Your experience with florist for your wedding?
We did most bulk, except for the bouquets and bouts and coursages. Under $700 for everything. It was beautiful and I would do it all again.
Reply:I LOVED my florist. My mom was being controlling as she could be, but this woman was the first person to actually say to her, while being very nice about it, "it's your daughter's wedding." We had drama over the flowers because I wanted roses, my mom hated roses. She worked within price ranges %26amp; did a beautfil job. When she came to bring the flower %26amp; decorate the cake, she saw things were behind at the location because they were late sitting everything up %26amp; she actually chipped in herself %26amp; started helping sitting things out %26amp; she %26amp; her husband actually put out my entire runner %26amp; made sure it was secure. And it depends on your florist, but she required payment in full before the wedding day.
A good florist will work with you, always remember that. You shouldn't feel like they are ignoring what you want or need or that they are trying to talk you out of your ideas. Go to a few ahead of time %26amp; speak to them about what you're wanting for your wedding. Just asking simple questions about when you should order, prices, etc., will usually give you a feel of how you will be treated as a real customer.
Reply:We had a wonderful florist, a local one who was wonderful to deal with. She listened well, and got us what we wanted. Biggest advice is if you are thinking of flowers that are unusual, ask lots of questions to make sure the florist can get them in for you. For example, I had planned to use cala lillies, but getting them couldn't be guaranteed, so I made other plans. And, no, you don't pay for them until after the wedding.
Reply:Mine was awesome! He did everything I wanted and was quite inexpensive especially for being a NYC florist.
I think I paid him the full amount when I signed the contract. I just told him what I wanted and he showed up on the wedding day with our bouquettes and boutineers, the church was decorated when we got there and so was the reception site.
Reply:My florist is brilliant, we discussed the "look" we were trying to achieve and she made loads of suggestions that fit in with the look, she prepared a file of suggestions for me and really took time to do things exactly how we liked. We put down a deposit and are paying a monthly amount towards the cost so that they will all be aid up before the wedding day itself. I feel very happy and confident that she has really worked hard to make the flowers a beautiful part of the day.
Reply:I work in an office building in a hotel, so I used the hotel florist even though my wedding was someplace else. He gives a discount to people who work in the building, I assume because he will get more business through word of mouth.
He was excellent with one mistake, he only gave us 1 flower basket for 2 flower girls, but it worked nicely any way, they shared the basket as they walked down the isle. The flowers were beautiful and as promised. We went with red roses of two different shades. We reused the flowers from the ceremony for the centerpieces for the tables. It was $75 for each centerpiece. For the cocktail hour we used, a rose in a bowl of water, maybe $10 or $12 for each table. There was a wedding after ours, and they were using our flowers for the cocktail hour for their wedding. We had an afternoon affair.
I think I paid the full amount a week before the wedding, I think there was a cash discount. Remember if you pay with credit card, if there is a problem, you can dispute it after the fact. I assume you would have pictures to prove it.
I told him about the mistake, he was apologetic, and offered money back.
Reply:We had a great florist, but we also had a real simple wedding. We got married at a lake, so we didn't need more than a few bouquets, some corsages and some boutonnieres. We had the florist use silk flowers in the bouquets (one for me to keep, one for me to throw and one for the maid of honor), and we made the corsages and boutonnieres ourselves at home (also silk). Don't pay the full amount before the wedding day. Expect to put down a deposit, and pay the remainder when the flowers are delivered or picked up. We paid for all when we picked them up two days before the wedding. They did a great job, exactly what we wanted.
