Estimate shmestimate (AGH!)

[ellaila]

AGH!! I''m so frustrated right now!!

So we met with the florist yesterday for a consulation. Basically, I just wanted my bouquet (which is pricey but I love it), a bout, some rose petals for tossing and for the flower girls baskets and for a scattering on tables, and light decoration for the arbor at the ceremony site. We were given an estimate of $492, which we were fine with.

I got an email today from the florist saying that she doesn''t think that such a small order would really cover her costs because she would need to have a 2nd person with her to help with the setup (umm, wouldn''t that then be part of my delivery/setup fee?) and to cover the price of gas (again isn''t that part of what I''m paying a fee for?? And she''s only like a 15-minute drive away anyway), so she said she''d either have to charge me a higher fee or we could just order more flowers to make it worth her while.

So to do a heavier decoration of the arbor and then she''d reuse those decorations as our centerpieces, she gave me a price of $875!!!

OK, quickly doing the math, from $500 to $875 is a 75% increase.

WHAT???

Flowers are just not that important to me. Like I said, I do love my bouquet and THAT is important to me but the flowers on the arbor? "Big and white" is my only spec. And we weren''t even planning on using flowers for centerpieces at all (we already bought a bunch of candle holders), so the thought of all of a sudden having a $900 floral bill is just ridiculous to me.

Have any of you had experiences like this, where the vendor tells you one thing one day and then comes back to you with something completely different later?? I mean, I know you''re always told to read the fine print, but I thought our meeting yesterday was pretty straightforward -- I am just so thrown for a loop right now!

 

[LAJennifer]

I would say "no way!" I would call her bluff.

 

[ellaila]

She works out of her home too, so it''s not like she''s got a huge overhead or anything like all the other florists around there do. Her price for the bouquet was actually $70 cheaper than another place I looked, so I feel like if she''s not willing to compromise somewhat (I wrote to her and said we weren''t planning on spending more than $700), then I don''t know what we''ll do because any other place will likely be just as - if not more! - expensive!!

Thanks SDL for the hugs - you''re always the first to comfort people

 

[FireGoddess]

No way jose, no how. I would tell her that a 75% increase is not justifiable for what she cited, and if that''s the best she can do, you will take your business elsewhere.

 

[Scintillating]

Date: 6/14/2006 5:12:59 PM
Author: FireGoddess
No way jose, no how. I would tell her that a 75% increase is not justifiable for what she cited, and if that''s the best she can do, you will take your business elsewhere.

Ditto!
That''s just crazy talk.

Scintillating...

 

[codex57]

Absolutely not! For our small reception, we went with someone who worked out of her home. She was perfectly happy to just do a bridal bouquet, MOH bouquet... I think that''s it. Like two small items. We were upfront that it wouldn''t be much, we all agreed to a price, delivery, etc. and that was it. Like a pro (even tho she barely qualified), the florist came through.

I mean, I could live with a small bump in delivery fee or something. People make mistakes and while the professional thing would be to just eat the cost, some small places can''t afford to. However, that increase just doesn''t justify. Sounds like she got asked to do another wedding at the same time and wanted a huge bump to make up for losing that business, or, she wanted to make an obscene offer so you pull out and she can go after that bigger order. Scummy either way.

 

[fountainfairfax]

It sounds to me like she''s holding out for another wedding or trying to get more $$ to justify this being the only wedding of the day.

Where is she delivering your bouquet, the boutonniere and the baskets to? If it''s a different location than the ceremony she''s also trying to justify that. Years ago I had something similar happen for my late-afternoon wedding. My sis''s bf said save the money, I''ll do the pick up and deliveries. He brought me all the bouquets & my parent''s corsage/bout and then delivered the bouts to the guys. My florist knocked off over $150 off the bill.

 

[FireGoddess]

By the way, if this florist insists on the 75% increased price, I highly suggest going to citysearch.com, finding the florist''s listing, and letting the public know about this. That''s just crap.

 

[flopkins]

Tell her that''s absolutely ridiculous to raise the price that much overnight, and that you''ll take your business elsewhere!!!

 

[monarch64]

Forget her! Seriously, I don''t understand why she''s being so uncooperative. A good vendor will always accomodate your needs and this one sounds like she''s got too much to deal with and won''t put you first anyway. I say "move on." Good luck! You can certainly find someone else who will be more than willing to exceed your expectations for more than likely, less than you''d have paid the other florist.

