About blooms
Flowers. Huh. I’m pretty sure I have not tackled the subject of flowers. Not even once. And this makes me laugh because back in the day, when I was a lowly intern at a Manhattan editorial provider, one of my biggest assignments was working on a book about wedding flowers. I even interviewed famous wedding planner Colin Cowie.
Now Mr. Cowie (does anyone else think his name is laugh-out-loud funny?) was of the firm opinion that if he let future brides choose their own flowers, flatware, and favors, they would hate him the morning after. As you can imagine, I feel very differently. The guests may not like it. Grandma may not like it. And wedding planners all over the country may not like it, but brides (and, of course, grooms) can have whatever they damn well please on their wedding days.
The average cost of wedding flowers ranges between $800 and $1,000. All that means is that your flowers may cost a lot more or a lot less, depending on whim and budget. As usual, do-it-yourself is an option, though there are some things to take into consideration. Research is key here, since some flowers hold up better than others, and both bouquets and arrangements are created a day or so before the wedding. Cheap Chic Weddings notes that future brides and grooms can…
Enlist the help of family or friends to help you with the arrangements and bouquets. You will all have lots of fun and it will be very satisfying. They won’t be like every other wedding flowers, no cookie-cutter plan here. When the compliments start flowing it will be that much better. The guest will remember your handy work for a long time.
And there are silk flowers, which look more and more realistic these days. Or the always lovely and sophisticated single calla lily wrapped with a pretty ribbon.
And, of course, there are books like Terry Rye’s Creative Wedding Florals You Can Make. With step by step instructions on bouquets, decorative blooms, and centerpieces (and photos to go along with them) there is little chance of having to walk down the aisle with screwy blooms.
Stay tuned for posts about the various methods of bouquet preservation and just what those bridal blooms mean!
I remember reading somewhere that the reason most wedding bouquets are so pricey is that they are usually one color, and that multi-color bouquets are far more affordable. So if you can make it work, having flowers in different colors might be a cheaper alternative.
Wow, Cassie! Interesting bit of trivia there. I wonder why that is?
My sister-in-law opted for a bouquet of silk blossoms, as I recall. And I believe that her actual bridesmaids got the faux blooms, as well. I was a Reader at her wedding; although asked to be a bridesmaid, I opted out, since I was breaking my neck making her wedding gown (which was just lovely). So why oh why did the dear girl decide that I should get a REAL floral thingy? I don’t remember it as being a wrist corsage, which would have been practical; I think it was supposed to perch on my not-insubstantial bosom, to the peril of passersby. All I know is it looked like a wilted cabbage by the end of the ceremony. Now I know my SIL had a wedding that was Not Cheap. So why did the dear girl give me the Deceased Cabbage, when, of all her attendants (and probably attendees), I was the one who was most likely to make good use of some pretty, everlasting silk flowers??
Ulk. Sorry for being HTML inept!
Ack! What a bummer, La BellaDonna! Perhaps she thought that real flowers were the more luxurious option and that she was doing you quite the favor?
(and I liked your HTML! it made me feel like your voice was rising in pitch the whole paragraph through
)
Hi there!
Belladonna, you are the model of courtesy for wearing the cabbage on that day. My maid of honor is giving me mucho grief on having to get a dress made…. but that’s not what I’m writing about.
A wedding mag suggested potted, floral plants instead of flowers to save money for the flowers in the reception room. If you choose a cute pot that the florist can just drop the plants into (instead of having to replant them), your labor costs go way down too. I think I’m going to do this for my wedding.
On a broader note, it feels like I’m seeing a common theme — not just here, but in wedding-saving tips generally — that one has two options: (1) spend more money; (2) prevail upon the generosity of family and friends. (If one’s parents are paying for the wedding, then the options are combined, I suppose.)
Now, I’m turning into Spreadsheetzilla in the process of trying to keep this wedding from chewing through my parents’ retirement fund. But I’m not sure how much is proper to save by prevailing upon the time and generosity of friends (“Will you help me put together bouquets / be my DJ / take photographs for me?”) as opposed to simply cutting extraneous things (like the limo) or selecting cheaper options.
This is not to say that there won’t be scores of occasions where the friends might be thrilled to help. But it does seem to me that in a lot of recommendations, what costs the marrying couple less costs the friends and/or guests more, in terms of either time or money. And I’m not sure where the happy medium lies.
I love those purple flowers in the top picture. Does anyone know what they are?
Well, Jessica, I think that one should cut costs before consulting friends for help. Imagine if your friend graciously glued dangly bits onto your invitations for thrift’s sake only to find out you’d dropped some major bling on some other aspect of your wedding! I’m defintely a fan of cutting costs by cutting stuff. Hate flowers? Don’t decorate with them. Don’t care about a grand entrance and exit? Screw the limo! Don’t feel you need someone to control the reception? Nix the DJ. It’s all about you, baby!
Oddly, our flowers were not at all expensive. I wanted fairly simple rose bouquets and I know from experience that “simple” often means “insanely pricey.” However after talking to florists all over the price spectrum, I found a shop that was happy to give us elegant roses for a reasonable price… high end “designer” florists wanted to push the lillies and the orchids and the more exotic bouquets.
We were married outdoors though, and used non-flower centerpeices… so the entire floral budget was bouquets and boutonairres (sp?). That saved a lot of money as well.
Gidget, I believe those are purple calla lilies. I’m not sure if they have another designation since the purple lilies I’ve been able to find range in color from that to quite a dark purple!
Right now (on the subject of cutting costs) I’m trying to figure out if getting a separate caterer is cheaper than a full-service place — we’ve looked at a couple full-service places but haven’t found a good site-only place that doesn’t charge an arm and a leg (local museums, for example). I’m hoping that bringing in a caterer and bartender would be a thriftier option, just in terms of the liquor costs alone.
The interesting question is how my mother will react when I reveal to her that instead of getting a professional photographer, I’m hoping to negotiate with local Flickr enthusiasts.
I am doing something unique. My wedding is next October, so I have bought a farm share and a lady is growing all my flowers. Now is the time to pick out the seeds! It is a Maine wedding so lots of fall flowers–my colors are pinks and oranges.
I think the share will be around 200 dollars, and I will have my aunts help me do the arrangements. My mom will do my bouquet.