Reply:I used to do flowers for weddings, but I've also been on the other side. My first bit of advice would be to make sure you are comfortable with your florist. They should listen to your requests and try to steer you in the best direction, not be offended by your suggestions, or insist that they always know best. Sometimes a florist becomes complacent, and only wants to do the same thing they've done a million times. Your wedding should be a reflection of you. Perhaps a good place to start is to decide the style you want for your wedding. Is it very formal, contemporary, etc. Also, the time of year may affect the cost and type of flowers you may use. If you go with what's in season, it may allow you to save some money. Let them know what your favorite flower is and see if they can incorporate it into the wedding, even if it doesn't match your theme or color. Decide on a budget before you meet with them. Allow for an increase just in case, that way you won't stress if something needs to change. If you can don't skimp on the flowers. This is what makes the wedding special. It will make your wedding pics look much better. I never used silk flowers because that's for everyday, but the smell and look of fresh flowers willl make your wedding a special event. I always met my clients at the place the wedding and/or reception will take place. It's good for them to know the space that needs to be filled, when they are designing. There are budget flowers, meaning flowers that look expensive, but go a long way, either by the size of the bloom, the function of the stem or multiple blooms on a stem. Alstromeria is a frilly feminine multi-bloom flower that comes in a multitude of colors. Stock has a large bloom and also comes in different colors. A good substitute for roses is Lisianthus. It's cheaper, is shaped like a rose and has multiple blooms. I personally wouldn't want to pay in full until everything has been arranged and delivered. Most reputable florists will write a contract that specifies everything to be done for the wedding. Look at pics of their work, and don't be afraid to ask for references. Hope this helps, good luck.
Reply:I became extremely frustrated with the high prices of flowers, especially since I wanted roses. I found a local craft store that did beautiful artificial arrangements and if you did not like their selection, you could furnish your own artificial flowers. I actually liked their selection and had them do a centerpiece, my bridal bouquet, and all of the corsages and boutonnieres. I ended up doing the bridesmaid bouquets myself. No one believed they were artificial until they touched them. At first my mother-in-law thought it would be tacky but once she saw them she was completely satisfied and loved the way they looked.
I had a friends who used hydrangeas, which are beautiful by themselves. We picked them off of her grandmothers bush the day of, and wrapped them ourselves. It didn't take long and everyone asked what florist she used.
If you use a florist I would not pay the full amount until I saw the outcome. A reputable florist will just require a down-payment of 25-50%. My sister had a florist do hers (with daisies as the main flower) and she paid around $600 for him to do everything.
The problem with November is that you can't get the flowers in season like you could with a spring/summer wedding. I am just saying they might charge a little more. I am sure whatever you do it will be beautiful. Good luck!
Reply:We LOVED our florist, but then again, I wasn't too picky. We did not have wedding colors, but I wanted potted plants. We decided on native violets and Boston Ivy (the same stuff that grows at Wrigley Field) with white roses and lilies (and, some complementary flowers).
We gave him the numbers and creative license. He had mentioned that he could not guarantee that the color of violets he could get would "go" with other flowers if we picked them out 2 months before they bloomed, so we just told him to use his best judgment, and discussed my hatred of carnations. And everything worked out perfectly. He arrived with the flowers on time - all looked good - and since we gave him some creative license, all the flowers were provided on budget ($750 for 24 centerpieces, alterpiece, bouquets and boutoneers). We just had to trust that he was a professional and knew more about wedding flowers than I did, and it all worked out.
As for payment, we paid it all in full when we discussed the flowers, but there was an option to pay half to reserve, then half a week beforehand when he would have to purchase the flowers and plants from his wholesaler. I'd be a little weary of a florist that would be paid only on the wedding day - they have to lay out some money to purchase your flowers, so I'd want them to buy with confidence, not try to hedge their bets incase they won't get paid. The florist we used was the florist that also provides the weekly flowers for the church, so we figured he'd show up rather than risk losing a long-term contract (and, was only 1 block from the reception location, too).
Of course, when my sister got married, my mom and I arranged for flowers from the grocery store. Payment the day of - but you end up having to pick them up in person and set them up yourself.
Reply:I do silk wedding flowers and if you go with these make sure that they email you pictures of everything before they are shipped, it is easier to make changes this way. I charge a 20 % deposit then the bride pays the remainer in payments with the last one being received just before shipping. The bride can also pay up front if she wishes to. Just make sure whoever you go with has some type of refund system. I do 90 % refunds without shipping cost. Make sure you allow at least 1 1/2 months for your flowers. Best Wishes
No comments:
Post a Comment