From Proposal to Petals: The Petaloso Process

Planning an event with flowers as the star? Here's what to expect when working with Petaloso, a boutique floral design studio on James Island. From your first inquiry to what happens after the final bouquet is tossed, this post walks you through the full process.

Step 1: Initial Inquiry

Most clients reach out via email or contact form. First, we confirm your date is available. If it is, we’ll schedule a phone or video chat — especially important for our many out-of-town clients.

Step 2: Sharing the Vision

Bring your inspo boards, photos, Pinterest links, or even the vibe of your home. The more we understand your style and story, the better we can translate that into florals.

Step 3: Custom Proposal

We’ll craft a detailed proposal tailored to your event. You’ll have about a week to review, and we’re happy to hop on a follow-up call to tweak or refine.

Step 4: Booking & Design Process

Once you book, we dive deeper into design. We collaborate with your planner, your designer (if applicable), and ask tons of questions: seated dinner or cocktail style? Dance floor or lounge vibe? Everything informs the floral plan.

Step 5: Prep & Install

Our team begins processing flowers up to a week before your event. Tablescapes are assembled in advance, while large-scale installations are built on-site with extra staffing and care. Install days often begin at 4 a.m. with coffee in hand and vans full of blooms.

Step 6: What Happens After the Event?

Florals are stunning but fleeting. Unlike daily florist arrangements, ours are timed to peak on event day. We compost what we can, reuse mechanics like chicken wire, and aim to be as sustainable as possible. Those peonies? They’ve done their job — and they deserve to rest.

What About Budgets?

We’ve worked on floral budgets ranging from $5K to over $100K. Your planner will guide overall budgeting, and we help you understand what your money can do — from table centerpieces to towering installs. Transparency is key. If costs change (say, a floral shortage), we always communicate in advance.