The Floral Artist

Unhappy with The Floral Artist

Complaint: Extremely Disappointed with The Floral Artist We were extremely disappointed with Werner Engelbrecht from The Floral Artist regarding the flowers supp**** for my daughter’s wedding at Cradle Valley on 21 August 2026. This complaint is not about minor differences or the occasional substitution of a flower. The requirements were clearly documented in writing. On 23 April, I provided Werner with a detailed list and photographs of exactly what my daughter wanted, and that same list was included in Werner’s written quotation. We subsequently paid approximately R15,000 for the agreed floral arrangements. My daughter had carefully chosen the flowers and colours for her wedding, including carnations, which are her favourite flower, and Bells of Ireland, which had particular significance because she is emigrating to Ireland. She also specifically requested that no eucalyptus be used because it has caused her hay fever in the past. What was included in the quotation The written quotation specified: White roses White lilies White arum lilies Burgundy anthurium Burgundy carnations Dusty pink zinnias Lime green hydrangea Bells of Ireland Burgundy amaranthus A cascade/droopy-style bridal bouquet incorporating Bells of Ireland Rose petals and other petals for the confetti No eucalyptus, ruscus, virgatus or laurel leaves These requirements were therefore clear and documented in the quotation. What was delivered The arrangements supp**** differed substantially from what was quoted: Red and white roses, instead of the agreed selection No burgundy carnations, despite these being my daughter’s favourite flower and specifically listed in the quotation Bright magenta zinnias instead of dusty pink. The colour was completely different from the agreed palette and clashed with the wedding colours, so they could not be used White chrysanthemums and angelonia, which were not part of the agreed flower selection No Bells of Ireland in the bridal bouquet No greenery in the bridal bouquet A basic posy-style bridal bouquet instead of the requested cascade/droopy design Eucalyptus used for the confetti despite it being specifically excluded in writing Only a few red rose petals placed over the eucalyptus A small arrangement of **** flowers on the welcome mirror that was not what had been requested and did not fit the wedding aesthetic Incomplete and incorrect flowers for the bridal party The venue had to intervene Werner disappeared before the wedding party flowers were ready, leaving the venue staff to deal with the situation. The staff at Cradle Valley went above and beyond to help. They cut arum lilies from their own garden and completely remade the brides****s’ bouquets. They also added arum lilies to the bride’s bouquet to improve the arrangement. Without their intervention, the bridal party would not have had the flowers they needed for the wedding. There was also an issue with the wedding cake flowers. Werner was with the cake lady for less than 10 minutes and said he “couldn’t find” the flowers he was supposed to provide for the cake. Without consulting us, he gave her the buttonholes intended for the parents and stepparent instead. The cake lady also heard Werner mutter: “Ek moes haar f&kken R20k gevra het.” We found this comment completely inappropriate, particularly in the circumstances. The impact on my daughter The bridal bouquet was especially upsetting. My daughter had wanted a cascade/droopy-style bouquet incorporating Bells of Ireland and had originally planned to have the bouquet preserved in a tray as a keepsake from her wedding day. Instead, she received a basic posy-style bouquet that bore little resemblance to what she had requested. Ultimately, she decided not to preserve it and threw it to the single ladies instead. The welcome mirror was also unusable for the photographs she had planned because of the small **** flower bunch placed on it. The use of eucalyptus was particularly disappointing because she had specifically excluded it due to her history of hay fever. The “subject to availability” clause We acknowledge that the quotation stated that flowers were “subject to availability”. We understand that reasonable substitutions may occasionally be necessary. However, this does not adequately explain what happened here. This was not a case of one or two unavailable flowers being replaced with suitable alternatives. The written flower selection, colour palette, bouquet design and specific exclusions were substantially different from what was delivered. In particular, the use of eucalyptus cannot be explained by availability because it had expressly been excluded in the written quotation. Costs and responsibility We paid approximately R15,000 for the flowers based on the written quotation. Because the agreed arrangements were not delivered, Cradle Valley had to provide emergency flowers and labour to rectify the situation. The venue subsequently issued an invoice for these costs, which Werner has refused to cover. We therefore believe Werner should: Provide an appropriate partial refund of the amount paid for the floral arrangements; and Reimburse Cradle Valley for the costs incurred in correcting the floral arrangements. Conclusion This was one of the most important days of our daughter’s life. She had carefully planned her flowers, provided the requirements and photographs months in advance, and had those requirements incorporated into the florist’s written quotation. The issue was not that the flowers were slightly different from a photograph. The fundamental flower selection, colours, bouquet design and specific exclusions were not followed, and the venue had to step in at the last minute to rectify the situation. We are extremely grateful to the staff at Cradle Valley for their quick action and willingness to use their own resources to ensure that the bride and bridal party had suitable flowers for the wedding. Unfortunately, based on our experience, we cannot recommend The Floral Artist for an important event. We believe Werner should take responsibility for the outcome, provide a fair partial refund and reimburse the venue for the additional costs incurred as a direct result of the situation.