Smarter Supplier Orders: One of the Biggest Time Savers in My Business

One of the jobs I used to dread most was preparing supplier orders.

After every quote was accepted, I’d find myself going back through each arrangement, manually entering stem counts into my spreadsheet, totaling everything, splitting flowers between suppliers, checking delivery dates, and then creating separate orders and emails for each supplier.

It wasn’t difficult, but it was just incredibly time-consuming, and because it was all done manually, I constantly worried I’d missed something, and unfortunately, on occasion I did.

It becomes more important as your business grows

Whether you’re creating a handful of bespoke weddings each year or managing multiple events daily, supplier ordering can quickly become one of the most time-consuming parts of the job.

As events become more elaborate, flower varieties increase, supplier lists grow, delivery schedules vary, and client revisions become part of everyday life. Before long, preparing supplier orders can take hours and it’s also where costly mistakes can happen.

Order too much, and you’re left with flowers that never get used. Order too little, and you’re paying for last-minute top-ups or compromising the floral vision you’ve promised your client.

The more weddings you take on, or the more intricate your events become, the more valuable an organised system becomes.

I wanted supplier ordering to happen naturally

When I created Blume, I wanted supplier ordering to be a natural extension of the work I’d already done.

After all, I’d already created the flower recipes and prepared the client quote. I didn’t want to have to manually re-count and retype that information all over again.

With Blume, every flower recipe contributes to your supplier order. Once your client accepts their quote, Blume prepares your supplier orders in just a click, built from the work you’ve already completed.

Fresh flowers arrive when you need them

One thing I learnt over the years is that not every flower should arrive on the same day.

Some varieties need to arrive earlier to condition and mature properly, while others are best delivered closer to the event.

That’s why I also designed Blume to allow you to choose different delivery or collection dates for individual flower varieties.

It gives you more control over your production schedule, reduces unnecessary storage, and helps ensure your flowers are looking their very best when it’s time to design.

Better for you—and your suppliers

Every order includes the flower varieties, quantities, and delivery or collection dates—all the information your supplier needs—presented in one easy-to-read document, making everyone’s job easier.

If you send supplier orders directly from the Blume platform, your supplier can accept the order with one click, and the order status automatically updates. This way, you always know which orders are confirmed and which are still outstanding, Clear and simplified communication from both sides.

More than saving time

Of course, supplier ordering becomes much faster, and you have more confidence that you’ve ordered the correct amount of flowers, that nothing has been forgotten, and that you have everything in the pipeline for each event before production begins.

When your systems are streamlined and work for you, every florist knows that is worth a lot, especially throughout a busy event season.