First off, happy new year! And for all of us in the wedding business we know that the new year brings many new engagements! I know that after the shock of the proposal wares off, reality sets in. To help put recently engaged minds at ease, I asked Sr. Editor of Inside Weddings Marilyn Oliveira to offer some expert advice on my blog, The Secret Life of Flowers. Her fabulously informative guest post "The First Three Steps for the Freshly Engaged" will definitely have brides and grooms-to-be stepping in the right direction. But, in the blink of an eye it will already be time to start thinking about flowers. So, to help you sail through the florist interviewing process I have put together five things for you to do and consider.

1. Do your homework. Google search, or Bing, potential florists work before you even meet them. Read reviews and look through weddings that they have done on their site and blog. If possible, it is always a bonus to see their work live and in person at an event. 

2. Date swap. Confirm that the florist is available on your big day. If you have to share him/her because they do multiple weddings a weekend, confirm that you will have your own dedicated staff the day of the event. 

3. Bring along the good, the bad and the ugly. You know that a picture is worth a thousand words so remember to bring photos of arrangements that you like and dislike to your appointment. This will help the florist get a sense of your style.

4. Dress rehearsal. Set up a sample meeting a month to a month and a half before your wedding. This is your chance to preview linen options, chair choices, a complete sample of the centerpiece, votive candle options and menu/napkin treatments.

5. Quality control. We can't control mother nature, which means flower substitutions are a fact of life. It is important, however, to make sure the substitutes are of equal caliber to the originals if it has to happen.

These are just five tips to get the ball rolling, but I have much more helpful advice on the subject that you can read here.