There’s still something off-putting about the Internet where brides are concerned. Sure, they read the bridal blogs – and thank goodness for that! – and use Google to find all of the reception sites in and around their zip codes, but plenty of brides still balk when it comes to buying certain things online. Wedding gowns, for one, which I can totally understand, though at the same time, many brides who wouldn’t buy their wedding dress online totally ask their bridesmaids to buy their dresses online.
Another area where brides tend to shy away from buying online is wedding flowers. Part of that, I’d wager, is that there’s not a zillion shops selling wedding flowers by mail. Favors online? No problem, you have an almost infinite number of choices. Wedding shoes online? The sky is the limit! Bulk fresh flowers online? Even then it’s no problem – there’s Fifty Flowers, for example, and Grower’s Box (a personal favorite of mine). Most of the sites selling bulk flowers don’t, however, arrange them for you, so unless you’re keen on giving DIY wedding flowers a go, you’re mostly out of luck.
…but not entirely out of luck!
How about pretty arrangements of Peruvian lilies, classic roses, star of Bethlehem, or blue hydrangeas? Bridesign has been on my love list since I wrote iDo: Planning Your Wedding With Nothing But Net. Back then, it was pretty much the only place you could find wedding flower arrangements online and its stock was teeny tiny. Now they’ve expanded their options to include many different kinds of flowers and even bulk blooms (for the DIYers).
They’re even starting to carry some wedding ceremony flowers – basically arrangements for pews. And they’re not the only ones! Fifty Flowers, which used to only carry DIY packages, now offers nine professionally designed flower collections featuring everything from bouquets to boutonnieres.
So should brides be afraid of buying wedding flowers online? Absolutely not. Sure, there aren’t nearly as many shops selling fresh flower arrangements for weddings as there are shops selling favor boxes and custom wedding cookies, but that’s no reason to avoid buying online when it comes to your wedding blooms.
If you’re wondering how buying wedding flowers online works, I’ve written about it before, and it’s not particularly complicated – the main bit is knowing how to care for your flowers for the one or two days before you ceremony and reception. Had I known about Bridedesign before my own wedding, I probably would have bought my flowers from them instead of making them myself (because I’m lazy and it would have been one less thing to drag along on our epic pre-wedding road trip).
As an incentive for those on the fence about buying wedding flowers online, Bridesign has a coupon code just for Manolo for the Brides readers: BX4001 Use it to save 10% on your wedding arrangements any time between now and October of 2010!
I work seasonally and part time for a flower shop that uses Teleflora, and we get orders every once in a while that way. There are only a few options there, but if you just want something basic, it’s a good way to go. Plus, all the bouquets are made by local florists. My favorite was for a couple who were just going to do a courthouse wedding before he left for military service. It had to be quite last minute and family couldn’t come and they didn’t think they could get any flowers done in time, and so his parents, who lived on the other side of the country, ordered them flowers. They were super excited when we showed up with them 15 minutes before they were leaving for the courthouse, and I ended up taking their “Wedding photos” in their front yard since their witnesses were running late
@Emi!y Aw, that is such a sweet story! It just goes to show that it doesn’t matter where your flowers or cake or whatever comes from, anything can be special if there’s a story behind it.
My future SIL bought her dress from an Internet Purveyor. And. it. is. BEAUTIFUL. Made from all-natural fabrics, with lovely detailing, and SLEEVED. And it cost less than many a chain store, in-house dress.
I am persuaded that having an Internet Stranger make one’s wedding dress might be the way to go.
Is there a price break for ordering flowers online? Because I know that orders from Teleflora and Flowers.com are usually WAY more expensive than if I walked in the shop and ordered them in person.
I mean, if I’m losing the personal consultation and am having to care for the flowers myself (as well as deliver them to the site), then there better be a significant price difference.
I just checked out the Cosco link, and their centerpiece packages work out to $63 PER centerpiece and that’s NOT including vases.
Yeah, they’re pretty, and are made with premium flowers (roses, calla lilies) but still…
Personally, my favorite place to pick up flowers is the grocery store. Quality varies, but at nicer stores, you can get a gorgeous bunch for $10-20, easy.
If you buy wholesale flowers in bulk online, it is a lot cheaper than going to a florist and having your arrangements done for you. You just need to give yourself enough time to prepare your arrangements. Personally, I prefer to do my own flowers because they will come out just how I like. One place this website doesn’t mention that is very helpful is BloomsByTheBox. If you are trying to save money, definitely check out this website.
Before i read this i thought buying flowers online would be impossible but now i’m thinking i’ll do it!