Bride vs. Florist -- You be the judge

My husband alerted me to this bit of news:

Fuming NYC bride sues florist over flower color

Lawsuit seeks more than $400,000 over color of hydrangeas

(Associated Press) NEW YORK - The wedding was lovely, except for the flowers: They were the wrong color.

So says the bride, Elana Glatt, who was so upset that she sued the florist and alleged breach of contract.

She says Posy Floral Design in Manhattan substituted pastel pink and green hydrangeas for the dark rust and green ones she had specified for 22 centerpieces.

Not only that, she alleges that the hydrangeas were wilted and brown, and arranged in dusty vases without enough water.

“The use of predominantly pastel centerpieces had a significant impact on the look of the room and was entirely inconsistent with the vision the plaintiffs had bargained for,” Glatt, a lawyer, said in the lawsuit, filed on behalf of herself, her husband, David, and her mother-in-law, Tobi Glatt, who paid for the flowers.

The flowers cost $27,435.14. The lawsuit asks for more than $400,000 in restitution and damages.

Stamos Arakas, the florist, said that he and his wife, Paula, tried to match the color of the hydrangeas with a picture Glatt had given them, but explained to her that the colors might not look the same.

“My father used to tell me, ‘Don’t deal with the lawyers,” Arakas said. “Maybe he was right, God bless his soul.”

I can kind of see the bride's point if the florist actually made no attempt to contact her about changing the flowers and if they were brown and wilting. A full refund should be in order. On the other hand, nature is unpredictable and if the florist has a clause in the contract saying they can substitute flowers, then the bride should have read the fine print more carefully. What outrages me is paying $27K just for flowers and then suing for more than $400K!