, art. 1385 (caparra confirmatoria), Normattiva: https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:regio.decreto:1942-03-16;262