How to Build an Instantly Profitable À La Carte Floral Menu
Melissa Claire Photography
Most of us have struggled with raising our prices or moving beyond bargain-hunting brides. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a client having a small budget (as long as the expectations are reasonable, of course!), but as creatives, it’s only natural to crave larger budgets that will allow us to flex our creative muscles and design some really cool things! So how do you stop catering exclusively to low budgets without completely cutting off that source of bookings?
An à la carte service option may be the perfect fit!
The point of a successful à la carte floral design service is to continue serving wonderful clients with smaller budgets while saving your time and energy for serving larger clients and building your business. Let me show you the roadmap to implement this service into your own business seamlessly!
Elements of a Successful À La Carte Service:
Melissa Claire Photography
Creating Your Floral Design Menu
The first step is to determine what arrangements will be included. Generally, this includes pieces that are self-contained like bouquets, boutonnieres, and table arrangements.
You could even offer some DIY floral options like garlands and tubed flowers or greenery sprigs for place settings that clients can set up themselves on their event day.
If you’re feeling ambitious, including options for purchasing silk ribbon upgrades or votives candles could be included!
Set a Minimum If You Prefer
Will you have a set minimum order required for your à la carte clients? For example, my à la carte minimum is $500. This ensures that the booking is worth my time and I can meet my wholesale costs and still earn a profit. Compared to my full-service minimum of $3000, it’s quite a bargain for lower-budget brides.
Email Templates
The point of this service is to save you time and to earn you money. Booking an à la carte client should take minimal effort. Email templates are a great way to automate most of the communication required.
Here’s a list of the basic email templates you’ll need:
An introduction to the à la carte service including details like your pricing minimum (if you have one), a link to the arrangements available, delivery or pickup details, payment information, and the steps needed to book.
An email or online form that can be filled out to gather details like client names, contact information, the delivery address and time frame, color palettes, etc.
A final email to confirm the order, secure final payment, and review all final details for the event day.
Include a Specific à la carte Contract
Your à la carte wedding clients should still have a contract in place. It may not need to be as detailed as your full-service contract, but it should definitely outline the following:
Any style notes or guidelines: Are you allowing for customizations, or are all arrangements designed in your signature style? Be sure to note that photos may not be exactly replicated due to the nature of our product.
Payment schedule and methods: What percentage is due to book? Is this refundable if anything changes?
Delivery and setup: Will you offer setup of the pieces ordered, or are all orders drop-off only and the client be responsible for setting arrangements in their final place?
Important note: it is always good to have a lawyer review contracts to ensure compliance with local laws and guidelines.
Now that you’ve got the elements of your service put together, it’s time to sell!
Melissa Claire Photography
How to Promote Your À La Carte Menu:
Here are a few selling and marketing suggestions to get you started!
Client Screening
Screen clients to determine if they meet your full-service budget or would be better suited for à la carte. This can be as simple as asking for their floral and décor budget in your contact form or the first email correspondence.
If they say their budget is below your full-service minimum, suggest this as an alternative! Be sure to promote it in a way that is still positive and exciting. It’s not a downgrade, but rather a way they can still have your exquisite designs at a lower price point!
Use Alluring Photos of Your À La Carte Menu
Your images have to sell it. When you don’t get the chance to sell in person, beautiful photos are everything. Invest some time and a little money upfront in a photoshoot to have clear, consistent images of your à la carte items.
What will a bridal bouquet look like? What size centerpieces do you offer? You don’t have to take a photo of every color variation, but a good visual representation of your style or sizing will give clients an accurate idea of what they are paying for.
Set Clear Expectations
This is crucial. From the first moment you pitch your à la carte floral design service, you need to let people know that this is not your full-service level. If you offer pickup only, no setup, no installations, etc., these are all things that need to be clearly stated in your sales and contract wording. You don’t want to mislead or disappoint people.
Melissa Claire Photography
Be Excited with and for Your Clients
Share your à la carte weddings with the same enthusiasm you share your full-service weddings. When your à la carte couples have their event, ask for photos to share!
Create a highlight feed on your Instagram of your à la carte menu and add pictures to your website! If you promote the service as an exciting and desirable way to get your floral designs, you will easily be able to sell it. After all, there is nothing shameful about a small floral budget, and those with lower budgets can still have beautiful flowers!
As someone who didn’t grow up with money and values every penny I earn, I love that an à la carte service still allows me to serve clients with those same needs. Implementing a solid service like this can also help you bridge the gap when you increase your minimum and start booking those big-budget brides!
Melissa Claire Photography
Melissa Claire Photography
