This type of florist is one that does large events exclusively. Some will even limit themselves to resort parties or weddings only. They generally don't have a retail shop in which you can walk in and buy an arrangement or gift. But why should that be such a large advantage over here your local florist?
Primarily because of space. You will often find this kind of florist in a warehouse or any other large building. At first the advantage isn't apparent, but let's say you need fifty arrangements. A sizable space means that containers can be prepared and laid out in front of time. As the time for your event approaches, the florists can come in and make the arrangements quickly. The chances that they are going to deliver on-time increases greatly.
A small shop, by contrast, has limited space. Imagine you've got, say, fifty arrangements ordered. In a regular flower shop they're going to have to start early and work longer to obtain the job done. Then where will they store the finished arrangements? Will they be stacked and crushed? Or, worse however, will they get distracted through the retail traffic and be late bringing your flowers? As you can easily see, something as simple as inadequate space may cause many problems down the line.
This leads us to another advantage. Refrigerator space. You might have pointed out that flowers are kept in coolers. That's because flowers stay fresh longer under cool conditions. Here's how it works: the florist orders flowers from a grower, and the grower ships them in large boxes. How the flowers are treated once they arrive could make a big difference in how they look and how long they last.
Because cooler space is limited in a small shop, your flowers may need to sit in a back room, maybe for days. A specialty florist, alternatively, is used to handling large volumes of flowers. They probably have more than enough cooler space and can get your flowers in optimum conditions immediately. What this means is they will be fresher and last longer for your guests to enjoy!
Delivery is a challenge for a big order. Flowers may be fragile. Getting them safely to their destination takes specialized equipment and knowledge. Instead of cramming the arrangements in to a small delivery van designed for just several, specialty florists have systems and equipment designed to take care of this kind of job.
One more possible advantage to hiring this kind of florist is the fact that they can rent containers and other decorative items. Small shops may have some rentals, but limited space means limited selection. Your special event florist could also have things like pillars and mirrors you may rent. Renting these things rather than buying them can save you a lot of cash!