Warning: a wedding in Portland taught me to never trust a client's 'simple' vision

This past Friday, I had a bride tell me she wanted 'just a few wildflowers' for her small backyard wedding. She sent a blurry picture of a meadow and said 'like that'. I quoted for a simple mix, maybe $250 worth. Day of, her mom shows up at my shop in tears saying the bride now wants full, structured centerpieces for 12 tables, matching bouquets for 5 bridesmaids, and an arch piece, all in that 'wild' style, and the ceremony is in 4 hours. I had to call in two favors, pay my driver double, and raid my own personal garden dahlias to even come close. We pulled it off, but my profit was gone and my nerves were shot. It turned out the bride saw a huge, expensive setup on social media the night before and changed her whole plan without telling anyone. How do you guys handle last-minute scope changes without losing your shirt or your mind?

3 comments

3 Comments

piperb934d ago

Add a "Pinterest panic" fee to your contract.

ruby_rivera764d ago

Wait, you can actually charge for that? lmao that's genius.

grace_white3d ago

A "panic fee" is the only way to survive this job, like @ruby_rivera76 gets it. My contract now has a line for last-minute changes that doubles the labor cost. It makes people think twice before pulling a wildflower stunt.