 

[Rebemdee]

That''s just crap. My florist did the entire reception, 6 bouts, 3 corsages, 3 bridesmaid bouquets, my bouquet, and AMAZING centerpieces, flowers for my hair, a memorial bouquet, all with orchids and roses, which are not cheap, for under $800. That included dropping the hair flowers at my house the day before, set up at the facility, pinning corsages/bouts on everyone, and nice vases for the bouquets that we kept. I gave her the candles, vases, and base for the centerpieces, and she did the rest. I think your florist sees this is an opportunity to get more money because it''s a wedding, and she thinks you''ll freak out and pay it. I say find another florist. That''s ridiculous.

 

[ellaila]

Yeah, looks like it''s not going to work out with her. She''s not willing to come down any, and I''m not willing to pay that much, so ...

Anyone know any inexpensive florists in Rhode Island??!

 

[BeaudryBabe]

Absolutely not, move on, you''ll find someone much better.

Don''t you just love being taken advantage of. Geez, vendors here "wedding" and their prices double.

 

[ellaila]

Can you tell me what you have paid for setup/delivery fees for florists? I just got a an estimate and it had a $300 delivery/setup fee, which I find absolutely insane!! The only setup involved is to lightly decorate the arbor -- that's it.

I cannot believe how expensive florists are. I had NO clue!

Scintillating, you don't happen to be skilled in flower decorating, do you? I'll help you with your Newport wedding if you help me with mine! (ha ha)

ETA: Oh and also she said the price of a paper cone with rose petals is $12 each!! Oh dear lord. I just wanted to know the price of the petals, not the cones because we are planning on making our own cones anyway -- so there, flower lady!

 

[eks6426]

Do you have a friend who could pick up the flowers and do the light decorating of the arbor?

 

[ellaila]

Unfortunately, the issue with the decorating is *timing*

Our ceremony is at 5:00 and there is one before ours that ends at 4:00, so in that hour, they need to get the previous wedding''s flowers off the arbor and ours up. So unfortunately, I think we need a professional to do it. (I have visions of my fiance hanging from the arbor with a staple gun in hand as I''m walking down the aisle

)

A lot of people (including a florist!) have told me to try and find out if the people before us are going to reuse their arbor decorations or not, and if not then we could just use theirs, but that''s so risky to me -- what if their taste is truly horrible?! But I did ask the woman I''m working with at our venue if she could find out who they''re using for a florist at least, so maybe they''d do a reduced delivery/setup fee if they can do it all in one trip!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Sorry to hear about your flower issues, and I''m glad you walked away from that florist. A 75% increase is unreasonable!

How about checking out craiglist or theknot.com for florist recommendations?

 

[ponderer]

RUN!!!
Run now, run far, and run fast.

It is the florists business to know her own prices and what she needs to make a profit. Either this florist is inexperienced or just plain shady. This could foreshadow problems down the road.

A good friend of mine had a similar situation occur last year. She was paying a florist between 3-4K for flowers and the florist called the week before the wedding to inform her that she would be unable to provide the number and or quality of flowers that they had discussed unless she immmediately sent her $1500. Where I come from we call this extortion.

After a last minute rush to find a new florist and her uncle begining litigation to recover her payment, she said that in retrospect she had a bad feeling about the florist the whole time, even though this was a well established high end florist.

Good luck in your search.

 

[ellaila]

Thanks guys!

I think another issue is my location. Any Newport-based florist will be expensive because, well, it''s Newport, and it caters to the rich (which we are not!). And I think any non-Newport-based florist is going to charge me an arm and a leg in delivery fees!

The search goes on ...

 

[Scintillating]

Date: 6/16/2006 3:08:06 PM
Author: ellaila
I cannot believe how expensive florists are. I had NO clue!

Scintillating, you don''t happen to be skilled in flower decorating, do you? I''ll help you with your Newport wedding if you help me with mine! (ha ha)

Sure - I''ll help ya!

I''m a crafy DIY gal.

I don''t know any good Newport based florists that don''t cost an arm and a leg. (I''m scared of florists. $$$)
Have you looked in Middletown, Portsmouth, Fall River, and Providence? All are within traveling distance if the price is right.

Have you looked at wholesale flowers/rose petals online:
The Grower''s Box has - what look to be decent deals.

Scintillating...

 

[selflove]

Does your wedding site have any recommendations? keep looking, i''m sure you''ll find someone!

So the previous wedding will have flowers on the arbor, that they''ll have up for their ceremony, and then they''ll take them down and do what with them? Why not just leave their''s up on the arbor and call it a day? Honestly, flowers are flowers, they''ll be pretty and it will be one less thing for you to worry about. I mean, unless the colors are really strikingly different than your''s, who cares?! Seems really inconvenient and wasteful to re-decorate the arbor, IMHO.